The British Podcast Awards has announced the shortlist for its 2026 ceremony, highlighting 180 podcasts across 29 categories.
This year’s event, set for Thursday, 1 October at indigo at The O2, will recognise a wide range of talent, from established names to emerging voices in the UK podcasting sector.
Among the categories, the Editor’s Choice awards have revealed their nominees for both the Spotlight and Specialist awards.
The Spotlight award is designed for podcasts that reach larger audiences, with over 100,000 downloads per episode, and are seen as helping to bring podcasting further into the mainstream.
Meanwhile, the Specialist Award focuses on independent podcasts that serve niche audiences, specifically those with fewer than 5,000 listens per episode, and aims to honour underrepresented voices in the industry.
In addition to the main categories, the Top 20 podcasts for the Listeners’ Choice Award, powered by Spotify, will be announced on Thursday, 30 July.
The second round of voting for this public award will take place exclusively on Spotify from 30 July to 28 August, with Spotify users able to cast three votes across the shortlisted podcasts.
The winner of the Listeners’ Choice Award will be revealed at the ceremony on 1 October.
BRITISH PODCAST AWARDS – 2026 SHORTLIST
ARTS & CULTURE
Breaking Atoms, Breaking Atoms
Jane Austen’s Paper Trail, The Conversation UK
Legend: The Bruce Springsteen Story, BBC Audio Wales and West of England
So, Hear Me Out, Reduced Listening
Soundtracking With Edith Bowman, Ebow
The Cockney Yiddish Podcast, Rhubarb Rhubarb
The Rise & Fall of Indie Sleaze, Peanut & Crumb
BEST HOST(S)
Annie Kelly, Helen Pidd and Nosheen Iqbal, and Lucy Hough, The Guardian
Anna Sinfield, Novel
Bill Nighy, EYEPOD Studios
Edith Bowman, Ebow
Katherine Ryan, Bauer Media
Lily Allen, Miquita Oliver, Jordan Stephens, Persephonica
Louis Theroux, Mindhouse Productions
William Hanson and Jordan North, Audio Always
BUSINESS
Boss Class 3, The Economist
Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick, CNBC
Jimmy’s Jobs of the Future, Boxlight Creative Studio
Mind Your Business With Sara & Helen
The Factory Next Door
The Relentless Optimist, 18Sixty
Walking Out Loud, Tandem Productions
We Built This City: Greater Manchester, Purposeful Podcasts
COMEDY
Fin vs History, Podmasters
From The Oasthouse The Alan Partridge Podcast, Audible
Joe and James Fact Up, Audio Always
Mel and Sue Should Know By Now, Audible
The Guilty Feminist, The Spontaneity Shop
The Skewer, unusual
When The Cops Say No, We Say Yes, A step too far productions
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Wake, Sony Music Podcasts
DAILY
13 minutes presents: Artemis II, BBC
Newscast, BBC
The Intelligence, The Economist
The Story, The Times and The Sunday Times
Today In Focus, The Guardian
Today In History with The Retrospectors, Rethink Audio
Walk the Pod
DOCUMENTARY
Anatomy of a Cancellation, for Shadow World, BBC
Beware Book, Bauer Media
Death in Dubai (World of Secrets: Season 9), BBC
Half-Life (The History Podcast), Falling Tree Productions
Made In China, BBC
The Birth Keepers, The Guardian
The Girlfriends: Untouchable, Novel
The Toxic Waste Scandal, BBC
EDUCATION
A Little Bit Richer, Fresh Air
English Like A Native Podcast, English Like a Native
Fun Kids Science Quest, Fun Kids
Hold Or Fold, Prison Radio Association
Talking Rubbish, The Rubbish Collective
The Curve, The Curve Platform
The Pension Confident Podcast, PensionBee
ENTERTAINMENT
Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, Persephonica
FolkLands, Seven Owls
ill-advised by Bill Nighy, EYEPOD Studios
NewlyParents, Jampot Productions
Second Act with Ateh Jewel, HELLO! magazine
This Paranormal Life, This Paranormal Life
The Louis Theroux Podcast, Mindhouse Productions
What’s My Age Again?, Bauer Media
FACTUAL
Hold Or Fold, Prison Radio Association
Fun Kids Science Quest, Fun Kids
The Download, Yoto
The Story, The Times and The Sunday Times
Tech Tonic, Financial Times
When Science Finds A Way, Welcome Trust
Wonderful Life, Audible
FICTION
Broken Veil, Beard With Sauce and Cheese & Pickle Productions
Heathcliff, Audible
Leyline High Rewind, Leyline High Rewind
Limelight: The Dentist, BBC NI
Murder on Mars, BBC Studios Audio
Project Bläckfisk, Cipher Atlas
The Divide, Definitely Human
Wolf Valley, Almost Tangible
NEW: FOOD & DRINK
Bottoms Up! with Alan Carr and Lee Peart, Goldhawk, Platform Media
Dish from Waitrose, Cold Glass Productions
Heard, Self Employed
Lunchbox Envy, QI
Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware, Balabusta Productions
The Nightcap, Shakespeare Creative
HEALTH & WELLBEING
It’s So Loud In Here!, BBC
Momfessions, Mind Mommy Coaching
Pete Wicks’ Man Made, Bauer Media
Reset Your Health with Jamie Oliver, Audible
Sliced Bread, BBC
The Dementia Perspective, OG Podcasts
What’s My Age Again?, Bauer Media
When Science Finds A Way, Welcome Trust
HISTORY
Assume Nothing: The Radiation Holiday, BBC NI
Back When, National Trust
Dan Snow’s History Hit, History Hit
Dexplorers, Podomedy
Half-Life (The History Podcast), Falling Tree Productions
Postwar with David Runciman, BBC
The House at Number 48, BBC Long Form Audio
Witness History, BBC Long Form Audio
IMPACT
Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead, BBC
SEND in the Spotlight, BBC Audio
SOIL: Common Ground Series – Somerset House Podcast, Somerset House Trust
Talking Rubbish, The Rubbish Collective
The Overturn, The Future Justice Project
The Wargame, Sky News
Untold: Toxic Legacy, Financial Times
Wild Tales, National Trust
INTERVIEW
Dish from Waitrose, Cold Glass Productions
How Do You Cope? … with John Robins , Significant Productions
How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, Sony Music Podcasts
Pete Wicks’ Man Made, Bauer Media
The Louis Theroux Podcast, Mindhouse Productions
The Mishal Husain Show, Bloomberg
The Modern Mann, Rethink Audio
The Reading Cafe
KIDS
Audiomoves in Space, Peut-Être Theatre
Dexplorers, Podomedy
Errol’s Garden Audio Musical, Golden Toad Theatre Company
Judge Bex, Fun Kids
Koala Moon, Happiest
Today with tonies, tonies
Yoto Daily, Yoto
LIFESTYLE
As The Season Turns, Ffern
Dig It with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, Persephonica
Floating Space, Freelance
Get A Grip, Audio Always
Get Birding, Peanut & Crumb
Talking Rubbish, The Rubbish Collective
This Was Always Me, Trickster Media
Your Aunties Could Never
NETWORK OR PUBLISHER
BBC World Service
Fresh Air
Fun Kids
History Hit
JamPot Productions
Platform Media
Sony Music Podcasts
Unedited
NEW PODCAST
Do I detect a problem? – Sync Clap
On Hold – Storied Podcasts
The Art of Adventure – ILY Productions
The Mishal Husain Show – Bloomberg
The State of Us: The Noah Donohoe Inquest – BBC
There’s A Lot I Haven’t Asked – There’s A Lot I Haven’t Asked
Top Comment – BBC
NEWS, POLITICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS
Borderland – UK or United Ireland?, BBC Northern Ireland
Electoral Dysfunction, Sky News
Iran: The Latest, Pod60
Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast, Rethink Audio
Piers Morgan Uncensored, Piers Morgan Uncensored
The Intelligence, The Economist
The Wargame, Sky News
Today In Focus, The Guardian
PARENTING
ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast, ADHD Women’s Wellbeing
Bitesize Parenting Teens, Porcelina Productions
CBeebies Parenting Helpline, Bite Your Tongue Productions
Judged: A Mother’s Love, BBC
Momfessions, Mind Mommy Coaching
Parentline NI – Your Guide to Parenting, Children in Northern Ireland
Still Parents Podcast, The Lily Mae Foundation
RISING STAR
Anna Wolfe, Rethink Audio
Eva Brookes, Reduced Listening
Georgie Styles, Freelance
Hugh Sheehan, Freelance
Katie Bridget Murphy, BBC NI
Maya Raichoora, Audible
Naomi Bloomstein
SEX & RELATIONSHIPS
Atonement: The John Paulk Story, Goldhawk, Platform Media
Bisexual Brunch, Made in Manchester
Sex in Space, String Theory
The Divorce Podcast, amicable
Trans Crush, Trans Crush
SPECIALIST
Breaking Atoms, Breaking Atoms
Do I detect a problem?, Sync Clap
Mind Your Business With Sara & Helen
Momfessions , Mind Mommy Coaching
On Hold, Storied Podcasts
Real with Ric – Life after Loss, Real With Ric Podcast
Rhaglen Cymru, Independent
Sut i Ddarllen, Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru | Books Council of Wales
The Art of Adventure, ILY Productions
The Cockney Yiddish Podcast, Rhubarb Rhubarb
The Dementia Perspective, OG Podcasts
The Overturn, The Future Justice Project
The Reading Cafe, The Reading Cafe
SPOTLIGHT
Bottoms Up! with Alan Carr and Lee Peart, Goldhawk, Platform Media
Coining It, Free Turn
Death in Dubai (World of Secrets: Season 9), BBC
Dish from Waitrose, Cold Glass Productions
NewlyParents, Jampot Productions
Postwar with David Runciman, BBC
Sliced Bread, BBC
The Intelligence, The Economist
The Louis Theroux Podcast, Mindhouse Productions
Today In Focus, The Guardian
What’s My Age Again?, Bauer Media
SPORT
F1: Chequered Flag, IMG
Football Weekly, The Guardian
Stick to Cricket, The Overlap
Stick to Football, The Overlap
The Good, The Bad & The Football, Platform Media
That Peter Crouch Podcast, Marvellous
The Ruck, The Times and The Sunday Times
Whistleblowers, Daily Mail
TRUE CRIME
Beware Book, Bauer Media
Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead, BBC
Codename Badger, Audio Always
Coining It, Free Turn
Ransom Man, BBC Studios Audio
Seventeen Years: The Andrew Malkinson, The Times and The Sunday Times
The Missing Sister, Free Turn
The Poppy Day Bomb, The Times and The Sunday Times
VIDEO INNOVATION
Dish from Waitrose, Cold Glass Productions
Do I detect a problem?, Sync Clap Limited
Game’s Gone – The Steve Bracknall Podcast, Persephonica Limited
Get Birding, Peanut & Crumb
Joe Marler Will See You Now, Platform Media
Reporting History, ITV News
The Mishal Husain Show, Bloomberg
This Paranormal Life, This Paranormal Life
WELSH LANGUAGE
Hanes Mawr Cymru, Terrier Productions
Rhaglen Cymru, Independent
Sgwrsio, Sgwrsio
Siarad Siop efo Mari a Meilir, Siarad Siop efo Mari a Meilir
Sut i Ddarllen, Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru | Books Council of Wales
Sŵntrack gyda Joe, sŵntrack
Y Podlediad Dysgu Cymraeg – Pont, Univeristy of South Wales
