American Writing Awards

2025 PODCAST OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

ARTS

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: The Art of Crime
Host: Gavin Whitehead
Podcast Link: www.artofcrimepodcast.com

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Rock is Lit
Host: Christy Alexander Hallberg
Podcast Links:
Apple Podcasts | Website

Full Podcast Title: Online for Authors
Host: Teri M Brown
Podcast Link: www.terimbrown.com/online-for-authors.html

Full Podcast Title: NOTES ON A NATIVE SON
Host: Razia Iqbal
Podcast Link: WNYC Studios

BEST FEMALE HOSTED PODCAST

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Living Ageless and Bold
Host: Christina Daves
Podcast Link: christinadaves.com/living-ageless-podcast

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Getting Rich Together
Host: Syama Bunten
Podcast Links:
Website | Apple Podcasts

Full Podcast Title: Manifesting with Meg: Conversations with Extraordinary People
Host: Meg Nocero
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

Full Podcast Title: Let’s Get Haunted
Hosts: Aly Terry, Nat Strawn
Podcast Links:
bit.ly/GetHaunted | Linktree

Full Podcast Title: On the Table with Ashley
Host: Ashley Gould
Podcast Link: Buzzsprout

Full Podcast Title: Birth New Earth
Host: Alana Light
Podcast Link: YouTube

Full Podcast Title: To Live List
Host: Delia Grenville
Podcast Link: tolivelist.com

BEST MALE HOSTED PODCAST

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air
Host: Larry Wilmore
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: The Art of Crime
Host: Gavin Whitehead
Podcast Link: artofcrimepodcast.com

Full Podcast Title: Found My Hero Within
Host: Will Lukang
Podcast Link: YouTube

Full Podcast Title: The Michael Finkley Show
Host: Michael D. Finkley
Podcast Links:
Audio Version – Spotify
Visual Version – YouTube

Full Podcast Title: Stories from Real Life
Host: Melvin E. Edwards
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

BUSINESS

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Getting Rich Together
Host: Syama Bunten
Podcast Links:
Website
Apple Podcasts

BUSINESS

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Get Comfy with Numbers
Host: Erika Millard
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

COMEDY

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Legion of Skanks
Hosts: Big Jay Oakerson, Luis J. Gomez, and Dave Smith
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Let’s Get Haunted
Hosts: Aly Terry, Nat Strawn
Podcast Link: Bit.ly Link
or Linktree

CHILDREN'S (UNDER 18)

WINNER

Full Podcast Title: Lasting Legends: Greek Myths Surround Us
Host: Cole Stopnik
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

ENTERTAINMENT

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Let’s Get Haunted
Hosts: Aly Terry, Nat Strawn
Podcast Link: Bit.ly Link
OR Linktree

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: My Imperfect Yellow
Host: Tyran Lee Ingram
Podcast Link: Spotify

Full Podcast Title: The Michael Finkley Show
Host: Michael D. Finkley
Podcast Link:

Audio Version: Spotify
Visual Version: YouTube

EDUCATION

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Freelance Writing Direct
Host: Estelle Erasmus
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Online for Authors
Host: Teri M. Brown
Podcast Link: Teri M. Brown

Full Podcast Title: Manifesting with Meg: Conversations with Extraordinary People
Host: Meg Nocero
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FICTION

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Online for Authors
Host: Teri M. Brown
Podcast Link: www.terimbrown.com/online-for-authors.html

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Rock is Lit
Host: Christy Alexander Hallberg
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts
Website

Full Podcast Title: Authors Talking Bookish
Hosts: Donna Norman-Carbone & Hope Gibbs
Podcast Link: RSS Feed

Full Podcast Title: BASEBALL, BOOKS, AND BANTER
Host: Nicole Asselin
Podcast Link: Libsyn

HEALTH

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Diary of An Empath Podcast
Host: Keresse Thompson
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: The Plus SideZ: Cracking the Obesity Code
Hosts: Kim Carlos & Kat Carter
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

Full Podcast Title: Come On In: AYA Cancer Unfiltered
Host: Marie Sadd
Podcast Link: YouTube Playlist

Full Podcast Title: Found My Hero Within
Hosts: Will Lukang
Podcast Link: YouTube

Full Podcast Title: Love Your Calm: Mini Meditations
Host: Hannah Castillo
Podcast Link: Buzzsprout

HISTORY

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Riches & Power
Host: Alex Doubet
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALIST
Full Podcast Title: The Art of Crime
Host: Gavin Whitehead
Podcast Link: The Art of Crime

KIDS AND FAMILY

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Lasting Legends: Greek Myths Surround Us
Host: Cole Stopnik
Podcast Link: Apple Podcasts

FINALIST
Full Podcast Title: 90-Second Author Interview
Host: Jean Johnson
Podcast Link: Spotify

LEISURE

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Love Your Calm: Mini Meditations
Host: Hannah Castillo
Podcast Link: Love Your Calm

MUSIC

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Rock is Lit
Host: Christy Alexander Hallberg
Podcast Link: Rock is Lit on Apple Podcasts
Official Website

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Grieving Parents Sharing Hope
Host: Laura Diehl
Podcast Link: Grieving Parents Sharing Hope Podcast

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: The Out on a Limb podcast
Hosts: Allison Brown, Will Brown, Samantha Kaufman
Podcast Link: The Out on a Limb Podcast on YouTube

Full Podcast Title: The Astrology Podcast
Host: Chris Brennan
Podcast Link: The Astrology Podcast

SCIENCE

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Stories of Impact
Host: Tavia Gilbert
Podcast Link: Stories of Impact Podcast

FINALIST
Full Podcast Title: Love Your Calm: Mini Meditations
Host: Hannah Castillo
Podcast Link: Love Your Calm: Mini Meditations

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Wisdom of Age
Host: Stacy Raine
Podcast Link: Wisdom of Age Podcast

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: Let’s Get Haunted
Hosts: Aly Terry, Nat Strawn
Podcast Link: Let’s Get Haunted
OR Linktree

Full Podcast Title: Manifesting with Meg: Conversations with Extraordinary People
Host: Meg Nocero
Podcast Link: Manifesting with Meg

Full Podcast Title: On the Table with Ashley
Host: Ashley Gould
Podcast Link: [On the Table with Ashley](On the Table with Ashley Podcast on Amazon Music)

Full Podcast Title: Stories from Real Life
Host: Melvin E. Edwards
Podcast Link: Stories from Real Life

TECHNOLOGY

WINNER

Full Podcast Title: Shift Happens with Litty Samuel
Host: Litty Samuel
Podcast Link: Shift Happens with Litty Samuel

CRIME

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Hosts: Kate McCoy, Kevin Corbett
Podcast Link: Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Website Link

Full Podcast Title: Zone 7
Host: Sheryl “Mac” McCollum
Podcast Link: Zone 7

FINALISTS

Full Podcast Title: The Last Trip
Host: Jaimie Beebe
Podcast Link: The Last Trip

Full Podcast Title: Crime Beat with Ron Chepesiuk
Host: Ron Chepesiuk
Podcast Link: Crime Beat

Full Podcast Title: The Art of Crime
Host: Gavin Whitehead
Podcast Link: The Art of Crime

CRIME

WINNER
Full Podcast Title: Zone 7
Host: Sheryl “Mac” McCollum
Podcast Link: Zone 7

Full Podcast Title: Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Hosts: Kate McCoy, Kevin Corbett
Podcast Link: Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Website Link

FINALISTS
Full Podcast Title: The Last Trip
Host: Jaimie Beebe
Podcast Link: The Last Trip

Full Podcast Title: Crime Beat with Ron Chepesiuk
Host: Ron Chepesiuk
Podcast Link: Crime Beat

Full Podcast Title: The Art of Crime
Host: Gavin Whitehead
Podcast Link: The Art of Crime

2024 SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

FULL BOOK TITLE: FIERCE: My Fight for Nothing Less

AUTHOR NAME: Marian E. Washington and Vicki L. Friedman

PUBLISHER NAME: Ascend Books

In 2022 The Washington Post called her the Jackie Robinson of collegiate women’s basketball coaching. Now Marian E. Washington shares her compelling life story, tracing her humble roots in rural Pennsylvania to the unprecedented legacy she left for the advancement of women’s athletics and African American women.Washington became the first female African American head coach at a predominantly White institution at the Division I level when the University of Kansas hired her in 1973. A year later she was named KU’s first women’s athletics director. Over 31 years she coached Kansas women’s basketball to 560 wins, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and two Sweet Sixteens.But her legacy is the battle she waged for equity inside the walls of her own institution and nationally, becoming a trailblazer for a host of successful Division I Black female coaches. In 1996 she became the first Black woman to coach on a U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team staff, serving as an assistant coach on the USA’s gold medal-winning team.Washington was the first female President of the Black Coaches Association. She is enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and is a finalist on the Ballot for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. FIERCE is her story.

WHY CHOOSE US?

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com, a platform created from the ground up whose mission is to provide recognition and a source of pride for authors, publishers, and podcasters worldwide. Our annual goal is simple yet ambitious: to offer the most inclusive and influential award competitions available to authors, publishers, and podcasters across the globe.

Our website offers a range of awards and services that serve as powerful promotional tools that can launch careers, expand market reach, and allow our clients to compete on a global scale. The American Writing Awards team is always here to support you, answer your questions, and ensure a fulfilling experience, regardless of the contest or service you choose to participate in.

What sets our contests apart is their unique inclusivity. They provide a level playing field for small presses, academic presses, micro presses, self-publishers, and even authors from major publishing houses ("Big 5"). We keep entry fees low, well below industry standards for competitions of similar caliber, making it accessible to all. You can nominate one or more of your books in multiple categories, even unpublished manuscripts, increasing your work's chances of future publishing opportunities. Additionally, all entrants submit their work digitally as a PDF or eBook, eliminating the hassles and costs associated with traditional mail.

Our panel of expert judges, including industry professionals, authors, coaches, and college professors, assesses entries impartially and competently. They evaluate various writing and presentation skills, such as storytelling ability, transitions, hooks, pacing, character development, dialogue, grammar, punctuation, and overall impact. We are your opportunity to gain recognition, and we are committed to recognizing excellence.

We understand the tremendous effort you've invested in your work, and by winning our awards, you permanently establish your credibility as an accomplished author, publisher, or podcaster. Don't miss this chance to give your work the attention it truly deserves. Sign up now and let your stories live!.

*Did you know? The American Writing Awards has NINE unique categories for OLDER books?--the Legacy categories accept books older than four years. Give your timeless book a chance at an award.

*Did you know? Finalists from previous years can enter the AWAs. Give your book a second shot at greatness.

*Did you know? Our press releases are distributed to hundreds of premium news outlets--a distribution footprint that could reach millions, including journalists, businesses, and industry professionals. These include local, regional, and national news sites such as Google News, Yahoo News, Bing, CBS, Fox, ABC, CW, and NBC affiliated broadcasting websites and more.

*Did you know? "Book of the Year" recipients, Category Winners, and Finalists receive a month-long social-media ad campaign highlighting their successes following the year's AWAs.

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

*Did you know? The American Writing Awards has NINE unique categories for OLDER books?--the Legacy categories accept books older than four years. Give your timeless book a chance at an award.

Did you know? Finalists from previous years can enter. Give your book a second shot at greatness.

Check out our NEW full list of categories.

· Academic/Education

· Animals/Pets – General

· Anthologies – Non-Fiction

· Art

· Autobiography/Memoirs

· Best Cover Design – Fiction

· Best Cover Design – Non-Fiction

· Best New(Debut) - Fiction

· Best New(Debut) - Non-Fiction

· Biography – General

· Business – General

· Business – Entrepreneurship

· Business – Management & Leadership

· Business - Motivational

· Business – Personal Finance/Investing

· Business – Sales

· Children’s - Educational

· Children's - Fiction

· Children's - Interactive

· Children's - Non-Fiction

· Children’s - Picture Book

· Children's - Religious

· Children's - Sports

· Cookbooks

· Fiction – General

· Fiction – Anthologies

· Fiction – Fantasy

· Fiction – Historical

· Fiction – Horror

· Fiction – Inspirational

· Fiction – LGBTQ Fiction

· Fiction – Multicultural

· Fiction – Mystery/Suspense

· Fiction – New Age Fiction

· Fiction – Novelette (7,500 to 17,500 words)

· Fiction – Novella (17,500 to 40,000 words)

· Fiction - Psychological

· Fiction – Religious

· Fiction – Romance

· Fiction – Science Fiction

· Fiction – Short Story

· Fiction – Thriller/Adventure

· Fiction – Women's Fiction

· Fiction – Young Adult

· Health – Addiction and Recovery

· Health – Aging/50+

· Health - Cancer

· Health – Death and Dying

· Health – Diet and Exercise

· Health – General

· History – General

· History – Military

· History – United States

· Home & Garden

· Humor/Comedy/Satire

· Law

• Legacy – Autobiography/Memoir

• Legacy – Children’s Picture Book

• Legacy – Children’s Fiction

• Legacy – Fiction-Adventure

• Legacy – Fiction-Historical

· Legacy – Fiction-General

· Legacy – Mystery/Suspense

· Legacy – Non-Fiction-General

· Legacy – Sci-Fi & Fantasy

· LGBTQ – Non-Fiction

· Multicultural Non-Fiction

· Non-Fiction – General

· Non-Fiction – Narrative

· Parenting & Family

· Performing Arts – Film, Theater, Dance, Music

· Photography

· Poetry – Anthologies

· Poetry - Contemporary

· Poetry – General

· Poetry – Narrative

· Poetry - Religious

· Political - Fiction

· Political – Non-Fiction

· Religion – General

· Religion – Christian Inspirational

· Religion – Christianity

· Religion - Eastern

· Self-Help

· Social Change

· Spirituality

· Sports

· Travel

· True Crime – Non-Fiction

· Young Adult – Non-Fiction

· Western

· Women's Issues

SUBMISSIONS

Let Your Stories Live! Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com

Let Your Stories Live! Welcome to AmericanWritingAwards.com

CONTESTS

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

HAWTHORNE PRIZE

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

CHILDREN'S BOOK INTERNATIONAL

AMERICAN WRITING AWARDS

PODCAST OF THE YEAR

PODCAST OF THE YEAR

* 2025 PODCASTS OF THE YEAR *

2025 PODCASTS OF THE YEAR

2025 PODCAST OF THE YEAR CATEGORY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

ARTS

BEST FEMALE HOSTED PODCAST

BEST MALE HOSTED PODCAST

BUSINESS

BUSINESS

COMEDY

CHILDREN'S (UNDER 18)

ENTERTAINMENT

EDUCATION

FICTION

HEALTH

HISTORY

KIDS AND FAMILY

LEISURE

MUSIC

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

SCIENCE

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

TECHNOLOGY

CRIME

CRIME

CRIME

2024 BOOK OF THE YEAR - FICTION

2024 BOOK OF THE YEAR - NON-FICTION

2024 AWA CATEGORY WINNERS

2024 AWA CATEGORY WINNERS AND FINALISTS

2024 SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR

2024 AWA PRESS RELEASE

WHY CHOOSE US?

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

OFFICICAL 2025 AWA CATEGORIES

SMALL SAMPLE OF OUR DIVERSE LIST OF AWARD-WINNING PUBLISHERS

Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.

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