Our 2025 Shortlist
Congratulations to all the podcasts and their creators that have made it on to this year's shortlist!
Our judges loved hearing all of the shows and had such a tough job narrowing it down to the entries you see below.
All of our amazing nominees are featured in an Independent Podcasts room on Apple Podcasts, you can access that by clicking the logo below:
We want to celebrate more than the podcasts, we want to award the best artwork out there too. After all, it’s that small coloured square that helps listeners decide between your podcast and another, so it’s something to reward. These are the entries that caught the judges' eyes.
Check One Two - The Lowdown on Testicular Cancer
Eat Me
Floating Space
Marcel Lucont's Whine List
Screamers
The Scars
Three Ravens
Up In Smoke
Voice of Epping Forest
Does the music from your podcast get just as many comments as the content? Then why not enter it here. We’ll play the shortlisted entries on the night at the awards, so we can all listen to your greatness!
indie business club
Inspectre Paranormal
Sukany4 - The Podcast
That's Not How It Went Down
The Failing Writers
The Funny Comics Fan Club
The Podcast Nobody Asked For
The Seekers Podcast
The Sound of Politics
The Treacle People: Still Sticky
Video podcasts are on the rise, with many people trying out different formats. This category is for those that have been giving it a go. It doesn't matter what the subject of the podcast is, so whether it's sport, comedy or something completely different, if it's on video it goes here.
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Candid Convos with Jona Dance
Glowing in Tech
Macabre London
PastMaster: Reshaping History with AI
The Podcast Advice Show
The Wheelchair Activist
We Needed Roads Podcast
Wrestling With the Champ
Whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, genre specific or spanning all topics, if your podcast covers reading or writing books this is the one for you.
Dave Miller - The Battle of Death
Mostly Book Talk
Not Too Busy Too Write
The Failing Writers Podcast
The Island of Brilliant
The Reading Cafe
Writer's Routine
This category is for those podcasts that are created to promote a product, the work a company does, or the industry in general. This can be created for and by your own business, or on behalf of a client.
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As the Season Turns
Good Enough Counsellors
LSE iQ
The HR Uprising Podcast
The Podcast Advice Show
Do you chat about all things marketing? Are you giving tips on how to become a small business owner? Do you tell listeners how to be more careful with their money? Are you hosting an online version of The Apprentice? Or are investments your thing? If this sounds like your podcast then enter it here.
Beginner's guide to design thinking
Communication Untangled
Good Enough Counsellors
indie business club
The Factory Next Door
Women's Business
If your podcast caters for a younger audience then this is the one for you. Whether it's educational, entertaining or shining a light on world issues in an easy to understand way for the next generation then we want to know about it.
Candid Convos with Jona Dance
HLPP: Why Has it Come to This
Shelly & The Can-Do Kids
The Seekers Podcast
The Treacle People: Still Sticky
Maybe you created a monthly stand-up show, maybe you and your mates sit around chatting and the results are hilarious. Maybe you talk about the latest comedy gigs you’ve been to, or perhaps you give a rundown of the best comedic performances of all time. If it’s focused on funny we want it in this category.
Crushed By Margaret Cabourn-Smith
Dave Miller - The Battle of Death
Dice Company
Marcel Lucont's Whine List
The Case Of The Tiny Suit/Case
Tyrant In Training Podcast
UnReality
After being inundated with entries to the Arts & Culture category we took the decision to split it into two categories.
By Culture we mean an exploration of cultural themes, how moments in time have impacted the culture of future generations, or a closer look at society and the way it works.
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Communication Untangled
Masala Podcast
Promenade
The Cockney Yiddish Podcast
The Problematic Gaze
Who Owns the Clyde?
This category seeks to uncover podcasts that focus on the world around us. Whether that’s teaching us how to be more environmentally friendly, the impacts of climate change, or looking at the animals that cohabit the earth with us.
How many geese?
Our Plant Stories
Trees a Crowd
Voices of Epping Forest
Who Owns the Clyde?
Do you create a completely scripted podcast that takes listeners into a fictional world? Does each episode or series of episodes tell a story that allows them to escape reality for a while? Then this is the category for you.
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Broken Veil
COLD TAPES
Ramon Fear's Terror Tapes
The Scottish Folklore Podcast
Three Ravens
If you cover any aspect of film or TV, whether it’s focusing on brand new releases or forgotten gems, then enter it here.
Fandomentals Podcast
Fetch the Smelling Salts
That's Not How It Went Down
The Cinemile
The Problematic Gaze
Unequal Sequel
Are you chatting about the world of eSports or the hot new releases from your favourite game designer? If it lives in the world of gaming, then tell us about it here.
Dice Company
Dungeons & Dickheads
PastMaster: Reshaping History with AI
The Apocalypse Players
Maybe you’re telling your listeners about your own journey towards better health, or featuring guests that have had life changing treatments, or simply teaching the joys of eating well. If your podcast is aiming to improve the wellbeing of your listeners then enter it into this category.
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Second Helpings
The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast
The Scars
Third Culture Therapy
When Life Gives You Lemons
Does your podcast take listeners back in time and remind us of days gone by? Whether it’s Ancient Egyptians or modern history or somewhere in between that you cover, enter it into this category.
16 Sunsets
Jo's Art History Podcast
Mag Hags
Olga, Erika and me
The Cockney Yiddish Podcast
The Problematic Gaze
The Veterans' Voice
Trapped History
Uncovering Roots
Does your podcast feature discussions on those things that can’t quite be explained by science? Or maybe you focus on horror, whether that’s books, film, or theatre shows, if it’s horrific it’s probably exactly what we want to know about.
Beth's Spooky Story Time
Haunted UK Podcast
Inspectre Paranormal
Ramon Fear's Terror Tapes
The Apocalypse Players
The Magnus Protocol
This Paranormal Life
Weird in the Wade
If you consider your podcast to cover different lifestyles then this is the category for you. This could include - but isn’t limited to - food, drink, travel, fashion, and spirituality.
Floating Space
OUTCAST WORLD
Sliding Doors
The Bell Witch Podcast
The Shrewsbury Biscuit Podcast
The Tyrekickers
Do you discuss songwriters and composers? Are you looking at individual songs or albums as one? Whether you’re crazy for classical or down for drum ‘n’ bass, if it’s got a beat and you’re talking about it on your podcast then enter it here.
Cassette Culture
Elements: Breaking Down Classic Albums (by Breaking Atoms)
Folk on Foot
Freshly Squeezed: A new music podcast
If These Walls Could Talk
Sonic Fields
The Paul Weller Fan Podcast
With such a turbulent time in the world at the moment there is plenty to discuss in both news and politics. Add to that it being an election year in the US, and probably the UK, and we’re all going to be looking for someone to make sense of it all for us. Maybe that’s what you’re doing and if so, that’s why you should be entering this category.
American Friction
Fallacious Trump
Media Storm
The Hole Truth
The Sound of Politics
Does your podcast focus on the trials and tribulations of bringing up kids? Do you offer tips and tricks on how to cope with the things that being a parent throws at you, or share funny stories of the things that have happened while out with your kids? If that sounds like your podcast then enter it here.
Love Needs No Words
Parenting Teenagers Untangled
Rainbow Mums and Dads
The Parent-Teacher Loop
Whether it’s the latest tech for your home, new advances in AI, or whether we really could survive on Mars, if it’s science or technology related then enter it here.
16 Sunsets
Glowing in Tech
Podcasting 2.0 in Practice: A Step-by-Step Guide for Podcasters and Listeners
The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast
The Future of Skills
Does your show go out of its way to teach its listeners something new about themselves? It could be techniques to have a more restful night’s sleep, or how to improve their knowledge in a specific area or something completely different. If it’s creating better humans it goes here.
Previously Learnt - Life Lessons From Notable People
The Burnout Rebellion Podcast
The Failing Writers Podcast
The Scars
The Wheelchair Activist
Third Culture Therapy
Undo – How History's Outliers Got Stuff Done
Is sex and how to do it better the topic of your podcast? Or maybe it’s what love really means in today’s society, or whether being in a relationship is right for everyone? If your podcast covers anything love, sex or relationship related then enter it here.
Pause. And Rewind...
Rainbow Mums
The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast
The Breakup Monologues
The Friendship File
The Icarus Complex Podcast
Two Foreskins Walk into a Bar - Season Two
If you’re creating a podcast about sport, any sport, then enter it here. Football fanatics? Cricket champions? Boxing boffins? Enter the sports category and let us hear what you’ve got to say.
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Below the Belt with Gian Gill
Grand Pricks
Green Jumper
It's All Cobblers To Me
Screamers
The Final Chicane
The Upshot
Wrestling With the Champ
After being inundated with entries to the Arts & Culture category we took the decision to split it into two categories.
For this category we have moved entries into it that we deem more related to The Arts.
Candid Convos with Jona Dance
Elements: Breaking Down Classic Albums
Folk on Foot
Hellish
Jo's Art History Podcast
Sonic Fields
The BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Podcast
The Failing Writers Podcast
This is for those podcasts that shine a light on travel, the outdoors and going on adventures. It could be open water swimming, backpacking through South America or how to save money when traveling. Or do you want to get more people into hiking in the UK or visiting the lesser known beaches of Europe? If so, enter it here.
The Everyday Adventure Podcast
The Outdoors Station
the story pilgrim
TRIPOLOGY Podcast
This is an area that has seen a huge growth in interest in recent years, but does your podcast have a new take on true crime? Tell us how you tell your stories in this category.
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