Oxford Road has launched a new awards event dedicated solely to independent podcasters and creators.
The Independent Podcast and Creator Awards, known as the Indie PaC Awards, will recognise creators who own their work and operate outside major network control, with winners announced at Podcast Movement Evolutions in Austin on 15 March.
The ceremony will be hosted by Killer Mike, while Libsyn is serving as founding sponsor.
Dan Granger, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Road, said: “Independent creators tore down the gates. They proved you don’t need a network, a studio, or anyone’s permission to build an audience that trusts you.
“The Indie PaC Awards exist to recognise the creators who took that risk, the brands brave enough to back them early, and the work that makes people hit subscribe. This is Year One. If you’re here, you’re part of the story.”
Finalists were selected using Oxford Road’s proprietary ORBIT data alongside evaluation by an independent jury of creators, journalists and brand executives.
Jury members include Ashley Flowers, host and founder of Crime Junkie and Audiochuck, James Cridland, Hernan Lopez and Gladwell Mwangi.
Nominees span established and emerging independent creators, including Steven Bartlett for The Diary of a CEO, Theo Von for This Past Weekend, Lex Fridman, Tim Ferriss, Jason Calacanis and Ben Shapiro.
The awards are split into four segments: ten Jury Awards covering categories such as interview, narrative, comedy and news; five ORBIT Influence Awards based on performance data; Patron Awards for brands investing in independent creators; and the Oxford Prize in Podcasting, a lifetime achievement honour.
The ceremony takes place from 4:30pm to 7:00pm local time on 15 March at the Skybox on 6th during Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW 2026.
For full nominee lists, methodology, and ceremony details, visit indiepac.com.
The Jury Awards — Ten categories judged by an independent panel based on craft and audience engagement:
- Best Independent Interview Show
- Best Independent Narrative/Storytelling
- Best Independent Comedy
- Best Independent Specialty Show
- Best Independent Business & Entrepreneurship
- Best Independent Health & Wellness
- Best Independent Sports & Recreation
- Best Independent News & Politics
- Breakthrough Independent
- Independent Creator of the Year
The ORBIT Influence Awards — Five awards determined by Oxford Road’s proprietary performance data:
- Highest Impact
- Highest Volume
- Breakout Performer
- The Perfect Score
- The Advertiser’s Choice
The Patron Awards — Recognising the brands investing most heavily in independent creators
The Oxford Prize in Podcasting — A lifetime achievement award honoring a creator who represents what this medium can be
