Nominees Announced For iHeartPodcast Awards
• iHeartMedia has announced the host and nominees for The 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards in partnership with South by Southwest® (SXSW®).
SNL veteran Ego Nwodim, actress, comedian and host of the Thanks Dad podcast, will emcee this year’s iHeartPodcast Awards, which, for the second consecutive year, will be presented at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX on Monday, March 16 at 7pm CT.
The event, which will once again be open to select SXSW badge holders, spans all genres of podcasts, including Comedy, Crime, Sports, News, Business, Pop Culture, Food and more, with winners determined by a panel of industry leaders, creatives and visionaries. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on select iHeartMedia radio stations and on the iHeartRadio app.
The night’s top honor, Podcast of the Year, will remain in the hands of the fans. From now through Feb. 22 listeners can cast their votes at iHeartPodcastAwards.com. Here are the nominees for the 2026 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.
“Podcasting continues to be one of the most vibrant and fast-growing mediums in media today,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “We are thrilled to return to Austin and ACL Live at the Moody Theater to celebrate the storytellers who are pushing the boundaries of audio. We can’t wait to see which show the fans crown as their Podcast of the Year for 2026.”
iHeartMedia will also present three Icon Awards, honoring individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions to the podcasting medium — Jay Shetty, renowned author and host of the acclaimed podcast On Purpose, will be honored with the 2026 Social Impact Award; Terry Gross, the legendary host of NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley, will receive the 2026 Audible Audio Pioneer Award, and Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of Song Exploder, will be presented with the 2026 Innovator Award.
