Eligibility and Rules
Please be sure to read the rules in their entirety. Any submission that is found to violate the rules will be disqualified.
1
Launch Date
All entries into the 2026 competition must have published at least 10 episodes between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. “Published” is defined as the date the episode was first made available for streaming or download to the public.
2
Contest Entry Window
All submissions must be received by midnight, CST, December 31, 2026.
3
Rights
Entries must either be submitted by the individual producer/creator, or distributor of a podcast. Or the producer/production company must give authorization to the submitter. The same podcast may not be submitted by more than one company.
4
Category Submission Limits
There are two types of categories:
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Show Recognition, and
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Talent Recognition.
Show Recognition Categories: A podcast may be submitted into a maximum of three Show Recognition Categories.
Talent Recognition Categories: There are no limits on Talent Recognition Categories.
5
Entry Review
Entries will be screened for eligibility including launch date. It is the responsibility of the submitter to determine and select the appropriate category. However, the awards committee reserves the right to move entries to appropriate categories or dismiss inappropriate submissions. In the event a submission is disqualified the submitter will be notified.
6
Nominees
Up to five nominees will be selected for each category from all submissions and announced in early 2027.
7
Panel Screening
All entries are listened to in whole and evaluated by a panel of judges, composed of members of The Podcast Excellence Awards. The evaluations of this panel determine the nominees in each category.
8
Voting
Members of The Podcast Excellence Awards will have one month to listen to nominated podcasts in their assigned categories and vote for winners.
9
Winners
Winners will be announced on Monday, March 1, 2027 on this website and by email.
10
Category Cancelation
At least three entries must be submitted in a category, or the category may be cancelled or combined. If a category is cancelled, entries will be reassigned to other categories with permission of the submitter.
Get in Touch
To find out more about the Podcast Excellence Awards, click here.