The Signal Awards reveal finalist podcasts for 2025 honours

The Signal Awards, which celebrate the podcasts that define culture, have announced the Finalists for their fourth annual honours.

The awards champion a diverse mix of storytellers, ranging from independent creators to global icons.

This year’s finalists include some of the biggest names in media, entertainment and culture. Among the featured voices are Michelle Obama, Jason and Travis Kelce, Jon Stewart, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, Katie Couric, Keke Palmer, Mel Robbins, Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, Kara Swisher, and sporting power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe.

Podcasts and production companies recognised this year reflect the breadth of the audio landscape, from comedy and politics to investigative journalism and entertainment.

Standout shows include Dark History, Pod Save America (Crooked Media), The Sam Sanders Show (KCRW), The Rest is Classified (Goalhanger), How to Fail with Elizabeth Day (Sony Music Entertainment), It’s Been a Minute with Brittany Luse (NPR), The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Into the Madness (Audible), The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr (Netflix), Scam, Inc. (The Economist), Club Shay Shay, Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o, Liberty Lost (Wondery), Aspire with Emma Grede (Audacy), and Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know (Lemonada Media).

The awards also shine a light on independent creators and emerging voices. Among this year’s highlights are Hyperfixed, Our Ancestors Were Messy, Charlie’s Place, Things That Go Boom, Time Sensitive, Berlant & Novak, The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs, You Feeling This 2, Proxy with Yowei Shaw, Señora Sex Ed, and Sounds Like A Cult.

“For four years running, the Signal Awards has reminded us of the extraordinary breadth of voices and creativity in audio,” said Jemma Rose Brown, General Manager of the Signal Awards. “This year’s Finalists showcase not just great entertainment, but also education, activism, innovation, and joy. These awards are an incredible example of how audio continues to evolve and capture cultural moments in real time.”

Submissions for the awards rose nearly 30% year-on-year, highlighting the continued momentum of the audio industry. To reflect this growth, ten new categories were introduced to ensure emerging creators and niche formats receive recognition.

Alongside the judged categories, finalists are also competing for the Listener’s Choice Awards, voted on by fans worldwide.

Voting is open now until 9 October 2025 at vote.signalaward.com. In 2024, listener participation grew by 43% compared with 2023, and organisers expect another record year of engagement.

The importance of the recognition was highlighted by Sarah Jane Johnson, Head of Creative Operations at The Moth, who said: “We were able to use our Signal win both to report back to the grants who funded us that their support worked and use it as leverage to ask for additional support. It’s a sea of podcasts out there, so Signal is an instant validator.”

The winners of the Listener’s Choice Awards will be announced on 15 October, alongside the Academy’s selection of bronze, silver and gold winners across each category. An in-person Winner’s Party will follow on 10 November.

2025 Finalist Highlights

Finalists for Best Video Podcast Host:

The Mel Robbins Podcast from 143 Studios
Murder, Mystery & Makeup from Bailey Sarian LLC
Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know from Lemonada Media
The Jamie Kern Lima Show from Life is Love
The Pre-Game With Kayla Nicole from Dear Media
The Pivot Podcast from The Pivot Podcast
Seen on the Screen with Jacqueline Coley from Universal Pictures
Beyond Saint Podcast from Beyond Saint Podcast
From Now On from LA PHILLLIPS MEDIA

Finalists for Best Comedy Podcast:

Berlant & Novak from Berlant & Novak
Petty Crimes from Hartbeat
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from iHeartPodcasts
The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr from Netflix
Reading Reddit Stories from Smosh
Where There’s a Will There’s a Wake from Sony Music Entertainment

Finalists for Best New Podcast:

Higher Ground’s IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson from Higher Ground
Aspire with Emma Grede from Audacy and Emma Grede
Debt Heads from Debt Heads
Hyperfixed from Hyperfixed
Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o from KQED’s Snap Studios
Around The W from Minute Media
Making a Scene with Matt Lucas and David Walliams from Platform Media
Signal Hill from Signal Hill
Pitch Playground from 4.0
THE CHAIR from THE CHAIR Podcast

Finalists for Limited Series: Documentary:

Camp Shame from Acast Creative Studios
Final Thoughts: Jerry Springer from Audible
Half-Life from Falling Tree Productions
Suave Season Two from Futuro Media Group
Journeys with Grace from Gigi Ogun
NPR’s Embedded: Alternate Realities from NPR
Blindfolded And Arrested On Assignment In Israel (2 parts) from Placement Theory
She Had my Name (Se Lllamaba Ccomo Yyo) from Se Habla Producciones and PRX
The Network from The Futuro Media Group
Flesh and Code from Wondery
Liberty Lost from Wondery

Finalists in Best Arts and Culture Podcast:

American Masters: Creative Spark from American Masters
Imaginary Worlds from Imaginary Worlds
Locatora Radio from Locatora Productions
We Disrupt This Broadcast from Peabody Awards
Time Sensitive from The Slowdown
Magical Overthinkers from The Word Factory LLC
Sounds Like A Cult from The Word Factory LLC

Finalists for Best True Crime Podcast:

Not a Very Good Murderer from Audible
Into the Madness from Audible
The Copernic Affair from Canadaland
Monster: BTK from iHeartPodcasts
The Narco’s Children from Rainbow Lobster and Sonoro
Fire Escape from Snap Studios
The Boston Globe’s Spotlight: Snitch City from The Progress Network
Untested from USA TODAY
Kill List from Wondery

Finalists for Best Podcast in News and Politics:

Trial By Jury from CNN
We Live Here Now from The Atlantic
Scam, Inc. from The Economist
The Minister’s Millions from Al Jazeera Media Network
Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers from Boise State Public Radio
The Bully’s Pulpit: Trump v. The First Amendment from Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
70 Million Investigates: ICE x Gender from LWC Studios
Trumpland with Alex Wagner from MSNBC Audio
Bad Watchdog from Project On Government Oversight
Beyond The Headlines from The National News

Finalists for Best Indie Podcast:

Dwelling with Lauren Weedman from Jett Road Studios
Disco’s Lost Women from Soundscapes NYC
Meaningful Marketplace- Wapato Island Farm, Jennifer Rose Marie Serna from The Joy of Creation Production House
Hotel on the Edge of Europe from Yarn

Finalists for Best Scripted Podcast: