The fourth annual Discover Pods Awards were, predictably, bigger and better than previous years. All in all, over 30,000 votes were cast in the finals with many races extremely tight.

*insert some corny presidential election joke*

In my opinion, podcast discovery remains a very real problem for the industry (see: the domain name of this site.), and as such I deliver a similar challenge to readers every year:

If you haven’t heard of another nominated podcast in a category you’re interested in please give it a listen. These podcasts are all deserving of recognition and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new podcast to add to your queue.

These are good podcasts, I promise. Try something new.

There were some critiques and feedback around the awards (there always is), specifically this time around the woman and PoC categories. I felt it was worth addressing and did so in this Twitter thread.

Alright, let’s get to the winners…

Best Overall Podcast

Winner: And That’s Why We Drink

Runner up: The Amelia Project

  • Above & Beyond: Group Therapy
  • And That’s Why We Drink
  • Armchair Explorer
  • Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
  • Decoder Ring
  • Friends at the Table
  • Reply All
  • The Amelia Project
  • The Cut
  • The NewsWorthy
  • The Rewatchables
  • Underunderstood

New Podcast of 2020

Winner: Staying In With Emily and Kumail

Runner up: In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

  • Brimstone Valley Mall
  • Fake Doctors, Real Friends
  • In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt
  • Know A Little More
  • Nice White Parents
  • Staying In with Emily and Kumail
  • The Last Post
  • The Syndicate

People’s Choice

Winner: Voices for Justice

Runner up: Trace Evidence

  • Bite-Sized Broadway Cinematic Sound Radio
  • Dadsplaining A Fatherhood Podcast
  • Divorced AF
  • Dizzy for Dizi
  • Drinking And Screaming
  • Entertainment Buffet
  • Ho Yeah! Podcast
  • The Dumb, Found Dead Podcast
  • The Friendship File
  • The Me-Suite
  • The Start Line
  • The UP Podcast
  • The Worst Girl Gang Ever
  • Trace Evidence
  • UNCK!
  • Very Presidential
  • Voices for Justice

Best Podcast Created and/or Hosted by a Woman

Winner: Punch Up The Jam

Runner up: The Cut

  • Dying for Sex
  • Making Space: The Female Frontier
  • Punch Up the Jam
  • Scam Goddess
  • The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles
  • The Cut
  • The NewsWorthy
  • The Slowdown

Best Podcast Created and/or Hosted by a PoC

Winner: Code Switch

Runner up: Snap Judgement

  • 70 Million
  • Bruh Issa Murder
  • Code Switch
  • Friends at the Table
  • Harlem Queen
  • In the Thick
  • Mija
  • MK on the Mic
  • Mommying While Muslim
  • Nostalgique
  • Snap Judgement
  • The Benjamin Dixon Show
  • Three Black Halflings

Best Non-English Podcast

Winner: Storia D’Italia

Runner up: Wag Kang Lilingon

  • Dos: After You
  • Las Raras
  • Mija
  • Radio Ambulante
  • Recetario sonorio de ingredientes en peligro
  • Storia D’Italia
  • Venezuela: Crisis y Esperanza
  • Viajes inmóviles
  • Wag Kang Lilingon

True Crime Podcast

Winner: Criminal

Runner up: Real Life Real Crime

  • Criminal
  • Floodlines
  • Housewives of True Crime
  • Morbidology
  • Nice White Parents
  • Real Life Real Crime
  • Reveal: American Rehab
  • Slow Burn
  • Somebody
  • Swindled
  • The Syndicate
  • True Crime South Africa

Sports Podcast

Winner: Sports? With Katie Nolan

Runner up: 30 for 30

  • 30 for 30
  • HORSE
  • Pardon My Take
  • Sports? With Katie Nolan
  • The Art of Wrestling
  • The Bill Simmons Podcast
  • The Cam Chronicles
  • The Lowe Post
  • The Pat McAfee Show 2.0

News Podcast

Winner: Pod Save America

Runner up: The Daily

  • Pantsuit Politics
  • Pod Save America
  • Podnews
  • The Bugle
  • The Daily
  • Today, Explained
  • Up First
  • What a Day

Interview Style Podcast

Winner: Behind The Bits

Runner up: Armchair Expert

  • Armchair Expert
  • Beautiful / Anonymous
  • Behind The Bits
  • Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
  • Ignorance Was Bliss
  • Mixergy
  • Pray for Us
  • The Benjamin Dixon Show
  • The Ezra Klein Show
  • Why is This Happening?
  • WTF with Marc Maron

LGBTQ+ Culture

Winner: Sounds Fake But Okay

Runner up: FriGay the 13th

  • Beyond the Rainbow
  • Caravan
  • FriGay the 13th
  • Gayish
  • Gender Reveal
  • Hey Gurl with Bill Janisse
  • How’s Your Heart?
  • Queer Science!
  • Queery
  • Sounds Fake But Okay
  • TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones

History Podcast

Winner: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Runner up: You’re Wrong About

  • 1619
  • Behind the Bastards
  • Blindspot: The Road to 9/11
  • Cold War Conversations
  • Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
  • History Chicks
  • Meet Your Heroes
  • One Mic: Black History
  • Revisionist History
  • Stuff You Missed in History Class
  • The Benjamin Dixon Show
  • The Dollop
  • The Missionary
  • Throughline
  • You’re Wrong About

Comedy Podcast

Winner: All Fantasy Everything

Runner up: How Did This Get Made

  • All Fantasy Everything
  • Ask Ronna
  • Barmy Dale
  • Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet
  • Beware Of The Leopard
  • Bonanas for Bonanza
  • Hey Riddle Riddle
  • How Did This Get Made
  • Last Podcast on The Left
  • My Favorite Murder
  • Oh, H’llo: The Podcast
  • Or, Learn Parkour
  • We Fix Space Junk

Kids & Family Podcast

Winner: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls

Runner up: Just the Zoo of Us

  • Best Whatever Ever! Stories for Kids
  • But Why?
  • Dreamful
  • Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
  • Julie’s Library
  • Just the Zoo of Us
  • Mirths and Monsters
  • Molly of Denali
  • Story Pirates
  • Timestorm
  • Varmints!
  • Wow in the World

Society & Culture Podcast

Winner: It’s Been a Minute

Runner up: The Worst Girl Gang Ever

  • Articles of Interest
  • Broccoli Content’s Anthems
  • Call Your Girlfriend
  • Dead Eyes
  • Ear Hustle
  • It’s Been a Minute
  • Look to the Cookie
  • No Such Thing As a Fish
  • Overheard, National Geographic
  • Pop Culture Leftovers
  • rePOSTED
  • The Cut
  • The Worst Girl Gang Ever
  • Wind of Change

TV & Movies Podcast

Winner: Office Ladies

Runner up: Fake Doctors, Real Friends

  • Anime Sickos
  • Bitch Sesh
  • CordKillers
  • Entertainment Buffet
  • Fake Doctors Real Friends
  • Movie Retakes
  • Office Ladies
  • Pop Culture Happy Hour
  • Swish & Flick
  • The Connect
  • The Rewatchables
  • The Watch
  • The Wire: Way Down In The Hole

Technology & Science Podcast

Winner: Ologies

Runner up: Radiolab

  • 13 Minutes to the Moon
  • Curiosity Daily
  • Darknet Diaries
  • Endless Thread
  • Ologies
  • Petri Dish
  • Rabbit Hole
  • Radiolab
  • Reply All
  • Science Vs.
  • Shortwave
  • TWiT
  • Upgrade
  • Vergecast

Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast

Winner: The Amelia Project

Runner up: Old Gods of Appalachia

  • Arden
  • Borrasca
  • Dreamful
  • Dust
  • Full Body Chills
  • NoSleep
  • Old Gods of Appalachia
  • Scare You to Sleep
  • The Adventure Zone
  • The Amelia Project

Business Podcast

Winner: Spectacular Failures

Runner up: Planet Money

  • Almost Hired
  • Business Wars
  • EV News Daily
  • How I Built This
  • Land of the Giants
  • Me-Suite
  • My First Million
  • Pivot
  • Planet Money
  • Spectacular Failures
  • Sway
  • The Prof. G Show
  • WorkLife with Adam Grant

Arts Podcast

Winner: LeVar Burton Reads

Runner up: How to Love Lit Podcast

  • Above & Beyond: Group Therapy
  • Art History Babes
  • Cheers to Comics
  • Festival Circuit
  • Geek Ketchup
  • How to Love Lit Podcast
  • LeVar Burton Reads
  • Oh No! Lit Class
  • The Allusionist
  • The Lonely Palette
  • Welcome to LA

Health & Fitness Podcast

Winner: You Don’t Look Like a Runner

Runner up: & Happiness

  • & Happiness
  • Diet Starts Tomorrow
  • Huntsman World Senior Games Active Life
  • Nutrition Diva
  • Radio Headspace
  • Sober Powered
  • The Start Line Podcast
  • Work for Change
  • You don’t look like a runner

Music Podcast

Winner: Song Exploder

Runner up: We Luvv Rare Grooves

  • Belonging Songs
  • Billbuds
  • Bite-Sized Broadway
  • Cinematic Sound Radio
  • Desert Island Jams
  • Dissect
  • El Arrabal de la Musica
  • Infectious Groove Podcast
  • Song Exploder
  • Switched on Pop
  • This Is Not A Drake Podcast
  • Walking the Floor
  • We Luvv Rare Grooves

Best Branded Podcast

Winner: Inside Trader Joes

Runner up: Hackable?

  • Bring Back Bronco
  • Choiceology with Katy Milkman
  • Field Tripping
  • Hackable?
  • Inside Trader Joes
  • Rise & Grind
  • Spit
  • Tales from the Hill, presented by Heaven Hill Distillery
  • The Distance
  • The Message
  • The Sauce

Best Food-Focused Podcast

Winner: Doughboys

Runner up: Pod Appetit

  • Citizen Chef with Tom Colicchio
  • Doughboys
  • Gastropod
  • Home Cooking
  • Mike And Tom Eat Snacks! rip.
  • Pod Appetit
  • Table Manners
  • The Sporkful
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