Spotify will power the final round of voting for the 2026 British Podcast Awards Listeners’ Choice Award, marking a significant change in how fans support their favourite shows.
For the first time, the Top 20 shortlisted podcasts will be voted for directly on Spotify, aiming to make the process more accessible and to help listeners discover new content.
Voting for the Listeners’ Choice Award, the only category decided entirely by the public, will take place in two rounds this year.
Round 1 is now open for two weeks on the British Podcast Awards website, closing on Thursday 23 July. Fans can nominate their top podcast, with the Top 20 announced on Spotify on Thursday 30 July.
From 30 July to 28 August, Round 2 voting will be exclusive to Spotify. Users will receive three votes to allocate across the shortlisted podcasts as they choose.
The winner will be revealed at the British Podcast Awards ceremony on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at indigo at the O2.
Previous winners include Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society in 2025, Help I Sexted My Boss in 2024, RedHanded from 2021 to 2023, and Sh**ged Married Annoyed in 2020.
A spokesperson for the BPAs commented: “We’re thrilled to welcome Spotify as our 2026 Listeners’ Choice partner! As one of the world’s leading audio platforms, it was only right that Spotify is the power behind our Listeners’ Choice voting.”
Talia Stolerman, Head of Podcasts for Spotify UK, IE & NL, added: “Spotify is thrilled to be sponsoring this year’s Listeners’ Choice category with the final round voting being powered by our on-platform voting technology.”
From today, you have two weeks to vote in Round 1 on the BPA website, until Thursday 23 July.
