🥁🥁🥁And the winners of the International Women’s Podcast Awards Are...🏆🏆🏆🍭 👂 ADD THESE BEAUTIFUL DIAMONDS TO YOUR QUEUE 🌈 🤸♀️
Bonjour. Today is Monday, October 12, 2026. There are 158 days until my next Disney Cruise. Last week I was busy in Toronto celebrating women in audio (see below.) Next week I’ll be in Richmond at RESONATE. Come find me! On with the show! xoxo lauren
Tink just wrapped up hosting the sixth annual International Women’s Podcast Awards with a lovely celebration in Toronto. (You can watch the whole thing here.) It felt so damn good to be in a room full of people supporting women in audio, and to be among many of my heroes. I met Ellie of Butt Out, Baby! for the first time! I hugged Kattie Laur and Samantha Hodder. I also added so many new shows to my queue. So this week, I’m sharing all of the winners and nominees. These are the shows that made our judges go WOWZA and they are worth a listen. I would be shocked if you had heard of even half of them. Most were new to even me. This is why Tink was such a good fit for hosting these awards. We believe it’s often the indie shows with the least amount of resources doing great work for the love of the game who are making the most notable things. Thank you to our sponsors: RSS.com, Sounds Profitable, Podchaser, True Native, Lower Street, Sound Off Podcast Network, Headliner, PlayerFM, The Podcast Exchange (TPX), Auphonic, and AushaAnd to our media sponsors: CBC, PodNews, EarBuds Podcast Collective, Podcast Discovery / Podcast Rex, The Audio Fiction Convention, Lemonada, PodPage, Mentally, A MagpieAnd the winners (and nominees!) are… Moment of Absolute Honesty🏆Still Life
One judge said of this winner, “Absolutely breathtaking and beautiful, I love the introduction and the ease, sensitivity of a topic that hit very close to home personally with me as a listener. Keep up the amazing work.” Nominees:👏Girl Overboard, a documentary podcast in ten parts telling a story of love, addiction, loss, and what remains. 👏The Next Edition with Mallika Kapur, a headfirst dive into the glorious creative mess that lies behind every masterpiece. Moment of Visionary Leadership🏆Freedom Needs a Soundtrack
One judge said of this winner, “What an incredible listen. There are many moments of visionary here, this is an exemplary entry. It’s beautifully crafted, the contributors and access have a premium feel, and the story told is genuine, heartfelt and feels like you could truly reach out and touch it. “ Nominees:👏Made For Us: Conversations with founders, designers, product leaders and other creative minds designing for inclusivity. 👏The Convex Conversation: Inspirational life-stories with award-winning journalist Helen Fospero Moment of Comedy Gold🏆Debt Heads
One judge said of this winner, "This was my favorites to listen to and score. Unexpectedly enjoyable for me and I liked the production value. They have a new subscriber in me. " Nominees:👏Austen After Dark: The literary sex history comedy podcast that asks the question: What were Jane Austen characters like in bed? 👏Everybody Knows But Me: Holly Brown’s comedy momoir of finding out when the was 17, as her dad was dying of cancer, that he had a secret family and that she had secret twin brothers. Moment of Factual Clarity🏆Fetch the Smelling Salts
One judge called the winning clip about geishas “clear, entertaining, and presented in a way you’ll never forget.” Nominees:👏All That We Touch, where deeply reported narrative, interviews and live recordings combine to explore the entangled relationships between technology, society, nature and politics. 👏The Tamsen Show, where journalist, filmmaker and author Tamsen Fadal helps listeners build a life roadmap with the help of top doctors, leading voices, and women rewriting their own stories. Moment of Podcasting Panache in a Language Other Than English🏆L’amour moi j’en ai pas
Alyssia Derly’s conversations with men about love, tenderness, vulnerability, fear, mental health, and emotional connection. One judge said about the winner: “Absolutely a beautiful and gutting story, portrayed with sensitivity and with heart. Nominees:👏On n’oublie pas ! | بودكاست: تكبر و ما تنساش, which explores physical, verbal, psychological, and sexual violence in Tunisian schools. 👏ბროწეულის მარცვლები, a documentary podcast that focuses on the lived experiences and harsh daily realities of Georgian women migrants. Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance🏆Points North
Nominees:👏Boys and Girls, an absurd, burlesque, cringey take on love and marriage the Indian way. 👏The Secret Life of TK Dutes, one woman’s adventure in looking for ways to get ahead as an artist, producer, daughter, sister, and friend. Moment of Compelling Storytelling🏆Everybody Knows But Me
Judges said that the winner of this category “pushes the medium forward” and “makes the most of the audio medium,” and one said that Everybody Knows But Me is “a complex and delicate story, which the author renders with all its layers and angles. I really appreciate the way it was structured, written, and narrated. The pacing feels perfect to me, and the tone is intimate and ironic at the same time.” Nominees:👏The Defendants, a podcast exploring how sexual assault cases move through the justice system. 👏Boys and Girls, the highs and lows of being on the arranged marriage carousel in search of forever love and mini attempts to figure out what Desi love is all about. notes📌Yesterday, Arielle Nissenblatt🎧 featured 5 Podcasts About Families and Where We Come From in EarBuds. ~sponsored~
An independent therapist’s podcast just hit the top of Apple’s ‘New Shows’ Moment of Insight from a Role Model🏆Freedom Needs a Soundtrack
One judge said this winner was “Impactful social work and the cost it has on the people who stand up.” Nominees:👏The Convex Conversation, Helen Fospero’s conversations with people who have inspirational life-stories. 👏The Tamsen Show, where Tamsen Fadal is helping women figure out how to be the best version of themselves, conversation by conversation. Moment of Pure Emotion🏆Two-Faced: John of God
Nominees:👏Momfessions, a podcast that normalizes all of the challenges moms experience and gives them the tools they need to navigate them. 👏Shadow Clock, extraordinary stories. Told by the people who lived it. The Award for Changing the World One Moment at a Time🏆Well Beyond Medicine
One judge said the winner “left them in tears.” Nominees:👏Immigrantly, a show that sits with the nuance, the humor, and the contradictions of what it means to be from somewhere and of somewhere else. 👏The Defendants, a podcast exploring how sexual assault cases move through the justice system. Moment of Artistry in Advertising🏆Culture Kids
Nominees:👏Silver Linings with The Old Gays, where 4 queer icons reflect on the many lives they’ve lived and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. 👏The Voice Kitchen, where recipes & voice talent blend. ✨ I love you!You're currently a free subscriber to Podcast The Newsletter. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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