Higher Ed PodCon Presents Inaugural International Awards Recognizing Excellence in Higher Education Podcasting

Higher Ed PodCon, held at Cuyahoga Community College, presented the inaugural Higher Ed PodCon Awards, the first international awards program dedicated exclusively to recognizing excellence in higher education podcasting.

The Higher Ed PodCon Awards recognize excellence, creativity, innovation, and impact in higher education podcasting, encouraging institutions and individuals to expand the role of audio and video storytelling in teaching, research, student engagement, and public outreach.

The Awards committee received 155 nominations from colleges, universities, podcast networks, faculty, administrators, students, and independent creators across the U.S. and internationally, reviewed by 29 volunteer judges through a blind peer-review process.

2026 Higher Ed PodCon Award Winners

Trailer Outstanding Podcast Series: Where What If Becomes What’s Next - Recognized for translating groundbreaking research in artificial intelligence, robotics, healthcare, and energy into engaging conversations that make complex discoveries accessible to broad audiences.

News
From: Carnegie Mellon University
Hosted by: Spotify for Creators4.8 ★

Episode of the Year: Rest Matters, within The WPI Podcast - Honored for exploring the importance of rest, well-being, and burnout prevention through research-based insights that resonate with today’s college students and campus communities.

Education
From: WPI
 

Outstanding Student-Led Podcast: Curing the Curriculum, from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) - Selected for demonstrating the power of student-created storytelling, with medical students leading every aspect of production while examining the future of medical education through the student perspective.

Education
From: Students’ Take on Medical Education
Hosted by: Podbean

Podcaster of the Year: Lolita Cummings - Recognized for her leadership as co-host and producer of Enlighten U, a podcast that combines student voices and expert perspectives to promote student well-being, mental health awareness, and educational success.

Health & Fitness
From: Eastern Michigan University
Hosted by: Spotify for Creators
• Outstanding Institutional Podcast Network: The Wharton Podcast Network, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania - Honored for building one of higher education’s premier podcast networks, extending Wharton’s research and thought leadership to audiences around the world through innovative, accessible programming.

The above list of podcasts is available as an OPML file for your podcast player