It’s finally award season and 2021 kicked off with honouring one of our favourite new trends. The third annual iHeartRadio Podcast Awards was held virtually on Thursday night. It was recorded from multiple locations and streamed live on iHeartRadio’s YouTube channel and Facebook, as well as broadcasted on iHeartMedia radio stations and the iHeartRadio app.
Will Ferrell from “The Ron Burgundy Podcast” kickstarted the event in true Will/Ron-styled humour and fun.
The show was hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers from the podcast “Las Culturistas” and the ladies of “Obama’s Other Daughters” – Maame-Yaa Aforo, Ashley Holston, Shakira Ja’nai Paye and Yazmin Monet Watkins. Each host kept the event fun and engaging for everyone.
The most-coveted award, Podcast of the Year, was won by the “Office Ladies,” which is hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey from NBC’s The Office. It was a tough battle, with tons of amazing podcasts with entertaining content. However, the duo managed to beat the other nine nominees in the category, which included “Dolly Parton’s America” and “The Happiness Lab.”
Gwen Stefani presented the first-ever Seneca Women Podcast Award in partnership with P&G, awarded to Amena Brown of “HER with Amena Brown.” The iHeartRadio’s three icon awards were Icon Innovator, Icon Social Impact and Icon Audible Pioneer, won by QCODE, Baratunde Thurston and Serial Productions’ Julie Snyder, Sarah Koenig and Neil Drumming, respectively.
Guest appearances included Questlove, Hilary Clinton, Adam Devine, Anders Holm, Aaron Mahnke, Josh Clark, Blake Anderson, Charlamagne Tha God, Holly Frey, Jill Scott, Kyle Newacheck, Nikki Glaser, Roy Wood Jr. and Chuck Bryant.
What’s your favourite podcast? Let us know in the comments and check out the list of 2021’s iHeartRadio Podcast Awards winners below:
Podcast of the Year – Office Ladies
Icon Innovator Award – QCODE
Icon Social Impact Award – Baratunde Thurston
Icon Audible Audio Pioneer Award – Serial Productions’ Julie Snyder, Sarah Koenig and Neil Drumming
Overall Host – Female – Nicole Byer (“Why Don’t You Date Me”)
Overall Host – Male – Conan O’Brien (“Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend”)
Crime Podcast – Crime Junkie
Music Podcast – Dolly Parton’s America
Sports Podcast – All The Smoke
Comedy Podcast – The Read
News Podcast – Pod Save America
Advice/Inspirational Podcast – Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Beauty & Fashion Podcast – Articles of Interest
Branded Podcast – Humans Growing Stuff
Business & Finance Podcast – Pivot
Ad – Read – Office Ladies
Food Podcast – Home Cooking
Green Podcast – How to Save a Planet
Kids & Family Podcast – Wow in the World
Political Podcast – NPR Politics
Fiction Podcast – Blood Ties
History Podcast – Revisionist History
Pop Culture Podcast – Pop Culture Happy Hour
Science Podcast – Radiolab
Spanish – Language Podcast – Leyendas Legendarias
Spirituality & Religion Podcast – Elevation with Steven Furtick
Technology Podcast – Rabbit Hole
Travel Podcast – Travel with Rick Steves
TV & Film Podcast – You Must Remember This
Wellness & Fitness Podcast – Therapy for Black Girls
For a full list of winners and more info, click here!
