Entries will open next Monday for the Society of Editors’ News Podcast Awards 2026, the first UK awards dedicated exclusively to recognising excellence in news podcast journalism.
The new awards celebrate journalism that informs audiences, scrutinises power and shapes the national conversation, recognising podcasts as a serious journalistic medium rather than simply an audio or video format.
There will be 10 categories in total, covering a wide range of news and current affairs output, including News Summary Podcast of the Year, Investigative Podcast of the Year, True Crime Podcast of the Year, Political Podcast of the Year, Royal Podcast of the Year and Business and Economy Podcast of the Year.
Other categories include Showbiz and Entertainment Podcast of the Year, Best Regional or Community Podcast, Scoop or Interview of the Year and an overall Podcast of the Year award, reflecting the breadth of news podcasting across the UK.
Entries will open at 9am on Monday 2 February and close at midnight on Thursday 2 April, with the awards free to enter.
All submissions will be judged through a clear editorial lens, with an emphasis on depth, originality, storytelling and the public interest value of the journalism.
Announcing the awards earlier this month, Dawn Alford, Chief Executive of the Society of Editors, said they would be assessed by more than sixty journalists and editors, bringing real newsroom experience and editorial standards to the judging process, and ensuring that news podcasting is judged by those who understand journalism.
Full details of the News Podcast Awards, including the complete list of categories and entry criteria, are available on the Society of Editors’ website.
