Previous Winners
We’ve been fortunate enough to recognize 72 podcasts so far in the awards, with thousands more nominated throughout the awards history. We strive to highlight a diverse set of podcasts by genre, creator, and size and are excited to showcase many more!
Here are the previous winners and runner ups:
2021 Discover Pods Awards Winners
Best Overall Podcast
Winner: Old Gods of Appalachia
Runner up: Potterless
Best New/Debut Podcast of 2021
Winner: The Newest Olympian
Runner up: My World with Jeff Jarrett
People’s Choice
Winner: True Crime & Cocktails
Runner up: Join The Party
Non-English Podcast
Winner: Wag Kang Lilingon
Runner up: Dos: After You
True Crime Podcast
Winner: Crime Junkie
Runner up: True Crime & Cocktails
Sports Podcast
Winner: 30 for 30
Runner up: Wrestling Anonymous
News Podcast
Winner: NPR Morning Edition
Runner up: Pod Save America
Interview Style Podcast
Winner: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Runner up: Juicy Scoop
LGBTQ+ Culture Podcast
Winner: FriGay the 13th
Runner up: Beyond the Rainbow
History Podcast
Winner: The History Chicks
Runner up: Cold War Conversations
Comedy Podcast
Winner: And That’s Why We Drink
Runner up: Cover to Cover with Chris Franjola
Kids & Family Podcast
Winner: Mirths and Monsters
Runner up: Wow in the World
Society & Culture Podcast
Winner: 99% Invisible
Runner up: Code Switch
TV & Movies Podcast
Winner: Potterless
Runner up: How Did This Get Made
Technology & Science Podcast
Winner: Ologies
Runner up: Hidden Brain
Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast
Winner: Old Gods of Appalachia
Runner up: Malevolent
Business Podcast
Winner: Snacks Daily
Runner up: How I Built This
Arts Podcast
Winner: LeVar Burton Reads
Runner up: How To Love Lit
Music Podcast
Winner: That Thing I Do
Runner up: We Luvv Rare Grooves
Food Focused Podcast
Winner: A Hot Dog Is A Sandwich
Runner up: Gastropod
2020 Discover Pods Awards Winners
Best Overall Podcast
Winner: And That’s Why We Drink
Runner up: The Amelia Project
New Podcast 2020
Winner: Staying in With Emily and Kumail
Runner up: In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt
People’s Choice
Winner: Voices for Justice
Runner up: Trace Evidence
Best Podcast Created and/or Hosted by a Woman
Winner: Punch Up The Jam
Runner up: The Cut
Best Podcast Created and/or Hosted by a PoC
Winner: Code Switch
Runner up: Snap Judgement
Best Non-English Podcast
Winner: Storia D’Italia
Runner up: Wag Kang Lilingon
True Crime Podcast
Winner: Criminal
Runner up: Real Life Real Crime
Sports Podcast
Winner: Sports? With Katie Nolan
Runner up: 30 for 30
News Podcast
Winner: Pod Save America
Runner up: The Daily
Interview Style Podcast
Winner: Behind the Bits
Runner up: Armchair Expert
LGBTQ+ Culture Podcast
Winner: Sounds Fake But Okay
Runner up: FriGay the 13th
History Podcast
Winner: Stuff You Missed In History Class
Runner up: You’re Wrong About
Comedy Podcast
Winner: All Fantasy Everything
Runner up: How Did This Get Made
Kids & Family Podcast
Winner: Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Runner up: Just The Zoo Of Us
Society & Culture Podcast
Winner: It’s Been a Minute
Runner up: The Worst Girl Gang Ever
TV & Movies Podcast
Winner: Office Ladies
Runner up: Fake Doctors, Real Friends
Technology & Science Podcast
Winner: Ologies
Runner up: Radiolab
Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast
Winner: The Amelia Project
Runner up: Old Gods of Appalachia
Business Podcast
Winner: Spectacular Failures
Runner up: Planet Money
Arts Podcast
Winner: LeVar Burton Reads
Runner up: How to Love Lit Podcast
Health & Fitness Podcast
Winner: You Don’t Look Like a Runner
Runner up: & Happiness
Music Podcast
Winner: Song Exploder
Runner up: We Luvv Rare Grooves
Branded Podcast
Winner: Inside Trader Joes
Runner up: Hackable?
Food Podcast
Winner: Doughboys
Runner up: Pod Appetit
2019 Discover Pods Awards Winners
Best Overall Podcast
Winner: 99% Invisible
Runner up: Swindled
New Podcast of 2019
Winner: Dolly Parton’s America
Runner up: Badvertising
Most Innovative Podcast
Winner: Ear Hustle
Runner up: Encyclopedia Womannica
True Crime Podcast
Winner: Swindled
Runner up: An Arm and a Leg
Sports Podcast
Winner: Sports? With Katie Nolan
Runner up: HORSE
News Podcast
Winner: Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
Runner up: The Daily
Interview Style Podcast
Winner: Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Runner up: Ignorance Was Bliss
History Podcast
Winner: History Chicks
Runner up: 1619
Comedy Podcast
Winner: Badvertising
Runner up: All Fantasy Everything
Kids & Family Podcast
Winner: Mirths and Monsters
Runner up: 10 Things That Scare Me
Society & Culture Podcast
Winner: NB: my non-binary life
Runner up: Ear Hustle
TV & Movies Podcast
Winner: Office Ladies
Runner up: Epic Film Guys
Technology & Science Podcast
Winner: Curiosity Daily
Runner up: This Podcast Will Kill You
Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast
Winner: The Magnus Archives
Runner up: The NoSleep Podcast
Business Podcast
Winner: Robinhood Snacks
Runner up: How I Built This
Arts Podcast
Winner: Potterless
Runner up: Bon Appetit Foodcast
Health & Fitness Podcast
Winner: Sex With Emily
Runner up: Disability After Dark
Music Podcast
Winner: Dissect
Runner up: Dolly Parton’s America
People’s Choice
Winner: And That’s Why We Drink
Runner up: Crime in Sports
2018 Discover Pods Awards Winners
Best Overall Podcast 2018
Winner: My Favorite Murder
Runner up: Ear Hustle
Best New Podcast of 2018
Winner: Dr. Death
Runner up: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Most Innovative Podcast
Winner: The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week
Runner up: It’s Been a Minute
Desert Island Podcast
Winner: Radiolab
Runner up: The NoSleep Podcast
People’s Choice
Winner: True Crime Obsessed
Runner up: Uncover: Escaping NXIVM
Best Podcast Production Company
Winner: NPR
Runner up: Wondery
Category Awards
True Crime
Winner: Small Town Murder
Runner up: Swindled
Sports
Winner: ESPNs 30 for 30 Podcast
Runner up: The Fantasy Footballers
News
Winner: Pod Save America
Runner up: Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
History
Winner: Stuff You Missed in History Class
Runner up: Hardcore History
Interview Style
Winner: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Runner up: Conversations with People Who Hate Me
Comedy
Winner: Last Podcast on the Left
Runner up: My Dad Wrote a Porno
Kids & Family
Winner: Varmints
Runner up: Story Pirates
Society & Culture
Winner: Ear Hustle
Runner up: The Hilarious World of Depression
Entertainment
Winner: The Hamilcast
Runner up: Pop Culture Leftovers
Technology & Science
Winner: Radiolab
Runner up: Darknet Diaries
Audio Drama
Winner: Girl in Space
Runner up: The Bright Sessions
Business
Winner: Freakonomics
Runner up: How I Built This
2017 Discover Pods Awards Winners
Best Overall Podcast
Winner: S-Town
Runner Up: WTF with Marc Maron
Best New Podcast
Winner: S-Town
Runner Up: Ear Hustle
Best Podcast Episode
Winner: S-Town Chapter 2
Runner Up: Dan Carlin Hardcore History – Destroyer of Worlds
Most Innovative Podcast
Winner: Casefile
Runner Up: Ear Hustle
Desert Island Podcast
Winner: True Crime Garage
Runner Up: This American Life
People’s Choice
Winner: Small Town Murder
Runner Up: Wine & Crime
Best Podcast Production Company
Winner: NPR
Runner Up: Radiotopia
Best True Crime Podcast
Winner: S-Town
Runner Up: Last Podcast on the Left
Best Sports Podcast
Winner: Crime in Sports
Runner Up: ESPNs 30 for 30
Best News Podcast
Winner: Pod Save America
Runner Up: Wait, Wait! Don’t Tell Me
Best Interview Style Podcast
Winner: The Nerdist
Runner Up: WTF with Marc Maron
Best Comedy Podcast
Winner: My Dad Wrote a Porno
Runner Up: Two Dope Queens
Best Kids & Family Podcast
Winner: Stuff You Should Know
Runner Up: Weird!
Best Society & Culture Podcast
Winner: This American Life
Runner Up: Lore
Best Entertainment Podcast
Winner: Bitch Sesh
Runner Up: The Sometimes Geek Podcast
Best Technology & Science Podcast
Winner: Stuff You Should Know
Runner Up: Radiolab
Best Audio Drama
Winner: Welcome to Night Vale
Runner Up: The Black Tapes
Best Business Podcast
Winner: Freakonomics
Runner Up: How I Built This