iHeart Podcast Awards 2021

Conan O'brien, Sebastian Maniscalco's comedy and other smaller actors and celebrities were some of the stand out podcast standouts from last year and this year I have to say I barely recognize any of this years nominations. Bill Burrs podcast didn't even get nominated these past two years...I did recognize The Breakfast Club from just rides to work on the radio. Iheart Media just put out their list of nominations for 2021's awards. 

I hate to say this but I'll be honest, I was hoping some of the Tik Tok podcast and more of the Barstool Sports podcasts would be nominated this year. Also a million of hilarious standup comedians have out podcasts as well. 

They just barely put in Pardon My Take this year but what about Call Her Daddy? I thought it would have been obvious if they left out those two powerhouse names. Even Alex Cooper's Rival Sophia with an F did not have a nomination. (Call Her Daddy was nominated also for last year and not this year even thought it had one of the most notable podcast news and drama of the year?)

They substituted those random Bachelor podcasts for more A list actor and more hollywood shows. Also controversial Logan Paul's show Impaulsive did not receive a nod in these awards and it regularly pulls in hundreds of thousands of views on Youtube. Other youtubers  such as Emma Chamberlin, H3H3, and The View, turned podcaster barely were recognized this year.

 Tt seemed the nomination were more hollywood with famed actors and actresses hosting and less contemporary and shockjock nominations. Noticeably missing was Joe Rogan's podcast that had the exclusive Spotify deal and Howard Stern who got the as infamous and lucrative SiriusXM deal. Conan's podcast once again nominated and popular Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert was nominated as well. That being said, this year just proves how much podcasting has boomed and has evolved over time. They made podcasts mainstream and the nominated reflected this. 

Podcast of the Year (Fan-Voted Category)

• “Bunga Bunga” (Wondery)
• “Dolly Parton’s America” (WNYC Studios/OSM Audio)
• “Nice White Parents” (Serial/The New York Times)
• “Office Ladies” (Earwolf /Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
• “Reply All” (Gimlet)
• “Stuff You Should Know” (iHeartRadio)
• “The Breakfast Club” (iHeartRadio)
• “The Daily” (The New York Times)
• “The Happiness Lab With Dr. Laurie Santos” (Pushkin Industries)
• “Wind of Change” (Crooked/Pineapple Street Media/Spotify)

Business & Finance Podcast

• “Business Wars” (Wondery)
• “Earn Your Leisure” (Independent)
• “Freakonomics” (Freakonomics Radio & Stitcher)
• “How I Built This” (NPR)
• “Pivot” (New York Magazine)

Comedy Podcast

• “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Team Coco/Earwolf)
• “Office Ladies” (Earwolf/Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
• “The Read” (Loud Speakers Network)
• “Smartless” (Independent)
• “Fake Doctors, Real Friends” (iHeartRadio)

Crime Podcast

• “Crime Junkie” (AudioChuck)
• “Criminal” (PRX/Radiotopia)
• “Deep Cover: The Drug Wars” (Pushkin Industries)
• “Forgotten: Women of Juarez” (iHeartRadio)
• “My Favorite Murder” (Exactly Right)

Pop Culture Podcast

• “Bitch Sesh” (Earwolf/Casey Wilson/Danielle Schneider)
• “Las Culturistas” (Big Money Players/iHeartRadio)
• “Pop Culture Happy Hour” (NPR)
• “Still Processing” (The New York Times)
• “The Read” (Loud Speakers Network)

Food Podcast

• “Burnt Toast” (Food52)
• “Gastropod” (Independent)
• “Home Cooking” (Samin Nosrat/Hrishikesh Hirway)
• “Spilled Milk” (Molly Wizenberg & Matthew Amster-Burton)
• “The Sporkful” (Dan Pashman/Stitcher)

Wellness & Fitness Podcast

• “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” (Gretchen Rubin/The Onward Project)
• “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” (Jay Shetty & Kast Media)
• “Sleep with Me” (Dearest Scooter & Night Vale Presents)
• “Ten Percent Happier” (ABC News)
• “Therapy For Black Girls” (Joy Harden Bradford/iHeartRadio)

 History Podcast

• “Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History” (Dan Carlin)
• “Noble Blood” (iHeartRadio)
• “Revisionist History” (Pushkin Industries)
• “Slow Burn” (Slate)
• “Throughline” (NPR)

Kids & Family Podcast

• “But Why: A Podcast For Kids” (Vermont Public Radio)
• “Hank The Cowdog” (Qcode & HTC Productions)
• “Smash Boom Best” (APM)
• “Story Pirates” (Gimlet)
• “Wow In The World” (NPR)

Music Podcast

• “Bobbycast” (The Nashville Podcast Network)
• “Broken Record” (Pushkin Industries)
• “Disgraceland” (Jake Brennan)
• “Dolly Parton’s America” (WNYC & OSM Audio)
• “Song Exploder” (Hrishikesh Hirway)

News Podcast

• “Pod Save America” (Crooked Media)
• “The Daily” (The New York Times)
• “The Journal.” (The Wall Street Journal/Gimlet)
• “Today, Explained” (Vox)
• “Up First” (NPR)

Fiction Podcast

• “Blood Ties” (Wondery)
• “Borrasca” (QCode)
• “Dirty Diana” (QCode)
• “The Left Right Game” (QCode)
• “Welcome To Night Vale” (Night Vale Presents)

Sports Podcast

• “All The Smoke” (The Black Effect)
• “Fantasy Footballers” (Fantasy Football)
• “Pardon My Take” (Barstool Sports)
• “The Bill Simmons Podcast” (The Ringer/Bill Simmons)
• “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” (iHeartRadio)

Science Podcast

• “Hidden Brain” (NPR)
• “Invisibilia” (NPR)
• “Radiolab” (WNYC Studios)
• “Science Vs.” (Gimlet)
• “Stuff To Blow Your Mind” (iHeartRadio)

Technology Podcast

• “Rabbit Hole” (The New York Times)
• “Recode by Vox” (Recode)
• “Reply All” (Gimlet)
• “TED Radio Hour” (NPR)
• “Waveform” (Studio71)

Ad Read 

• “Comedy Bang Bang” (Earwolf / Scott Aukerman)
• “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend” (Team Coco/Earwolf)
• “Hollywood Handbook” (Earwolf)
• “Office Ladies” (Earwolf / Stitcher)
• “Revisionist History” (Pushkin Industries)

Overall Host – Male

• Conan O’Brien (Team Coco/Earwolf)
• Dax Shepard (Armchair Umbrella)
• Jonathan Van Ness (Earwolf/Stitcher)
• Michael Barbaro (The New York Times)
• Questlove (iHeartRadio)

Overall Host – Female

• Ashley Flowers (Parcast)
• Brené Brown (Parcast)
• Michelle Obama (Higher Ground/Spotify)
• Nicole Byer (Headgum)
• Nora McInerny (APM)

Political Podcast

• “FiveThirtyEight Politics” (FiveThirtyEight/538/ABC News, Nate Silver)
• “NPR Politics” (NPR)
• “Pod Save America” (Crooked Media)
• “Political Gabfest” (Slate)
• “Stay Tuned with Preet” (Cafe)

TV & Film Podcast

• “Fake Doctors, Real Friends” (iHeartRadio)
• “How Did This Get Made?” (Earwolf/Paul Scheer/June Diane Raphael/Jason Mantzoukas/Stitcher)
• “Office Ladies” (Earwolf/Jenna Fischer/Angela Kinsey)
• “Rewatchables” (The Ringer/Bill Simmons)
• “You Must Remember This” (Karina Longworth)

Spanish Language Podcast 

• “Duolingo Spanish Podcast” (Duolingo)
• “La Nota Roja” (Imperative Entertainment/Blue Guitar)
• “Leyendas Legendarias” (Sonoro/All Things Comedy
• “Radio Ambulante” (NPR)
• “Spanish Aqui Presents” (Earwolf /Spanish Aqui Presents)

Advice/Inspirational Podcast

• “Dear Prudence” (Slate)
• “Dear Sugars” (WBUR/The New York Times)
• “Terrible, Thanks For Asking” (APM)
• “Unlocking Us with Brene Brown” (Parcast)
• “Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel” (Esther Perel Global Media/Gimlet)

Beauty & Fashion Podcast

• “Articles of Interest” (Avery Trufelman/99% Invisible)
• “Beauty Needs Me” (Independent)
• “Blamo!” (Independent)
• “Dressed: The History of Fashion” (iHeartRadio)
• “Forever 35” (Independent)

Travel Podcast

• “Escape” (WEBVID)
• “Extra Pack of Peanuts” (Independent)
• “JUMP with Traveling Jackie” (Independent)
• “Let’s Go Together” (Travel & Leisure)
• “Travel with Rick Steves” (Rick Steeves)

Spirituality & Religion Podcast

• “Calm It Down” (Independent)
• “Doing Great with Vicky Vox” (Earwolf & Vicky Vox)
• “Elevation with Steven Furtick” (Independent)
• “On Being with Krista Tippett” (Independent)
• “Whoa That’s Good Podcast” (Independent)

 Green Podcast

• “America Adapts” (Independent)
• “Broken Ground” (Southern Environmental Law Center)
• “Citizens’ Climate Lobby” (Citizens’ Climate Lobby)
• “Costing The Earth” (BBC Radio 4)
• “How To Save A Planet” (Gimlet)

Branded Podcast

• “Bring Back Bronco” (Ford)
• “Hackable?” (McAfee)
• “Humans Growing Stuff” (ScottsMiracle-Gro)
• “Inside Trader Joe’s” (Trader Joe’s)
• “The Only Way Is Through” (Under Armour)