Australian Podcast Awards Announce Plans for 2020

The ​Australian Podcast Awards​ have announced today, 13th January, their plans for 2020 as they continue to reflect the growing Australian podcast sector.

Firstly, the event will be moving from May to a date early in November, with the awards opening for entries at the end of July 2020.

Founder ​Dave Gertler​ said about the changes, “​As we enter our fourth year, it’s clear that podcasting still has plenty of room to grow - and so we’ll be delivering an even bigger ceremony and want to be even more representative of Australia’s audio makers.​”

As the number of entries has grown, the 2020 event will have an expanded independent panel of judges with Sophie Harper, host of ​Not By Accident​, joining the Awards as our first Chair of Judges.

Sophie says:​ “​The Australian Podcast Awards has quickly become one of my favourite nights of the year. It’s an opportunity to recognise, and importantly, to discover the incredible, world-class work being produced in Australia and listened to here and around the world. I can’t wait to hear more of what’s been produced this past year, and to work closely with a diverse and diligent panel of judges to make sure we can celebrate the very best of Australian podcasting across every category​.​”

As well as a whole range of judged categories, the APAs will also be developing the Listeners’ Choice category, that will allow any Australian to easily vote for their own favourite podcast, for free.

The Awards are keen to reflect the huge breadth of Australian podcasting from individuals to radio companies, publishers to startups and every other flavour of podcasting in between.

Kellie Riordan​, manager of the podcast team ABC Audio Studios at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation says: ​“The Australian Podcast Awards has been an exciting gathering to celebrate our ever-growing industry in Australia. Australian podcasts are among some of the world’s best, so to have these local awards to recognise the best podcast creators in the country is essential. The awards place Australian story-telling and production values on the world stage.”

Guy Scott-Wilson​, Content Director Australia & New Zealand, Acast: ​"Acast is delighted to be supporting the Australian Podcast Awards in its fourth year. The awards have become a significant event for the Australian podcast community and it’s incredibly inspiring to see independently produced content celebrated on the same terms as content produced by publishers. Dave and his team have built a celebratory platform that is a true reflection of the continued growth of podcasting in Australia.”

Sharon Taylor, ​Managing Director, Triton Digital says: “​Omny Studio are pleased to see the Australian Podcast Awards making a big return this year, especially as consumption of the burgeoning medium continues to rise across the region – which we see each month in the Australian Podcast Ranker. We look forward to once again recognizing and celebrating the diverse array of creators and engaging content that has meaningfully contributed to the growth of the industry in Australia.”

Robert Lowenthal​, CEO of Whooshkaa says: “​Podcasts have well and truly made their mark - entertaining, informing and engaging millions of listeners in Australia. The Australian Podcast Awards provide vital recognition and encouragement to the creators behind the content we love.”

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