CONGRATULATIONS 2025 PODCAST OF THE YEAR WINNERS AND FINALISTS!

 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

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

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

 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

 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

 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

WINNER        

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

 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

 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

CHECK OUT OUR NEW LIST OF CATEGORIES!

OFFICIAL 2026 CATEGORIES  

• ADVENTURE & TRAVEL
• ARTS
• BEST FEMALE HOSTED PODCAST
• BEST MALE HOSTED PODCAST
• BUSINESS
• COMEDY
• CRIME
• DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
• DRAMA
• EDUCATION
• ENTERTAINMENT
• FANTASY & SCI-FI
• FICTION
• FINANCE & INVESTING
• FOOD & BEVERAGE
• GAMES AND HOBBIES
• GOVERNMENT AND ORGANIZATIONS
• HEALTH
• HISTORY
• HORROR & PARANORMAL
• HUMOR & SATIRE
• INTERVIEW-STYLE PODCASTS
• KIDS AND FAMILY
• LEISURE
• LGBTQ
• MOTIVATION & SUCCESS
• MUSIC
• PARENTING
• PERSONAL JOURNEYS
• POLITICS AND NEWS
• RELATIONSHIPS & DATING
• RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
• SCIENCE
• SELF-IMPROVEMENT & WELLNESS
• SOCIETY AND CULTURE
• SPORTS
• TECHNOLOGY
• TV AND FILM

**AMERICANWRITINGAWARDS.COM PODCAST OF THE YEAR AWARD**

 The Podcast of the Year award was created as a means to recognize excellence in independent podcasting. The award is international and open to all shows regardless of country of origin or language (non-English speaking podcasts must be transcribed or translated into English).  

Official Award Timeline

• Registration Deadline February 15, 2026
• Category Prizes and PODCAST OF THE YEAR AWARD announced March 8, 2025

The Podcast of the Year committee and judges reserve the right to disqualify any show they feel violates the spirit of the Awards. The Podcast Awards committee's decision on disqualification will be final. A disqualified show can appeal disqualification in writing within 48 hours to info@americanwritingawards.com. Disqualification will result in the forfeiture of the registration fee.

The Awards committee reserves the right to disqualify any show on the grounds of hate speech and or violence.  While we strongly support freedom of speech we will not tolerate hate speech and or violence against others. 

NOMINATION RULES AND ELIGIBILITY

EASY 2-STEP PROCESS FOR REGISTERING:  

1.  PROCESS ENTRY FEE ONLINE. 

2.  SEND FILLED-OUT ENTRY FORM TO INFO@AMERICANWRITINGAWARDS.COM

Any show podcasting on or before REGISTRATION DEADLINE is eligible to register for the Podcast of the Year.

Submitted Podcasts must have a publicly accessible RSS feed that can be followed/subscribed to.

• Any show wishing to be eligible to be nominated can register via the steps described on the entry form until the nomination closing date and pay the $39 registration fee. Registrations are non-refundable for any reason but shows can be asked to be moved to a different category prior to the judging deadline.
• Shows can register in as many appropriate categories as they want. Each category registration is a separate fee. Just make sure your show is appropriate for each category.
• Shows that do not register are not eligible to participate. A third party can register a show on behalf of another podcast. The registration fee is non-refundable.