In addition to the fan-voted and category awards, iHeartMedia will present three Icon Awards – Social Impact Award, Audible Audio Pioneer Award and Innovator Award – honoring individuals who have made groundbreaking contributions to the podcasting medium.

Jay Shetty, renowned author and host of the acclaimed podcast “On Purpose,” will be honored with the 2026 Social Impact Award for leveraging his platform to spark meaningful conversations around mental health. Through empathy, insight and intention, he has helped millions turn self-reflection into meaningful change.

Terry Gross, the legendary host of NPR’s “Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley,” will receive the 2026 Audible Audio Pioneer Award for a career that has redefined the art of the interview through curiosity, rigor and deep empathy. For over a decade, her groundbreaking work has elevated audio journalism and influenced generations of hosts, producers and listeners.

Hrishikesh Hirway, creator of “Song Exploder,” will be presented with the 2026 Innovator Award for his visionary approach to storytelling, inviting artists to break down their creative processes and redefining how audiences experience music in podcast form.

2026 iHeartPodcast Award Nominees

Podcast of the Year:

"Good Hang with Amy Poehler"
"The Breakfast Club"
"The Mel Robbins Podcast"
"Pablo Torre Finds Out"
"The Daily"
"The Rest Is History"
"This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von"
"Call Her Daddy"
"Heavyweight"
"Giggly Squad"

Best Business & Finance:

"Earn Your Leisure"
"How I Built This"
"Acquired"
"Young and Profiting with Hala Taha"
"The Diary of a CEO"

Best Comedy:

"Good Hang with Amy Poehler"
"The Toast"
"Distractible"
"Handsome"
"The Basement Yard"

Best Crime:

"Crime Junkie"
"Rotten Mango"
"Anatomy of Murder"
"My Favorite Murder"
"Wisecrack"

Best Pop Culture:

"Las Culturistas"
"Call Her Daddy"
"Therapuss with Jake Shane"
"Giggly Squad"
"The Viall Files"

Best Food

"Eating While Broke"
"The Sporkful"
"Home Cooking"
"The Splendid Table"
"Dinners On Me"

Best Wellness & Fitness:

"On Purpose with Jay Shetty"
"Huberman Lab"
"The Mel Robbins Podcast"
"10% Happier"
"Maintenance Phase"

Best History:

"The Rest Is History"
"You’re Wrong About"
"Throughline"
"American History Tellers"
"SNAFU"

Best Kids & Family:

"Story Pirates"
"Wow in the World"
"Circle Round"
"The Big Fib"
"Brains On!"

Best Music:

"The Bobby Bones Show"
"Song Exploder"
"Switched On Pop"
"All Songs Considered"
"One Song"

Best News:

"The Daily"
"The Megyn Kelly Show"
"Pivot"
"The MeidasTouch Podcast"
"Up First from NPR"

Best Fiction:

"The NoSleep Podcast"
"Havoc Town"
"Old Gods of Appalachia"
"Table Read"
"Murder at the Patel Motel"

Best Sports:

"New Heights"
"Pardon My Take"
"The Zach Lowe Show"
"Club 520"
"The Ringer Fantasy Football Show"

Best Science:

"Radiolab"
"Ologies"
"Hidden Brain"
"StarTalk Radio"
"Shell Game"

Best Technology:

"Hard Fork"
"Black Tech Green Money"
"Galaxy Brain"
"Acquired"
"All In"

Best Ad Read:

"Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend"
"Call Her Daddy"
"My Brother, My Brother and Me"
"Dudes on Dudes"
"Distractible"

Best Host:

"Amy Poehler"
"Pablo Torre"
"Alex Cooper"
"Emma Chamberlain"
"Caleb Hearon"

Best Ensemble:

"We Can Do Hard Things"
"SmartLess"
"The Basement Yard"
"This Is Important"
"Get Played"

Best Political

"Pod Save America"
"The Bulwark Podcast"
"Breaking Points"
"Hacks On Tap"
"The Ben Shapiro Show"

Best TV & Film:

"The Big Picture"
"The Rewatchables"
"How Did This Get Made?"
"Watch What Crappens"
"Girls Rewatch"

Best Spanish Language:

"Gracias, Come Again."
"Radio Ambulante"
"Leyenda Legendarias"
"Chente Ydrach"
"Relatos de la Noche"

Best Advice/Inspirational:

"IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson"
"On Purpose with Jay Shetty"
"Thanks For Asking with Nora McInerny"
"Just Heal with Dr. Jay"
"Self-Conscious with Chrissy Teigen"

Best Beauty & Fashion:

"Nymphet Alumni"
"Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud"
"Articles of Interest"
"Lipstick on the Rim"
"Naked Beauty"

Best Travel:

"Women Who Travel"
"Travel with Rick Steves"
"Zero To Travel"
"Points Talk"
"The Travel Diaries"

Best Religious & Spirituality:

"Deeply Well with Devi Brown"
"Girls Gone Bible"
"Joel Osteen Podcast"
"WHOA That’s Good Podcast"
"Elevation with Steven Furtick"

Best Branded Podcast:

"This Is Not a Beauty Podcast (L’Oreal)"
"Crucible Moments (Sequoia Capital)"
"The Unshakeables (Chase for Business)"
"ZOE Science & Nutrition (ZOE)"
"Smart Talks (IBM)"

Best Emerging:

"Khloé in Wonder Land"
"Smart Girl Dumb Questions"
"Try Hard"
"Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim"
"Upstairs Neighbors"

Best International:

"ShxtsNGigs" (United Kingdom)
"Las Alucines" (Mexico)
"The Rest Is History" (United Kingdom)
"Shameless" (Australia)
"Crime Beat" (Canada)

Dr. John Cooper