On Saturday night, at Sydney’s Seymour Centre, over 400 Podcast hosts, producers, judges and fans were in attendance to network, and celebrate the local podcast industry, at the Australian Podcast Awards and to see over $10,000 worth of prizes and trophies awarded.
Wrong Skin, a true crime podcast from The Age, about the 1994 disappearance and death of two Indigenous young adults in the Kimberley, took out the award for Investigative Journalism & True Crime.
Editor of The Age, Alex Lavelle, says “Wrong Skin was an immensely challenging project which pushed boundaries of storytelling and production that we had not experienced before. It is testament to the talent in The Age newsroom that not only were these challenges overcome, the result was a compelling, groundbreaking and important podcast.”
Wrong Skin also won the inaugural Podcast of the Year award, beating out ABC presenters, Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales‘s Chat 10 Looks 3.
Sales and Crabb accepted their awards for Literature, Arts & Music, as well as TV, Film & Pop Culture, via video, as their Federal Election broadcast commitments saw them otherwise engaged.
All told the ABC won seven awards, among their winners was Fierce Girls in the Family & Kids Award category, in which the ABC scored four of the six nominations.
Russia, If You’re Listening won the Political, Social & Cultural Affairs Award, while Still Jill, ABC host Jill Emberson’s personal account of living with ovarian cancer, won the Documentary & Storytelling Award.
Manager of ABC Audio Studios, Kellie Riordan, says, “The ABC has long been a leader in creating compelling, distinctive, quality audio and I’m thrilled that ABC podcasts resonate with Australians from all walks of life.
“It’s been an exciting 12 months for Australian podcasting, with so many new entrants and many now reaching a global audience. I’m so proud that the ABC is at the forefront of creating some of the best podcasts in the country.”
The third podcast to receive multiple accolades was Tony Martin’s SIZZLETOWN, which won both Comedy and the Yamaha Prize for Outstanding Podcast Production.
PodcastOne ‘s The Five of My Life with Nigel Marsh, took home the award for “Best Interview Show”.
Nigel says, “To win this award in our very first year, against such stiff competition, is a dream come true. I feel so lucky to have found a partner in PodcastOne who share my passion for 5ML and what makes it special. We are very clear about what makes 5ML different and hugely protective of the core idea and never deviating from it. It’s early days, but our plan is to release one 5ML episode every three weeks until I die. I just hope that is not for many years yet, as there are so many fascinating people out there whose five choices I want to hear!”.
A FULL LIST OF WINNERS APPEARS BELOW:
- Podcast of the Year – Wrong Skin
- Investigative Journalism & True Crime, Presented by Stitcher – Wrong Skin
- Documentary & Storytelling, Presented by Zoom – Still Jill
- Independent True Crime – Let’s Talk About Sects
- Literature, Arts & Music – Chat 10 Looks 3
- TV, Film & Pop Culture – Chat 10 Looks 3
- Comedy – Tony Martin’s Sizzletown
- Yamaha Prize for Outstanding Podcast Production – Tony Martin’s Sizzletown
- Popular Vote – Shameless
- Best Fancast – Eyes On Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast
- Business & Marketing – Lady Startup
- Best Interview Show – The Five of My Life
- Lifestyle, Health & Wellness – The Pineapple Project
- Branded Podcast – Tough Conversations with Henry Rollins
- Technology – Download This Show
- Political, Social & Cultural Affairs – Russia, If You’re Listening
- Sport & Recreation – Zwift SBS Cycling Central Podcast
- Best New Podcaster – STAGES with Peter Eyers
- Acast Award for Diversity & Inclusion in Podcasting – Queerstories
- Family & Kids – Fierce Girls
- Science & Medicine – Science Friction
- Career & Industry – Teachers’ Education Review
- Fiction – The Fitzroy Diaries
- Gaming – Pixel Sift
- Best Audiogram, Presented by Headliner – Across the Aisle
