iHeartMedia Announces Host and Nominees for 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards at SXSW on March 16, 2026

Hosted by comedian Ego Nwodim, the event will honor the most influential podcasters of 2025 across 28 distinct categories including the coveted, fan-voted Podcast of the Year award

Nominees for Podcast of the Year include "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," "The Breakfast Club," "The Mel Robbins Podcast," "Pablo Torre Finds Out," "The Daily," "The Rest Is History," "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von," "Call Her Daddy," "Heavyweight" and "Giggly Squad"

Jay Shetty, Terry Gross and Hrishikesh Hirway to be honored with Icon Awards

The event will be held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater and broadcast on select iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and digitally through the iHeartRadio app

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today announced the host and nominees for The 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards in partnership with South by Southwest® (SXSW®). For the second consecutive year, awards will be presented at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas in celebration of the best in podcasting and most influential creators in the industry. In addition to the in-person show on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 7 p.m. CDT, the ceremony will also be live-broadcasted on select iHeartMedia Radio Stations and on the iHeartRadio app. Additionally, the event will once again be open to select SXSW badge holders.

Actress, comedian and host of the "Thanks Dad" podcast, Ego Nwodim, will emcee this year's iHeartPodcast Awards. The event will span all genres of podcasts including Comedy, Crime, Sports, News, Business, Pop Culture, Food and more, with winners in each category determined by a panel of industry leaders, creatives and visionaries. The night's top honor, Podcast of the Year, will remain in the hands of the fans. From January 14 through February 22 listeners can cast their votes for their favorite shows at iHeartPodcastAwards.com. The nominees for the 2026 Podcast of the Year include: "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," "The Breakfast Club," "The Mel Robbins Podcast," "Pablo Torre Finds Out," "The Daily," "The Rest Is History," "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von," "Call Her Daddy," "Heavyweight" and "Giggly Squad."

"Podcasting continues to be one of the most vibrant and fast-growing mediums in media today," said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. "We are thrilled to return to Austin and ACL Live at the Moody Theater to celebrate the storytellers who are pushing the boundaries of audio. We can't wait to see which show the fans crown as their Podcast of the Year for 2026."

In addition to the fan-voted and category awards, iHeartMedia will present three Icon Awards – Social Impact Award, Audible Audio Pioneer Award and Innovator Award – honoring individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions to the podcasting medium. Jay Shetty, renowned author and host of the acclaimed podcast "On Purpose," will be honored with the 2026 Social Impact Award for leveraging his platform to spark meaningful conversations around mental health. Through empathy, insight and intention, he has helped millions turn self-reflection into meaningful change. Terry Gross, the legendary host of NPR's "Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley," will receive the 2026 Audible Audio Pioneer Award for a career that has redefined the art of the interview through curiosity, rigor and deep empathy. For over a decade, her groundbreaking work has elevated audio journalism and influenced generations of hosts, producers and listeners. Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of "Song Exploder," will be presented with the 2026 Innovator Award for his visionary approach to storytelling, inviting artists to break down their creative processes and redefining how audiences experience music in podcast form.

"The Podcast Awards have become a defining moment for the audio community at SXSW, and we're proud to continue building that momentum with iHeartMedia in 2026," said Peter Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer, SXSW. "Bringing this event back to ACL Live at the Moody Theater reflects how deeply podcasting is embedded in the cultural conversation at SXSW, and our commitment to creating meaningful stages for the creators shaping where audio goes next."

Previous iHeartPodcast Awards shows have featured an array of celebrity presenters and guests including Will Ferrell, Martha Stewart, Charlamagne Tha God, Ed Helms, Kyle MacLachlan, Sophia Bush, Dennis Quaid, Wilmer Valderrama, Sarah Spain and many more. Some of the biggest names in the industry were honored last year, with Podcast of the Year Award going to "Las Culturistas," "New Heights" receiving the Best Sports Award and "Huberman Lab" receiving Best Wellness and Fitness. See the full list of 2025 winners here.

2026 iHeartPodcast Award Nominees Include:

Podcast of the Year:

• Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• The Breakfast Club
• The Mel Robbins Podcast
• Pablo Torre Finds Out
• The Daily
• The Rest Is History
• This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
• Call Her Daddy
• Heavyweight
• Giggly Squad

Best Business & Finance:

• Earn Your Leisure
• How I Built This
• Acquired
• Young and Profiting with Hala Taha
• The Diary of a CEO

Best Comedy:

• Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• The Toast
• Distractible
• Handsome
• The Basement Yard

Best Crime:

• Crime Junkie
• Rotten Mango
• Anatomy of Murder
• My Favorite Murder
• Wisecrack

Best Pop Culture:

• Las Culturistas
• Call Her Daddy
• Therapuss with Jake Shane
• Giggly Squad
• The Viall Files

Best Food

• Eating While Broke
• The Sporkful
• Home Cooking
• The Splendid Table
• Dinner's On Me

Best Wellness & Fitness:

• On Purpose with Jay Shetty
• Huberman Lab
• The Mel Robbins Podcast
• 10% Happier
• Maintenance Phase

Best History:

• The Rest Is History
• You're Wrong About
• Throughline
• American History Tellers
• SNAFU

Best Kids & Family:

• Story Pirates
• Wow in the World
• Circle Round
• The Big Fib
• Brains On!

Best Music:

• The Bobby Bones Show
• Song Exploder
• Switched On Pop
• All Songs Considered
• One Song

Best News:

• The Daily
• The Megyn Kelly Show
• Pivot
• The MeidasTouch Podcast
• Up First from NPR

Best Fiction:

• The NoSleep Podcast
• Havoc Town
• Old Gods of Appalachia
• Table Read
• Murder at the Patel Motel

Best Sports:

• New Heights
• Pardon My Take
• The Zach Lowe Show
• Club 520
• The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

Best Science:

• Radiolab
• Ologies
• Hidden Brain
• StarTalk Radio
• Shell Game

Best Technology:

• Hard Fork
• Black Tech Green Money
• Galaxy Brain
• Acquired
• All-In

Best Ad Read:

• Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
• Call Her Daddy
• My Brother, My Brother and Me
• Dudes on Dudes
• Distractible

Best Host:

• Amy Poehler
• Pablo Torre
• Alex Cooper
• Emma Chamberlain
• Caleb Hearon

Best Ensemble:

• We Can Do Hard Things
• SmartLess
• The Basement Yard
• This Is Important
• Get Played

Best Political

• Pod Save America
• The Bulwark Podcast
• Breaking Points
• Hacks On Tap
• The Ben Shapiro Show

Best TV & Film:

• The Big Picture
• The Rewatchables
• How Did This Get Made?
• Watch What Crappens
• Girls Rewatch

Best Spanish Language:

• Gracias, Come Again.
• Radio Ambulante
• Leyenda Legendarias
• Chente Ydrach
• Relatos de la Noche

Best Advice/Inspirational:

• IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson
• On Purpose with Jay Shetty
• Thanks For Asking with Nora McInerny
• Just Heal with Dr. Jay
• Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

Best Beauty & Fashion:

• Nymphet Alumni
• Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud
• Articles of Interest
• Lipstick on the Rim
• Naked Beauty

Best Travel:

• Women Who Travel
• Travel with Rick Steves
• Zero To Travel
• Points Talk
• The Travel Diaries

Best Religious & Spirituality:

• Deeply Well with Devi Brown
• Girls Gone Bible
• Joel Osteen Podcast
• WHOA That's Good Podcast
• Elevation with Steven Furtick

Best Branded Podcast:

• This Is Not a Beauty Podcast (L'Oreal)
• Crucible Moments (Sequoia Capital)
• The Unshakeables (Chase for Business)
• ZOE Science & Nutrition (ZOE)
• Smart Talks (IBM)

Best Emerging:

• Khloé in Wonder Land
• Smart Girl Dumb Questions
• Try Hard
• Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim
• Upstairs Neighbors

Best International:

• ShxtsNGigs (United Kingdom)
• Las Alucines (Mexico)
• The Rest Is History (United Kingdom)
• Shameless (Australia)
• Crime Beat (Canada)

The 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards is part of iHeartMedia's roster of nationally recognized events including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, the iHeartRadio Music Festival, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartCountry Festival and iHeartRadio ALTer Ego.

Executive producers for the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards are John Sykes, Tom Poleman, Conal Byrne and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia. More information including guest presenters, celebrity appearances and more will be announced in the coming months.

Audible is a proud sponsor of the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards. For more information visit here.

About SXSW

SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of opportunities to meet and connect with people. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and individuals come together. SXSW 2025 will take place March 7–15 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com.

About iHeartMedia

iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:IHRT) is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

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