iHeartMedia has announced the nominees for the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards, to be held in partnership with South by Southwest.
On Monday, March 16th, at the Moody Theater in Austin, the awards show will be an in-person celebration of the podcasting medium.
Comedian Ego Nwodim will host the awards ceremony. The awards show will also be broadcast on select iHeartMedia radio stations as well as the iHeartRadio app.
“Podcasting continues to be one of the most vibrant and fast-growing mediums in media today,” said iHeartPodcasts President Will Pearson. “We are thrilled to return to Austin and ACL Live at the Moody Theater to celebrate the storytellers who are pushing the boundaries of audio. We can’t wait to see which show the fans crown as their Podcast of the Year for 2026.”
“The Podcast Awards have become a defining moment for the audio community at SXSW, and we’re proud to continue building that momentum with iHeartMedia in 2026,” said SXSW Chief Commercial Officer Peter Lewis. “Bringing this event back to ACL Live at the Moody Theater reflects how deeply podcasting is embedded in the cultural conversation at SXSW, and our commitment to creating meaningful stages for the creators shaping where audio goes next.”
The entire list of nominees for the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards is listed below.
Podcast of the Year
- Good Hang with Amy Poehler
- The Breakfast Club
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- Pablo Torre Finds Out
- The Daily
- The Rest Is History
- This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
- Call Her Daddy
- Heavyweight
- Giggly Squad
Best Business & Finance
- Earn Your Leisure
- How I Built This
- Acquired
- Young and Profiting with Hala Taha
- The Diary of a CEO
Best Comedy
- Good Hang with Amy Poehler
- The Toast
- Distractible
- Handsome
- The Basement Yard
Best Crime
- Crime Junkie
- Rotten Mango
- Anatomy of Murder
- My Favorite Murder
- Wisecrack
Best Pop Culture
- Las Culturistas
- Call Her Daddy
- Therapuss with Jake Shane
- Giggly Squad
- The Viall Files
Best Food
- Eating While Broke
- The Sporkful
- Home Cooking
- The Splendid Table
- Dinner’s On Me
Best Wellness & Fitness
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- Huberman Lab
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- 10% Happier
- Maintenance Phase
Best History
- The Rest Is History
- You’re Wrong About
- Throughline
- American History Tellers
- SNAFU
Best Kids & Family
- Story Pirates
- Wow in the World
- Circle Round
- The Big Fib
- Brains On!
Best Music
- The Bobby Bones Show
- Song Exploder
- Switched On Pop
- All Songs Considered
- One Song
Best News
- The Daily
- The Megyn Kelly Show
- Pivot
- The MeidasTouch Podcast
- Up First from NPR
Best Fiction
- The NoSleep Podcast
- Havoc Town
- Old Gods of Appalachia
- Table Read
- Murder at the Patel Motel
Best Sports
- New Heights
- Pardon My Take
- The Zach Lowe Show
- Club 520
- The Ringer Fantasy Football Show
Best Science
- Radiolab
- Ologies
- Hidden Brain
- StarTalk Radio
- Shell Game
Best Technology
- Hard Fork
- Black Tech Green Money
- Galaxy Brain
- Acquired
- All-In
Best Ad Read
- Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
- Call Her Daddy
- My Brother, My Brother and Me
- Dudes on Dudes
- Distractible
Best Host
- Amy Poehler
- Pablo Torre
- Alex Cooper
- Emma Chamberlain
- Caleb Hearon
Best Ensemble
- We Can Do Hard Things
- SmartLess
- The Basement Yard
- This Is Important
- Get Played
Best Political
- Pod Save America
- The Bulwark Podcast
- Breaking Points
- Hacks On Tap
- The Ben Shapiro Show
Best TV & Film
- The Big Picture
- The Rewatchables
- How Did This Get Made?
- Watch What Crappens
- Girls Rewatch
Best Spanish Language
- Gracias, Come Again.
- Radio Ambulante
- Leyenda Legendarias
- Chente Ydrach
- Relatos de la Noche
Best Advice / Inspirational
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- Thanks For Asking with Nora McInerny
- Just Heal with Dr. Jay
- Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen
Best Beauty & Fashion
- Nymphet Alumni
- Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud
- Articles of Interest
- Lipstick on the Rim
- Naked Beauty
Best Travel
- Women Who Travel
- Travel with Rick Steves
- Zero To Travel
- Points Talk
- The Travel Diaries
Best Religious & Spirituality
- Deeply Well with Devi Brown
- Girls Gone Bible
- Joel Osteen Podcast
- WHOA That’s Good Podcast
- Elevation with Steven Furtick
Best Branded Podcast
- This Is Not a Beauty Podcast (L’Oréal)
- Crucible Moments (Sequoia Capital)
- The Unshakeables (Chase for Business)
- ZOE Science & Nutrition (ZOE)
- Smart Talks (IBM)
Best Emerging
- Khloé in Wonder Land
- Smart Girl Dumb Questions
- Try Hard
- Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim
- Upstairs Neighbors
Best International
- ShxtsNGigs (United Kingdom)
- Las Alucines (Mexico)
- The Rest Is History (United Kingdom)
- Shameless (Australia)
- Crime Beat (Canada)
