Back for a second year, the shortlist for the 2023 Irish Podcast Awards has been released.
This year’s ceremony recognising the best of podcasting on the Irish landscape will take place at House Dublin on 21 November. Among the big hitters this year are The Blindboy Podcast, Talking Derry Girls, My Therapist Ghosted Me and more.
The open category, the Listeners Choice Award, also returns with Talking Bollox likely among the favourites having scooped the gold at last year’s event. Voting closed in this category in mid-October, the top 5 looking like this.
Supported by Global and Acast, PodPod will play hosts for Haymarket Media Group which acquired the Irish Podcast Awards in 2022 alongside the British Podcast Awards. Submissions opened in the spring of this year, running up to 11 July. The cost per entry ranged from €45-€175 for the initial entry, depending on turnover, with €100 per additional entry afterwards. Judging this year took place over the first two weeks of August.
This year’s judging panel included RTÉ’s Amanda Fennelly, Brian Young (Head of Digital Product, News Broadcasting), Oli Walters (Head of Podcast Sales International, Global), Denzil Lacey (SiruisXM), Jennifer Dollard (Acast), Patric Haughey (AudioBrand) and Sharon Casey Ledwidge (OMD Ireland). Best Network/Publisher will be a two-horse race this year between GoLoud and Headstuff though the likes of the BBC, Newstalk, RTÉ, BEAT and The Irish Sun as media outlets are also represented in different categories.
The night is an all-ticket affair and if you’re planning on attending, tickets will cost you €125-€255 plus VAT, depending on your company/individual turnover.
Check out the full shortlist below.
Best Arts & Culture Podcast
- ChillDaBeats with Phil Taggart
- Extra Vision
- Talking Derry Girls
- The Blindboy Podcast
- The Cinemile
- The NeighbourFood Podcast
- Wine: The Long and the Short of it
Best Business Podcast
- 24 Stories Podcast
- That Great Business Show
- The Big Tech Show with Adrian Weckler
- The Entrepreneur Experiment
Best Climate Podcast
- 180 Degrees – An SEAI Podcast about Climate Action
- Book of Leaves
- Ecolution
- The Blindboy Podcast
- The Climate Alarm Clock
- The Met Éireann Podcast
- Wine: The Long and the Short of it
Best Comedy Podcast
- Agony Rants
- The Mario Rosenstock Podcast
- My Therapist Ghosted Me
- Nero’s Class
- Stall it with Darren and Joe
- The 2 Johnnies Podcast
- The Michael Fry Show
- This Paranormal Life
Best Documentary Podcast
- As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern & The Good Friday Agreement
- Assume Nothing: The Secrets of St Brides
- Deep Roots
- Documentary on One: Blackrock Boys
- Redacted Lives
- Serendipity
- The Kinahans
Best Entertainment Podcast
- Fad Camp
- My Therapist Ghosted Me
- Promenade
- Real Life Ghost Stories
- Talking Bollox
- The Cinemile
- The Laughs of Your Life with Doireann Garrihy
- This Paranormal Life
Best Factual Podcast
- Alright, pet?
- Basically… with Stefanie Preissner
- For Tech’s Sake!
- OMG! What a Complete Education!
- Promenade
- The History of the Future
- The Smart 7 Ireland Edition
Best Family Podcast
- A New Home: Stories of Ireland’s Migrations
- KidCast
- Nero’s Class
- Parentline NI – Your Guide to Parenting
- Scéalta
- Stop the Bus
- The Kids Are All Right!
Best Fiction Podcast
- Below
- Nero’s Class
- Romy’s World Cup Wish
- Storytellers: Dead Hand
- The Dublin Story Slam Podcast
- This House Will Devour You: Love, mystery, madness and dead gods in the 1920s
- This Paranormal Life
Best History Podcast
- A New Home: Stories of Ireland’s Migrations
- As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern & The Good Friday Agreement
- Assume Nothing: The Hunt for Typhoid Mary
- The BelTel
- The Troubles Podcast
Best News & Current Affairs Podcast
- In The News
- Opinions Matter with Adrian & Jeremy
- The BelTel
- The Explainer
- The Indo Daily
- The Mick Clifford Podcast
Best Sex & Relationships Podcast
- Big Sexy Talk
- Dating Games – The Modern Relationships Podcast
- Let’s Talk about Gnéas
- Real Weddings with Sara
- The 2 Johnnies Podcast
- Tough Love
Best Sport Podcast
- Dalo’s Hurling Show
- GAA Minor Moments
- LOI Central
- Shadow Boxing
- The 42 Rugby Weekly
- The COYGIG Pod
- The GAA Social
- The Left Wing
Best True Crime Podcast
- Assume Nothing: The Last Request
- Nicola Tallant’s Crime World
- Inside the Crime: The Charles Self Murder
- Obscene: The Dublin Scandal
- The BelTel
- The Kinahans
Best Wellbeing Podcast
- Fad Camp
- Gold Ribbon Conversations
- Ready to be Real by Síle Seoige
- Real Health with Karl Henry
- The Blindboy Podcast
- Unspoken by Dr. Clodagh Campbell
- Where Is My Mind? with Niall Breslin
Best Daily Podcast
Best Interview
- A Special GloryDaze – PJ Gallagher’s Story as told to Jim McCabe
- Crisis What Crisis?
- Gold Ribbon Conversations
- Personality Bingo
- Talking Derry Girls
- That Great Business Show
- The Fifth Court
- Unspoken by Dr. Clodagh Campbell
- Where Is My Mind? with Niall Breslin
Best Network or Publisher
Best New Podcast
- Jenny and Mairead Now
- Let Me Explain with Seán Defoe
- Life’s Too Short
- Solo Powered with Ariana Dunne
- Stretch Marks with Sinéad Moore
- The Baby Tribe
- The History of the Future
- Unspoken with Dr. Clodagh Campbell
Best Branded Podcast
- Care + Conversations with CarePlus Pharmacy
- Engineers Ireland Amplified Podcast
- Gold Ribbon Conversations
- Mamia & Me
- OMG! What a Complete Education!
- Tech Radio
- The History of the Future
- TritonLake Perform
- Under Construction with Chadwicks
Best Commercial Strategy
- To be announced at the awards ceremony
Best Podcast in The Irish Language
The Rising Star Award
- Bobby Aherne
- Cathal Quinlan
- Céire O’Donoghue
- Olivia Hunt
- Sarah McGinn
- Stephen Ryan
Four other awards will be announced on the night as well as part of the Editors’ Choice Awards including the overall Podcast Champion, Specialist Award, Spotlight Award and The Listeners’ Choice.
