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