Podcast stars and industry innovators: AudioUK reveals 2025 nominations, as the APAs celebrate 15 years

The nominees for AudioUK’s 2025 APAs, sponsored by Audible, have been revealed, and it’s a star-studded lineup. From comedy legends to rising talent, behind the scenes to in front of the mic, the APAs celebrate excellence right across the podcast and audio industry. This year, the awards mark a milestone: 15 years of celebrating the industry.

The awards will take place at a gala evening on 27th November at the BFI, London’s South Bank, with tickets available here. Remel London, Broadcaster & Founder of The Mainstream will host the ceremony.

Key Nominees:

• Publisher / Network of the Year (sponsored by BetterHelp) – an eclectic list including previous winners Resonance FM; industry titans Goalhanger (the network behind The Rest Is… series); tradespeople focused Fix Radio; Sony Music Podcasts (home to The Binge and Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail); horror specialists Rusty Quill; and the ever-popular Fun Kids.

• Producer of the Year (sponsored by Audible): Bella Soames (DMG Media), Georgia Arundel (Platform Media), Phoebe McIndoe (Falling Tree Productions), Jack Edwards (Fix Radio), Andrew Wilkie (PRA), Georgina Savage (RAW), Jon Holmes (unusual).

• Production Company of the Year (sponsored by Aiir): Bespoken Media, Falling Tree Productions, Fresh Air Productions, Novel, Prison Radio Association, Reduced Listening, Samizdat Audio.

Nominees in the Ensemble Cast/Presenting Team and New Voice categories (sponsored by BBC Sounds) include newcomer Scout Tzofiya Bolton (The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag), Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins (Mel and Sue Should Know By Now), Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders (French & Saunders Titting About), and Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson, Harriet Harman, and Jess Phillips (Electoral Dysfunction).

For 2025, several new categories have been introduced. The Changemaker Award, sponsored by The Podcast Show, features nominees like Aunt Nell for promoting marginalized voices, QueerAF with Trans+ History Week, and the National Trust for their Wild Tales podcast, which brings diverse audiences to nature storytelling.

The team from Novel, the production house behind the narrative podcast chart topper: Kill List, are nominated in the True Crime category, alongside StoryHunter, who are nominated in the same category for Lady Swindlers with Lucy Worsley. The Little Ears category returns, this year judged for the first time by kids, with nominees including Laura Hyde at Chalk & Blade, Krishna Murali, The Fourth Bookmark, and a collaboration between the National History Museum, Forever Audio, and Tonies.

The prestigious AudioUK award, which recognises industry excellence, is not announced until awards night, with previous winners including Annie Mac, Goalhanger’s Nicole Logan, Reform Radio and UKAN.

The APAs celebrate not just what’s heard, but the creativity, innovation, and talent behind every mic, script, and piece of sound design, as well as industry impact and contribution to growth. From industry veterans to exciting newcomers, the 2025 awards highlight the people shaping the future of podcasting and audio.

Amazon Music and AudioUK enter the fourth year of their partnership on the Pay What You Can scheme, removing financial barriers for entering and attending the awards

Chloe Straw, CEO of AudioUK, said:

“Being able to shine a spotlight on this brilliant industry is an incredible privilege for AudioUK. It’s exciting to see established media brands including Bloomberg, The Times, Audible, Goalhanger and Sony Music nominated alongside creators, newcomers, and independent businesses including Unedited, Bespoken, Falling Tree, Aunt Nell, and Reform Radio. The awards are an opportunity to bring everyone together, to celebrate this remarkable industry that we’ve built.

The APAs this year mark a milestone of 15 years celebrating the podcast and audio industry, which feels more vibrant than ever - growing, evolving, and innovating. Huge thanks to all the judges, teams and sponsors behind the awards, we couldn’t do it without your support and excellence.”

Event Information

AudioUK’s 2025 APAs will be held at the BFI, London Southbank, on Thursday 27th November. We’re thrilled to announce that the host of this year’s ceremony is Remel London, Broadcaster and Founder of The Mainstream.

Remel said:

I’m so excited to be hosting the Audio Production Awards. As a radio and podcasting enthusiast myself I’m so excited to be a part of a ceremony that celebrates new and existing talent in the podcasting and audio production world!

Early bird rates for AudioUK members are £70+VAT and £80+VAT for non-members and are available until 10th November 2024. After that they rise to £80+VAT for members and £90+VAT for non-members.

Tickets are on sale at: tinyurl.com/APAs25-tickets

The Pay What You Can Scheme, supported by Amazon Music and Wondery, is available again for freelancers and individuals who would otherwise find the cost of a ticket a barrier to attending. A limited number of tickets are available, email hello@audioproductionawards.co.uk for further information on accessing a free or discounted ticket.

This year, AudioUK has again teamed up with The Entry Level Audio Network to hold a pre-Awards ceremony mixer for people who do not know many others in the audio industry, are attending alone, or who find larger events challenging. For more details and to sign up, please go to: ELAN pre-mixer tickets.

Full list of Nominees for the APAs 2025 below.

The APAs 2025 Nominees

INDIVIDUAL OR TEAM OF PRODUCERS WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER:

Arts and Culture sponsored by the London Podcast Festival_**

Meg Elliot - BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Overcoat Media

Chris Mitchell - Breaking Atoms and Sumit Sharma - Unedited

Meera Kumar - Freelance

Sam Tyler - Freelance

Wajid Yaseen and Steve Urquhart - Modus Arts

Tony Philips - Sea Salt and Mango

Audiobook

Yuki Parmar, Nicola Wall, Robin Morgan-Bentley, Tamsin Collison - Audible

Kate MacDonald - Freelance

Chris Thompson - Penguin Random House

Rosemary O’Dowd - Penguin Random House

Liam Gerrard - Raconteurs Audio LLP

Nicola Alexandrou - The Guardian

Branded Content

Fresh Air Podcast Team - National TrustOllie Guillou - OG PodcastsSam Taylor - Prison Radio AssociationNatalie Steed - Rhubarb RhubarbOllie Wilson, Kat Hutcheson, Nia Deo, Charlie Murrell, Rahnee Prescod - Sony Music Podcasts

Comedy

Dave Masterman, Michael Dale and Bertie Moores - Audio AlwaysLauren Mackay - BBC Scotland

Ed Morrish - Lead Mojo Productions

Ollie Wilson, Charlie Murrell, Nia Deo, Rahnee Prescod - Sony Music Podcasts

Rory Powers and Kit Grier Mulvenna - This Paranormal Life

Jon Holmes - unusual

Drama and Fiction

Nicolas Jackson - Afonica

Tracey Neale - BBC Studios

Max Blair, Mark McKibbin - Blackabbey Productions

Hat Trick Productions/Audible

Guy Larsen, Cambria Bailey-Jones, Gabriela Jones and Dan Pugsley - Penny4

Emma Stephens & Bernard P Achampong - Unedited

Entertainment

Helena Webb - BBC Audio

Jack Edwards, Travis Glossop, Demi Bell, Brogan Hubber, Toby Penman - Fix Radio

Ewan Newbigging-Lister - JamPot Productions

Jemima Rathbone - JamPot Productions

Dino Sofos, Caillin McDaid, Will Gibson Smith, Flossie Barrett - Persephonica

Katie Boden - TBI Media

Rory Powers and Kit Grier Mulvenna - This Paranormal Life

Factual/Documentary Sponsored by Great Big Story

Laurence Grissell, Rosie Pye, Amica Sciortino Nowlan, Poppy Damon, Daniel Lloyd-Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell, Toby Matimong, Volkan Kiziltug - Blanchard House

Chalk & Blade/Audible

Becky Lipscombe and Isobel Cockerell, Coda Story

Bella Soames, Dmg Media

Timur Dzhafarov and Cicely Fell - Falling Tree Productions

Leigh Meyer, Amalie Sortland, Josephine Wheeler, Nicholas Alexander - Novel

History

Joe Dunthorne and Eleanor McDowall - Falling Tree Productions

Wajid Yaseen and Steve Urquhart - Modus Arts

Ruth Abrahams, Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes - Project Citizen

Hugh Sheehan - Reduced Listening

Production Team - StoryHunter

Rami Tzabar, Kevin Fong, Andrew Luck-Baker, Kate Arkless Gray, Dave Giles, Christian Lundberg, Richard Courtice, Jago Lee, Stuart Coxe - TellTale Industries & Antica Productions

Lifestyle and Society

Max Dickins & Rich Le Gate - Inbetween Man

Ollie Brookes, James Wilson, Faye Dunn, Arthur Hagues - Prison Radio Association

Hugh Sheehan - Reduced Listening

Suzi Dale & Micky Curling - Story Publishing

Krishna Murali - The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast

Jon Holmes - unusual

Little Ears

Laura Hyde - Chalk & Blade

Gill Davies, Claire O’Gallagher, Derek Farrell - GDP/BBC Scotland Learning

Cole Stopnik - Independent Podcaster

Jack Whitney, Chloe McLaren, James Trusson, Adam Devenney, Kathleen Moroney, Polly Evans, Ravina Bajwa, Georgie Britton - National History Museum, Forever Audio and Tonies

Morwenna Rose - The Book of Arralan

Krishna Murali - The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast

Music Sponsored by Morley Radio

Matthew Bannister and Natalie Steed - Folk on Foot

Tom Whalley - Listen Entertainment

Lady Unchained, Arthur Hagues, Jamie Lyon - Prison Radio Association

Silas Gray - Reduced Listening

Matt Healy, Katie Fox, Jojo Jones, Joe Gardner, Rachel Barton, Pete Tong - We Are Grape Ltd

Ollie Braddy, Jojo Jones, Matt Healy, Sarah Story - We Are Grape Ltd

News/Politics

Christopher Pitt, Stephen Carroll, Caroline Hepker, Tiwa Adebayo, James Woolcock - Bloomberg

George McDonagh - Freelance

Artemis Irvine - Freelance, Whistledown Productions

Ruth Abrahams, Carole Cadwalladr and Peter Jukes - Project Citizen

May Robson - Reduced Listening

Edward Drummond - The Times

Sound Design

Phoebe McIndoe - Falling Tree Productions

Nicholas Alexander - Novel

Alice Boyd & Joy Nkoyo - Peanut & Crumb

Scout Tzofiya Bolton, Andrew Wilkie, Ellen Orchard, Micky Curling, Phil Maguire - Prison Radio Association

Esa Williams - Raw/Audible

Ivan d’Avoine, Derick Armah - Transmission Roundhouse

Sports

Rob Sillito, Ben Russell and Emma Brydges - Couch to Coached Running podcast

Chris Browning-Brant, Christian Hewgill, Katie Osborne, Jamie Smith - Formula 1

Sophie Penney and Adonis Pratsides - Global

Damien St John & Ant McGinley - Podomedy

Andrew Wilkie, Faye Dunn, Phil Maguire, Paula Harriott - Prison Radio Association

Ray Paul, Ishtia May, Jerelle Forbes, Heartless Crew (MC Bushkin & DJ Fonti) - The Playmaker Group

True Crime

Rima Ahmed, Luke de Costa and Luke Eldridge - BBC Sounds

Phoebe McIndoe and Redzi Bernard - Falling Tree Productions

Carl Miller, Caroline Thornham, Tom Wright - Novel

Andrew Wilkie - Prison Radio Association

RAW/Audible

Production Team - StoryHunter

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:

Narrator

Ella Kenion - Bonnier Books UK

Harriet Walter - HarperCollins Publishers

Poppy Mae Barrett - HarperCollins Publishers

Charlotte Ritchie - Nosy Crow

Dan Jones - Sony Music Podcasts

Maxim Reston - White House Sound

New Producer Sponsored by Amazon Music and Wondery

Mia Thornton - BBC Sounds Audio Lab / Reform Radio

Lorna Reader - BBC Studios

Joseph Russell - Fire Mountain Productions

Riham Moussa - Freelance

Marnie Duke - Transmission Roundhouse

Katie Fox - We Are Grape Ltd

New Voice Sponsored by BBC Sounds

Siddharth Khajuria - Falling Tree Productions

Naomi Bloomstein - Freelance

Dr. Emma Nagouse - Lead Mojo Productions

Ajay Tegala - National Trust

Anna Sinfield - Novel

Scout Tzofiya Bolton - Prison Radio Association

Presenter/Host Sponsored by Everybody Media

Danny Robins - Bafflegab Productions/ Uncanny Media

Niall Breslin - Chalk & Blade/Audible

Joe Dunthorne - Falling Tree Productions

Femi Oke - RAW/Audible

Krishna Murali - The Fourth Bookmark, Independent Podcast

Jerry Brotton - Whistledown Productions

Producer of the Year Sponsored by Audible

Bella Soames - Dmg Media

Phoebe McIndoe - Falling Tree Productions

Jack Edwards - Fix Radio

Georgia Arundel - Platform Media

Andrew Wilkie - Prison Radio Association

Georgina Savage - RAW

Jon Holmes - unusual Productions

OTHER:

Ensemble Cast/Presenting Team

Mel Giedroyc & Sue Perkins - Audible/Hat Trick

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders - Audible/Listen

Becky and Ben Saer

Zak and Jules - Prison Radio Association

Beth Rigby, Ruth Davidson, Harriet Harman, Jess Phillips - Sky News

Rachel, Elaine, Caroline - Whistledown

The Changemaker Award Sponsored by The Podcast Show

Aunt Nell

Tommy Kennedy, Claire Offley, Fran Reynolds - Carousel

Alia Cassam, Nina Garthwaite, Alan Hall, Axel Kacoutié, Josie Long, Eleanor McDowall, Andrea Rangecroft and Mike Woolley - Falling Tree Productions

QueerAF podcast with Trans+ History Week

Wild Tales - National Trust

Outside In - Prison Radio Association

Production Company of the Year Sponsored by Aiir

Bespoken Media

Falling Tree Productions

Fresh Air Productions

Novel

Prison Radio Association

Reduced Listening

Samizdat Audio

Publisher or Network of the Year Sponsored by BetterHelp

Fix Radio

Fun Kids

Goalhanger

Resonance

RQ Network

Sony Music Podcasts

END.

Notes:

1. The APAs from AudioUK was first held in 2010 under the name Radio Production Awards/RPAs, and became the APAs in 2016. The awards recognise both on and off-air talent. Details of past winners can be found at: https://www.audiouk.org.uk/audio-production- awards/
2. **AudioUK is the leading industry body dedicated to advancing the podcast and audio sector - including radio and audiobooks - by fostering innovation, supporting creators and businesses, and driving creative and commercial growth. It has over 130 member businesses based across the whole of the UK. To find out more and to join us: audiouk.org.uk
3. More details on the APAs:

Judging

The APAs Judges are selected from a base of previous years, recommendations from those Judges, and the industry. We work each year to expand the network of Judges further, reflecting the full diversity of the audio and podcast production sector. We ask the Judges to consider and acknowledge resources (or lack of) available to entrants and challenges potentially faced in producing the content. Judges’ names will be published once all judging has been completed, but not stating which individual categories they judged. We strive for fairness and quality and will allocate our Judges to categories in a way that eliminates any conflict of interest.  

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

As an industry body, it is vital for AudioUK and the APAs to fully reflect the diversity of our sector and this remains at the core of our work. The APAs are representative across all platforms: podcasts, audiobooks and radio; individuals, large and small companies; based across the UK. The APAs promotes inclusivity within our industry, including but not limited to: gender / gender identity, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identities, disability, age, socio-economic. We work with EDI consultant Yassine Senghor from Confronting Change on the Awards.   

The APAs proceeds 

Profits from the APAs are funnelled back into the work of AudioUK in championing the UK podcast and audio sector including training via the Audiotrain programme and events.

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