The Publisher Podcast Awards are a celebration of the best podcasts in the publishing and media industry, and we're looking forward to bringing them to you for a fourth year following our successful Publisher Podcast Summit in October.
And who are we? We're the Media Voices Podcast, an industry-leading weekly podcast bringing you all the news, views and interviews with key figures from around the media world.
You can learn more about us over on our website, but in the meantime, we're proud to be celebrating and supporting the talent and sheer brilliance coming out of this growing medium.
For sponsorship enquiries, please contact peter [at] voices.media
FAQs
Q: When do entries open?
A: Entries for 2023's awards open in October 2022. Please subscribe at the bottom of this page to be updated when we're accepting entries, and for key dates like closing, shortlist announcement and ticket sales. We won't sell your information to any third parties, and promise not to spam you!
Q: What counts as a publisher?
A: A publisher is a B2B or B2C organisation of any size whose primary purpose is to publish editorial content in at least one other medium than audio to an audience across print or online. We encourage publishers of all sizes to apply - we've had tiny indie publisher podcasts win in the past so this isn't just for the big names.
However, we have to keep our definition of a publisher quite tight in order to keep the competition fair and best support the industry. This means production companies that have podcasts as their primary product aren't eligible, nor are blogs or companies whose primary business is not publishing. We know there are a lot of grey areas, so if you have any doubt about whether you qualify, please drop us a line and we'll be happy to help.
Q: Why is this only open to publishing companies?
A: This is a niche that we felt wasn't being celebrated, as the process that goes into creating a podcast within a publishing company has its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. There are numerous podcast awards both in the UK and beyond that are open to independent podcasts and podcast production companies, and we wish you the best of luck with those.
Q: How much do entries cost?
A: Nothing! We strongly believe awards should be open to all, which in turn encourages entries from smaller and more diverse publishers. We make our money from tickets to the event - although again we are careful to price these to be accessible to all publishers. Should you have any concerns with affordability please do talk to us.
Q: If I'm shortlisted, do I have to pay if I want to attend the event?
A: The event is ticketed, yes, but we won't swap you out if you win but you can't attend. We work hard to keep the costs accessible to everyone, and if you have any concerns, please do reach out - it's important to us to celebrate success and not exclude anyone on the basis of cost.
Q: I'm not based in the UK. Can I still enter?
A: Yes, as long as your podcast is in English. Please do bear in mind though that the award ceremony is normally held in London and it would be lovely if you were there to collect the award in-person (we get lonely on the stage otherwise!). Saying that, if you can't attend, that will in no way affect your entry, which is judged by an independent panel of experts. We won't swap out a winner just because they couldn't make it.
Q: Can you cover my travel and accommodation?
A: No, sorry. We're a small business ourselves and aren't rolling in £££.
Q: What can I do to make my entry as good as possible?
A: We recommend giving as much detail as you can - everything will be kept confidential by us and only shared with the judges for your category. Don't be afraid to give listener numbers etc. - these can provide useful context, and we're more interested in your engagement of that audience than the size of it. Guidelines and best practice are included in our entry packs. Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list (below) to receive this, and double-check your spam box as welcome emails sometimes end up there.
Q: How does the judging process work?
A: Once entries have closed, the Media Voices team do an initial longlisting, then the podcasts and entry forms for each category are passed over to the judges for that category. Each entry is scored on a range of factors, and because we are celebrating publisher podcasts, there are also a number of marks awarded for how the podcast aligns strategically with the business, podcast performance, and what makes it stand out. It's important therefore to give as much detail as you can in your answers to the questions on the entry forms; short answers may mean you lose marks on an otherwise brilliant product.
Q: Some of your judges also work at publishing companies. Is this not a conflict of interest?
A: Each judge is matched with a category after entries have closed. We're very careful to only assign them to a category where their own company has no entries, or if there is likely to be a conflict of interest. All judging is done on a scored basis and judge's scores are averaged out across the category to reduce individual bias. Do reach out if you have any questions or concerns about our judging process, or if you'd like to be a judge.
Q: Can you provide feedback on entries?
A: For entries that didn't make the shortlist, we can provide limited feedback. For shortlisted entries that didn't win, we can send over judge's comments and feedback to help highlight strengths and any areas for improvement.
Any other questions or comments? Email team [at] publisherpodcastawards.com or subscribe below for updates.