We recently hosted a free webinar with Greg Wasserman, Head of Relationships for RSS.com, and Jemma Rose Brown, General Manager for The Signal Awards, exploring how podcast awards can amplify your show’s reach, attract sponsors, and position you among the industry’s most recognized voices.
If you missed it, you can watch the full session below. Or keep reading to find out what we covered.
Why You Should Participate in Podcast Awards
Podcasting can feel isolating. You spend weeks or months booking guests, cutting tape, and building something you care about, and when you hit publish, it can feel like you’re talking into a void. Awards give your work a real audience: industry judges who are actively listening with intention and evaluating what you’ve made.
Beyond the emotional validation, the business case is real. Winners have used award recognition to apply for grants, land on pitch decks, and attract network partnerships. One Signal Awards winner placed his show logo on a deck, pitched to Wondery, and ended up networked by them for about a year.
Even getting nominated puts your show in front of judges who otherwise never would have found it, and that exposure alone can move the needle.
Awards also keep you honest. The judging process gives you a benchmark for where your show stands relative to others in your category. Whether you win or not, submitting is an investment in your show and in yourself as a creator.
Imposter syndrome is common in this industry. The only way to know where you stand is to submit and find out.
What to Keep an Eye Out For in Podcast Awards
Not all awards programs are built the same, and it pays to do your homework before you spend money on entry fees.
Here’s what to evaluate before submitting:
– Who is judging. Some awards are judged by your peers. Others bring in senior industry executives and experienced professionals. Know the difference. Peer-judged awards aren’t necessarily bad, but you should understand what kind of ears will be on your work.
The judging criteria. Every award weighs different things. Signal Awards, for example, scores entries on craft quality, overall listener experience, creativity and innovation, and how well the creator’s intent comes through. Look for this information publicly on the award’s website before submitting.
– Eligibility requirements. Some awards have strict parameters. Certain programs only accept work being released for the first time through their platform, or focus exclusively on journalism or narrative formats. Read the fine print so you’re not submitting to the wrong place.
– Pricing relative to what you get. Entry fees vary widely. A $25 entry and a $285 entry are not the same product.
A higher-priced award may come with more robust promotion, a larger and more credentialed judging pool, listener voting campaigns, and in-person events where you can meet collaborators and potential network partners. Compare what you’re actually getting before you decide which awards fit your budget.
– What the award does to promote nominees and winners. If you win and the award doesn’t tell anyone, you’re doing all the promotional work yourself. Ask how the organization plans to amplify its nominees and winners, whether through email campaigns, social media, or events.
The Signal Awards, for example, runs a listener’s choice voting period that generated nearly 400,000 votes in 2025, which translates directly to new exposure and site traffic for the shows involved.
– Whether there’s a community component. Some awards are digital-only. Others include in-person events where winners can meet judges, collaborators, and networks in real life. If community and networking are important to your growth goals, factor that in.
When in doubt, reach out. If you’re unsure which category fits your show, or whether your show is eligible at all, contact the award organizers directly. That feedback is useful to them too, and it ensures you’re submitting in the right place.
More Podcast Awards to Consider
As we alluded to earlier, there are lots of podcast awards programs you may want to consider. We covered many of the podcast awards here.
We encourage you to check out all the podcast awards, and see if there are any your show might qualify for. And, if you’re not ready to start throwing your hat in the ring just yet, keep working on your podcasting craft. As you keep showing up and improving, you’ll get that much closer to having a podcast worthy of an award!
