New UK awards launched to celebrate the unstoppable rise of political podcasts

The Political Podcast Awards launches today (Thursday 17th October) to celebrate the meteoric rise of British political podcasts.

2024 is the year of the political podcast. Elections across the world coincide with an increasing number of shows launching, resulting in more listeners tuning into podcasts for their political fix than ever before.

The inaugural Political Podcast Awards, in partnership with Google, will take place on 29 January 2025 at St John’s Church, Smith Square, Westminster.

Gyles Brandreth – broadcaster, actor, former MP and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury – will host the awards.

The announcement comes as new research conducted by iNHouse and Survationreveals that podcasts have overtaken newspapers as a news source for younger people.

The survey also shows a quarter of those aged 18-24 get their news from political podcasts, compared to just 16% who say they get their news from print media.

When it comes to 25-34 year-olds 31% get their news from podcasts compared to 25% from print media.

The research also shows:

• More and more people are tuning in to political podcasts due to the way they widen debate and political discourse, the research also found.
• Almost half of respondents said that they found podcasts to be a useful source of news because they introduce new and under discussed topics to a wider audience, and because they helped to bring more diverse voices into politics.
• Respondents also felt that they help to make debate more reasonable, and over a quarter of respondents believed it they helped to provide up to the minute reporting.

Founder of the Political Podcast Awards, Katie Perrior, said:

“Roughly half the world’s population take to the polls this year, and political podcasters are working hard to bring up-to-the minute information to the ears of voters.

“Political podcasts have transformed political news. In age of fast-reporting and angry politics, they are reinvigorating the long-form interview, the deep-dive and the respectful debate. They may sound effortless and informal, but a huge amount of work goes into them – and that is why I want to celebrate their success.

“For many, these podcasts bring back the art of reasonable and fair debate and provide them with deeper insight and connection to the issues facing modern Britain and the wider world. It only felt right that in this bumper year for politics, we celebrate those who’d brought us closer to the issues and to the characters at the heart of our political system in such an important time for politics globally”.

An expert judging panel, to be announced over the next few months will select a shortlist and a winner in the following categories:

• Interview of the Year
• Most original format
• Scoop of the Year
• Presenter(s) of the Year
• Best Newcomer
• Producer of the Year
• Comedy Moment
• International Podcast of the Year

All entrants will have the chance to be shortlisted for two additional awards:

• The People’s Choice Award (to be voted for by the public)
• Podcast of the Year

You can nominate a podcast here: https://politicalpodcastawards.co.uk/how-to-enter/