The iHeartPodcast Awards Head Back to SXSW. Here’s Who Is Nominated In 2026.

The 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards return to South by Southwest in March, and for the second consecutive year it will put the celebration of the best in podcasting on a big stage during the Austin event.

The event will continue to honor all genres of podcasts including Comedy, Crime, Sports, News, Business, Pop Culture, Food and more, with winners in each category determined by a panel of industry leaders, creatives and visionaries.

The night’s top honor, Podcast of the Year, will remain in the hands of the fans. From Jan. 14 through Feb. 22, listeners can cast their votes for their favorite shows online. The nominees for the 2026 Podcast of the Year include “Good Hang with Amy Poehler,” “The Breakfast Club,” “The Mel Robbins Podcast,” “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” “The Daily,” “The Rest Is History,” “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von,” “Call Her Daddy,” “Heavyweight” and “Giggly Squad.”

Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts, says the awards will celebrate the storytellers who are “pushing the boundaries” of audio. “Podcasting continues to be one of the most vibrant and fast-growing mediums in media today,” Pearson says. “We can’t wait to see which show the fans crown as their Podcast of the Year for 2026.”

In addition to the fan-voted and category awards, iHeartMedia will present three Icon Awards — Social Impact Award, Audible Audio Pioneer Award and Innovator Award — honoring individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions to the podcasting medium. 

Jay Shetty, author and host of the “On Purpose” podcast, will be honored with the 2026 Social Impact Award for leveraging his platform to spark meaningful conversations around mental health. Through his podcast, iHeart says he has helped millions turn self-reflection into meaningful change.

Terry Gross, the legendary host of NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley,” will receive the 2026 Audible Audio Pioneer Award. It recognizes Gross for a career that has redefined the art of the interview through curiosity, rigor and deep empathy.

Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of “Song Exploder,” will be presented with the 2026 Innovator Award for what iHeart says has been his visionary approach to storytelling. The show invites artists to break down their creative processes and redefining how audiences experience music in podcast form.

The 2026 iHeartPodcast Award nominees include:

Podcast of the Year:

· Good Hang with Amy Poehler

· The Breakfast Club

· The Mel Robbins Podcast

· Pablo Torre Finds Out

· The Daily

· The Rest Is History

· This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von

· Call Her Daddy

· Heavyweight

· Giggly Squad

Best Business & Finance:

· Earn Your Leisure

· How I Built This

· Acquired

· Young and Profiting with Hala Taha

· The Diary of a CEO

Best Comedy:

· Good Hang with Amy Poehler

· The Toast

· Distractible

· Handsome

· The Basement Yard

Best Crime:

· Crime Junkie

· Rotten Mango

· Anatomy of Murder

· My Favorite Murder

· Wisecrack

Best Pop Culture:

· Las Culturistas

· Call Her Daddy

· Therapuss with Jake Shane

· Giggly Squad

· The Viall Files

Best Food

· Eating While Broke

· The Sporkful

· Home Cooking

· The Splendid Table

· Dinner’s On Me

Best Wellness & Fitness:

· On Purpose with Jay Shetty

· Huberman Lab

· The Mel Robbins Podcast

· 10% Happier

· Maintenance Phase

Best History:

· The Rest Is History

· You’re Wrong About

· Throughline

· American History Tellers

· SNAFU

Best Kids & Family:

· Story Pirates

· Wow in the World

· Circle Round

· The Big Fib

· Brains On!

Best Music:

· The Bobby Bones Show

· Song Exploder

· Switched On Pop

· All Songs Considered

· One Song

Best News:

· The Daily

· The Megyn Kelly Show

· Pivot

· The MeidasTouch Podcast

· Up First from NPR

Best Fiction:

· The NoSleep Podcast

· Havoc Town

· Old Gods of Appalachia

· Table Read

· Murder at the Patel Motel

Best Sports:

· New Heights

· Pardon My Take

· The Zach Lowe Show

· Club 520

· The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

Best Science:

· Radiolab

· Ologies

· Hidden Brain

· StarTalk Radio

· Shell Game

Best Technology:

· Hard Fork

· Black Tech Green Money

· Galaxy Brain

· Acquired

· All-In

Best Ad Read:

· Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

· Call Her Daddy

· My Brother, My Brother and Me

· Dudes on Dudes

· Distractible

Best Host:

· Amy Poehler

· Pablo Torre

· Alex Cooper

· Emma Chamberlain

· Caleb Hearon

Best Ensemble:

· We Can Do Hard Things

· SmartLess

· The Basement Yard

· This Is Important

· Get Played

Best Political

· Pod Save America

· The Bulwark Podcast

· Breaking Points

· Hacks On Tap

· The Ben Shapiro Show

Best TV & Film:

· The Big Picture

· The Rewatchables

· How Did This Get Made?

· Watch What Crappens

· Girls Rewatch

Best Spanish Language:

· Gracias, Come Again.

· Radio Ambulante

· Leyenda Legendarias

· Chente Ydrach

· Relatos de la Noche

Best Advice/Inspirational:

· IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

· On Purpose with Jay Shetty

· Thanks For Asking with Nora McInerny

· Just Heal with Dr. Jay

· Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen

Best Beauty & Fashion:

· Nymphet Alumni

· Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

· Articles of Interest

· Lipstick on the Rim

· Naked Beauty

Best Travel:

· Women Who Travel

· Travel with Rick Steves

· Zero To Travel

· Points Talk

· The Travel Diaries

Best Religious & Spirituality:

· Deeply Well with Devi Brown

· Girls Gone Bible

· Joel Osteen Podcast

· WHOA That’s Good Podcast

· Elevation with Steven Furtick

Best Branded Podcast:

· This Is Not a Beauty Podcast (L’Oreal)

· Crucible Moments (Sequoia Capital)

· The Unshakeables (Chase for Business)

· ZOE Science & Nutrition (ZOE)

· Smart Talks (IBM)

Best Emerging:

· Khloé in Wonder Land

· Smart Girl Dumb Questions

· Try Hard

· Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim

· Upstairs Neighbors

Best International:

· ShxtsNGigs (United Kingdom)

· Las Alucines (Mexico)

· The Rest Is History (United Kingdom)

· Shameless (Australia)

· Crime Beat (Canada)

The awards show will be held at SXSW on Monday, March 16 at the Moody Theater. The ceremony will also be live-broadcasted on select iHeartMedia radio stations and on the iHeartRadio app. Additionally, the event will once again be open to select SXSW badge holders. Actress, comedian and host of the “Thanks Dad” podcast, Ego Nwodim, has been tapped to emcee this year’s event.

“The Podcast Awards have become a defining moment for the audio community at SXSW, and we’re proud to continue building that momentum with iHeartMedia in 2026,” said Peter Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer of SXSW. “Bringing this event back to ACL Live at the Moody Theater reflects how deeply podcasting is embedded in the cultural conversation at SXSW, and our commitment to creating meaningful stages for the creators shaping where audio goes next.”

The 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of nationally recognized events. Executive producers for the 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards are John Sykes, Tom Poleman, Conal Byrne and Bart Peters for iHeartMedia.