The fifth annual Discover Pods Awards were, predictably, bigger and better than previous years. More surprisingly, a few categories were decided by a handful of votes despite thousands and thousands cast. These were tight races.

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.

Alright, let’s get to the winners…

Best Overall Podcast

Winner: Old Gods of Appalachia

Runner up: Potterless

  • Baby Name Envy
  • Cold War Conversations
  • Exit Scam
  • Imagined Life
  • Morbidology
  • My First Million
  • Old Gods of Appalachia
  • Potterless
  • The Daily
  • The Me-Suite
  • Twenty Thousand Hertz
  • Waypoint Radio
  • You’re Wrong About

Best New/Debut Podcast of 2021

Winner: The Newest Olympian

Runner up: My World with Jeff Jarrett

  • Aack-Cast
  • Exit Scam
  • Financial Feminist
  • For A Better World
  • My World with Jeff Jarrett
  • No More Late Fees
  • Stolen: The Search for Jermain
  • The Ezra Klein Show
  • The Living Fears
  • The Newest Olympian
  • The Silt Verses

People’s Choice

Winner: True Crime & Cocktails

Runner up: Join The Party

  • 10ish podcast
  • Ask Dale Anything
  • Blaxit Global
  • Catie and Erik’s Infinite Quest
  • Cold War Conversations
  • Cover to Cover with Chris Franjola
  • Creative Elements
  • Fantasy Footballers
  • For a Better World
  • Grits with a Side of Murder
  • Hey Gurl! With Bill Janisse
  • Join The Party
  • Malevolent
  • Pod and Prejudice
  • Sugar Coated Murder
  • Swish and Flick
  • The Bourbon Road
  • True Crime & Cocktails

Non-English Podcast

Winner: Wag Kang Lilingon

Runner up: Dos: After You

  • Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast
  • Dos: After You
  • El Verdadero Robo del Siglo
  • Gabi Ng Bading
  • Lästerschwestern
  • Paris Paysanne
  • SBS Easy French
  • Wag Kang Lilingon
  • התשובה

True Crime Podcast

Winner: Crime Junkie

Runner up: True Crime & Cocktails

  • A Death in Cryptoland
  • A Paranormal Chicks
  • Algorithm
  • Cold Case Canada
  • Crime Junkie
  • Criminal
  • In Your Own Backyard
  • International Infamy
  • It’s Always the Husband
  • LA Not So Confidential
  • Marked Safe
  • My Favorite Murder
  • Small Town Murder
  • True Crime & Cocktails

Sports Podcast

Winner: 30 for 30

Runner up: Wrestling Anonymous

  • 30 for 30
  • Crime in Sports
  • Fantasy Footballers
  • Fish Nerds
  • Pardon My Take
  • Ross Tucker Football Podcast
  • The Lowe Post
  • The Old Man and the Three
  • The Ryen Russillo Podcast
  • Wrestling Anonymous

News Podcast

Winner: NPR Morning Edition

Runner up: Pod Save America

  • El Hilo
  • Five Thirty Eight Politics Podcast
  • NPR Morning Edition
  • Pod Save America
  • Political Junkie
  • The Daily
  • The Daily Zeitgeist
  • Today, Explained
  • Up First
  • What A Day

Interview Style Podcast

Winner: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Runner up: Juicy Scoop

  • Armchair Expert
  • Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
  • Expertos de Sillón
  • Juicy Scoop
  • Mixergy
  • People I (Mostly) Admire
  • Sway
  • The Next Big Idea
  • WTF with Marc Maron

LGBTQ+ Culture Podcast

Winner: FriGay the 13th

Runner up: Beyond the Rainbow

  • Beyond the Rainbow
  • Born on This Day Podcast
  • FriGay the 13th
  • Gayest Episode Ever
  • Gayish
  • Getting Curious
  • Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen
  • Making Gay History

History Podcast

Winner: The History Chicks

Runner up: Cold War Conversations

  • Behind the Bastards
  • Cold War Conversations
  • Encyclopedia Womannica
  • Hardcore History
  • History or His Story
  • Noble Blood
  • Obscure History
  • Plodding Through The Presidents
  • Sawbones
  • The History Chicks
  • You’re Wrong About

Comedy Podcast

Winner: And That’s Why We Drink

Runner up: Cover to Cover with Chris Franjola

  • All Fantasy Everything
  • And That’s Why We Drink
  • Barmy Dale
  • Comedy Bang! Bang!
  • Cover to Cover with Chris Franjola
  • Scam Goddess
  • Smartless
  • The Dollop

Kids & Family Podcast

Winner: Mirths and Monsters

Runner up: Wow in the World

  • Baby Name Envy
  • Dreamful
  • Goodnight World
  • Mirths and Monsters
  • Skyjacks: Courier’s Call
  • Varmints
  • Wow in the World

Society & Culture Podcast

Winner: 99% Invisible

Runner up: Code Switch

  • 99% Invisible
  • A Bintel Brief
  • Autism Rocks and Rolls
  • Blaxit Global
  • Cancel Me Daddy
  • Code Switch
  • Day X
  • Even The Rich
  • In God We Lust
  • Keep it!

TV & Movies Podcast

Winner: Potterless

Runner up: How Did This Get Made

  • A More Civilized Age: A Clone Wars Podcast
  • Anime Sickos
  • Bitch Sesh
  • Buffering the Vampire Slayer
  • Fake Doctors Real Friends
  • How Did This Get Made
  • No More Late Fees
  • Office Ladies
  • Potterless
  • Spoilerpiece Theatre
  • The Big Picture
  • The Rewatchables

Technology & Science Podcast

Winner: Ologies

Runner up: Hidden Brain

  • Curiosity Daily
  • Darknet Diaries
  • Dementia Researcher
  • Hidden Brain
  • Ologies
  • Science Diction
  • Science Vs
  • This Week in Tech

Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast

Winner: Old Gods of Appalachia

Runner up: Malevolent

  • AFTERSHOCK
  • Caso 63
  • Chad: A Fallout 76 Story
  • Hello From the Hallowoods
  • Malevolent
  • Old Gods of Appalachia
  • Passenger List
  • Red Frontier
  • Restless Shores
  • The Children of Room 56
  • The Vanishing Act
  • Whisperling

Business Podcast

Winner: Snacks Daily

Runner up: How I Built This

  • Business Moves
  • How I Built This
  • Legends of Sales & Marketing Podcast
  • Me Suite
  • Rebel Entrepreneur
  • Snacks Daily
  • The All In Podcast

Arts Podcast

Winner: LeVar Burton Reads

Runner up: How To Love Lit

  • Alternative Stories and Fake Realities
  • Creative Elements
  • Drunk Art Review
  • How to Love Lit
  • LeVar Burton Reads
  • Pop Culture Happy Hour
  • The Moth

Music Podcast

Winner: That Thing I Do

Runner up: We Luvv Rare Grooves

  • Bill Buds
  • Cocaine and Rhinestones
  • Dissect
  • Infectious Groove
  • No Skips
  • She Will Rock You
  • Slate Hit Parade
  • That Thing I Do
  • We Luvv Rare Grooves

Food Focused Podcast

Winner: A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich

Runner up: Gastropod

  • A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich
  • Beyond the Plate
  • Dads Drinking Bourbon
  • Doughboys
  • Everyday is a Food Day
  • For a Better World
  • Gastropod
  • Off Menu
  • The Sporkful
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