This is the third year we’ve done the Discover Pods Awards and each consecutive year has increased in velocity, magnitude, and competition. Last year, 10,000 people voted to determine the winners. This year, over 20,000 votes were tallied for the finalists alone. The significant increase in vote totals only seemed to make the final results even closer. For example, the award for best true crime podcast — one of the most competitive awards — was ultimately determined by a relatively small number of votes. Even the “last place” podcast in that category had over 500 votes.
When we announced the finalists, I posed this challenge to all the podcast fans (and would-be voters):
My challenge to every voter: vote for your favorite in any given category. However, if you haven’t heard of another nominated podcast in that category 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.
Screenshot it. Bookmark it. Whatever. Come back to this list when your queue is running dry.
Alright, enough preamble, let’s get to the winners…
Best Overall Podcast
Winner: 99% Invisible
Runner up: Swindled
Full list of finalists:
- 1619
- 99% Invisible
- Against The Rules
- Friends at the Table
- Mobituaries
- My Favorite Murder
- Revisionist History
- Running from COPS
- Swindled
- The Daily
- The Dream
- The Penumbra Podcast
- The Secret Room
- Uncover
New Podcast of 2019
Winner: Dolly Parton’s America
Runner up: Badvertising
Full list of finalists:
- 1619
- An Arm and a Leg
- Badvertising
- Blackout
- Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
- Dolly Parton’s America
- Gotham Variety
- Inside Podcasting
- Land of the Giants
- Running from COPS
- Smidgen
- Spectacular Failures
Most Innovative Podcast
Winner: Ear Hustle
Runner up: Encyclopedia Womannica
Full list of finalists:
- 1619
- 99% Invisible
- ARGonauts
- Dolly Parton’s America
- Ear Hustle
- Encyclopedia Womannica
- Have You Heard George’s Podcast
- Nice Try! Utopian
- The Ballad of Billy Balls
- The Deca Tapes
- The Theatre of Tomorrow
True Crime Podcast
Winner: Swindled
Runner up: An Arm and a Leg
Full list of finalists:
- An Arm and a Leg
- Casefile
- Darknet Diaries
- Disgraceland
- In The Dark
- Let’s Not Meet
- Mob Queens
- Morbidology
- Swindled
- The Clearing
- The Dropout
- The Teacher’s Pet
- Unravel
Sports Podcast
Winner: Sports? With Katie Nolan
Runner up: HORSE
Full list of finalists:
- 30 for 30
- Black Sox
- Effectively Wild
- Fish Nerds
- Gladiator
- HORSE
- Young & Happy
- Men in Blazers
- Only a Game
- Pardon My Take
- Pat McAfee Show 2.0
- Sports? With Katie Nolan
- The Lowe Post
- The Ryen Russillo Podcast
News Podcast
Winner: Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
Runner up: The Daily
Full list of finalists:
- Intercepted
- Left Right & Center
- Lovett or Leave It
- NPR Politics
- Pantsuit Politics
- Pod Save America
- Sixteen Minutes on the News
- The Daily
- The Morning Toast
- The Rachel Maddow Show
- Today, Explained
- Up First
- Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
Interview Style Podcast
Winner: Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Runner up: Ignorance Was Bliss
Full list of finalists:
- Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
- Beautiful/Anonymous
- Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
- Conversations with Tyler
- Desert Island Discs
- Fresh Air
- Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
- Ignorance Was Bliss
- Jocko Podcast
- Origins
- Radio Drama Revival
- Scam Goddess
- The Bill Simmons Podcast
- The Only One in the Room
- WTF with Marc Maron
History Podcast
Winner: History Chicks
Runner up: 1619
Full list of finalists:
- 1619
- American History Tellers
- Behind the Bastards
- Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History
- Historical AF Podcast
- History Chicks
- Revolutions
- Rough Translation
- Sawbones
- Stuff You Missed In History Class
- The Dollop
- The Constant
- The Story Behind
Comedy Podcast
Winner: Badvertising
Runner up: All Fantasy Everything
Full list of finalists:
- All Fantasy Everything
- Badvertising
- Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast
- Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You
- ILLUSIONOID
- Last Podcast on the Left
- My Brother My Brother & Me
- My Favorite Murder
- Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone
- Sex Talk with My Mom
- This Might Get Weird
- Why Won’t You Date Me?
Kids & Family Podcast
Winner: Mirths and Monsters
Runner up: 10 Things That Scare Me
Full list of finalists:
- 10 Things That Scare Me
- Autonomic
- Brains On
- Chompers
- Flyest Fables
- Mirths & Monsters
- Noodle Loaf
- Smash Boom Best
- Something You Should Know
- Song Salad
- Story Pirates
- Story Time — Children’s bedtime stories for kids
- The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
- Varmints!
Society & Culture Podcast
Winner: NB: my non-binary life
Runner up: Ear Hustle
Full list of finalists:
- Benjamin Walker’s Theory of Everything
- Ear Hustle
- Have You Heard George’s Podcast
- It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders
- NB: My non-binary life
- Nice Try! Utopian
- Not Another D&D Podcast
- Pop Culture Happy Hour
- Solo Travel Talk
- The Big One
- The Dream
- Unmapped
TV & Movies Podcast
Winner: Office Ladies
Runner up: Epic Film Guys
Full list of finalists:
- Bachelor Party
- Back Row: Movie News
- Binge Mode
- Epic Film Guys
- How Did This Get Made
- My Neighbors Are Dead
- Office Ladies
- Pizza Party Podcast
- Podcast Like it’s 1999
- The Rewatchables
- We Hate Movies
- West Wing Weekly
Technology & Science Podcast
Winner: Curiosity Daily
Runner up: This Podcast Will Kill You
Full list of finalists:
- a16z
- Curiosity Daily
- Hackable?
- Hidden Brain
- Ologies
- Radiolab
- Recode Decode
- Reply All
- Science Rules
- Science Vs
- Star Talk
- The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe
- This Podcast Will Kill You
Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast
Winner: The Magnus Archives
Runner up: The NoSleep Podcast
Full list of finalists:
- Blackout
- CARAVAN
- Cryptids
- Girl in Space
- Limetown
- Mission to Zyxx
- Passenger List
- The Magnus Archives
- The NoSleep Podcast
- The Truth: The Body Genius
- The White Vault
- Unwell
- Wolf 359
Business Podcast
Winner: Robinhood Snacks
Runner up: How I Built This
Full list of finalists:
- Akimbo from Seth Godin
- Business Wars
- Econ Talk
- Exponent
- How I Built This
- Land of the Giants
- Marketplace
- Masters of Scale
- Planet Money
- Robinhood Snacks
- Slate Money
- Spectacular Failures
- The Business
Arts Podcast
Winner: Potterless
Runner up: Bon Appetit Foodcast
Full list of finalists:
- Accession
- Art Sistory
- Bon Appetit Foodcast
- Culture Gabfest
- Oh No! Lit Class
- How to Love Lit Podcast
- Potterless
- Smidgen
- Spicy Eyes
- The Lonely Palette
- Waypoint Radio
Health & Fitness Podcast
Winner: Sex With Emily
Runner up: Disability After Dark
Full list of finalists:
- Disability After Dark
- Everyday Ayurveda and Yoga
- FitFizz
- Get Fit Guy
- Hate to Weight
- Mind Love
- Sex with Emily
- The Better Show
- The Health Code
Music Podcast
Winner: Dissect
Runner up: Dolly Parton’s America
Full list of finalists:
- Broken Record
- Dissect
- Dolly Parton’s America
- Earfloss
- Hit Parade
- Lost Notes
- POPS! The Louis Armstrong Story
- Producing the Beatles
- Song Exploder
- Switched on Pop
- The Open Ears Project
People’s Choice
Winner: And That’s Why We Drink
Runner up: Crime in Sports
Full list of finalists:
- And That’s Why We Drink
- Cover to Cover
- Crime in Sports
- Dark Poutine
- Drinking and Screaming
- Fantasy Footballers
- Gay Future
- Graveyard Tales
- Seek the Joy
- Those Conspiracy Guys
Each year we ask for feedback to improve the voting, nominations, categories, and the general process. Next year, I know for sure we’ll add a few categories — at a minimum foreign language, LGBTQ+, and food. If you have any ideas on the awards and how to improve them, shoot us an email at contact@discoverpods.com