This is the third year we’ve done the Discover Pods Awards and each consecutive year has increased in velocity, magnitude, and competition. Last year, 10,000 people voted to determine the winners. This year, over 20,000 votes were tallied for the finalists alone. The significant increase in vote totals only seemed to make the final results even closer. For example, the award for best true crime podcast — one of the most competitive awards — was ultimately determined by a relatively small number of votes. Even the “last place” podcast in that category had over 500 votes.

When we announced the finalists, I posed this challenge to all the podcast fans (and would-be voters):

My challenge to every voter: vote for your favorite in any given category. However, if you haven’t heard of another nominated podcast in that category please give it a listen. These podcasts are all deserving of recognition and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new podcast to add to your queue.

Screenshot it. Bookmark it. Whatever. Come back to this list when your queue is running dry.

Alright, enough preamble, let’s get to the winners…

Best Overall Podcast

Winner: 99% Invisible

Runner up: Swindled

Full list of finalists:

1619

99% Invisible

Against The Rules

Friends at the Table

Mobituaries

My Favorite Murder

Revisionist History

Running from COPS

Swindled

The Daily

The Dream

The Penumbra Podcast

The Secret Room

Uncover

New Podcast of 2019

Winner: Dolly Parton’s America

Runner up: Badvertising

Full list of finalists:

1619

An Arm and a Leg

Badvertising

Blackout

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Dolly Parton’s America

Gotham Variety

Inside Podcasting

Land of the Giants

Running from COPS

Smidgen

Spectacular Failures

Most Innovative Podcast

Winner: Ear Hustle

Runner up: Encyclopedia Womannica

Full list of finalists:

1619

99% Invisible

ARGonauts

Dolly Parton’s America

Ear Hustle

Encyclopedia Womannica

Have You Heard George’s Podcast

Nice Try! Utopian

The Ballad of Billy Balls

The Deca Tapes

The Theatre of Tomorrow

True Crime Podcast

Winner: Swindled

Runner up: An Arm and a Leg

Full list of finalists:

An Arm and a Leg

Casefile

Darknet Diaries

Disgraceland

In The Dark

Let’s Not Meet

Mob Queens

Morbidology

Swindled

The Clearing

The Dropout

The Teacher’s Pet

Unravel

Sports Podcast

Winner: Sports? With Katie Nolan

Runner up: HORSE

Full list of finalists:

30 for 30

Black Sox

Effectively Wild

Fish Nerds

Gladiator

HORSE

Young & Happy

Men in Blazers

Only a Game

Pardon My Take

Pat McAfee Show 2.0

Sports? With Katie Nolan

The Lowe Post

The Ryen Russillo Podcast

News Podcast

Winner: Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me

Runner up: The Daily

Full list of finalists:

Intercepted

Left Right & Center

Lovett or Leave It

NPR Politics

Pantsuit Politics

Pod Save America

Sixteen Minutes on the News

The Daily

The Morning Toast

The Rachel Maddow Show

Today, Explained

Up First

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me

Interview Style Podcast

Winner: Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Runner up: Ignorance Was Bliss

Full list of finalists:

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Beautiful/Anonymous

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

Conversations with Tyler

Desert Island Discs

Fresh Air

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Ignorance Was Bliss

Jocko Podcast

Origins

Radio Drama Revival

Scam Goddess

The Bill Simmons Podcast

The Only One in the Room

WTF with Marc Maron

History Podcast

Winner: History Chicks

Runner up: 1619

Full list of finalists:

1619

American History Tellers

Behind the Bastards

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Historical AF Podcast

History Chicks

Revolutions

Rough Translation

Sawbones

Stuff You Missed In History Class

The Dollop

The Constant

The Story Behind

Comedy Podcast

Winner: Badvertising

Runner up: All Fantasy Everything

Full list of finalists:

All Fantasy Everything

Badvertising

Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast

Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You

ILLUSIONOID

Last Podcast on the Left

My Brother My Brother & Me

My Favorite Murder

Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone

Sex Talk with My Mom

This Might Get Weird

Why Won’t You Date Me?

Kids & Family Podcast

Winner: Mirths and Monsters

Runner up: 10 Things That Scare Me

Full list of finalists:

10 Things That Scare Me

Autonomic

Brains On

Chompers

Flyest Fables

Mirths & Monsters

Noodle Loaf

Smash Boom Best

Something You Should Know

Song Salad

Story Pirates

Story Time — Children’s bedtime stories for kids

The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian

Varmints!

Society & Culture Podcast

Winner: NB: my non-binary life

Runner up: Ear Hustle

Full list of finalists:

Benjamin Walker’s Theory of Everything

Ear Hustle

Have You Heard George’s Podcast

It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

NB: My non-binary life

Nice Try! Utopian

Not Another D&D Podcast

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Solo Travel Talk

The Big One

The Dream

Unmapped

TV & Movies Podcast

Winner: Office Ladies

Runner up: Epic Film Guys

Full list of finalists:

Bachelor Party

Back Row: Movie News

Binge Mode

Epic Film Guys

How Did This Get Made

My Neighbors Are Dead

Office Ladies

Pizza Party Podcast

Podcast Like it’s 1999

The Rewatchables

We Hate Movies

West Wing Weekly

Technology & Science Podcast

Winner: Curiosity Daily

Runner up: This Podcast Will Kill You

Full list of finalists:

a16z

Curiosity Daily

Hackable?

Hidden Brain

Ologies

Radiolab

Recode Decode

Reply All

Science Rules

Science Vs

Star Talk

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe

This Podcast Will Kill You

Audio Drama or Fiction Podcast

Winner: The Magnus Archives

Runner up: The NoSleep Podcast

Full list of finalists:

Blackout

CARAVAN

Cryptids

Girl in Space

Limetown

Mission to Zyxx

Passenger List

The Magnus Archives

The NoSleep Podcast

The Truth: The Body Genius

The White Vault

Unwell

Wolf 359

Business Podcast

Winner: Robinhood Snacks

Runner up: How I Built This

Full list of finalists:

Akimbo from Seth Godin

Business Wars

Econ Talk

Exponent

How I Built This

Land of the Giants

Marketplace

Masters of Scale

Planet Money

Robinhood Snacks

Slate Money

Spectacular Failures

The Business

Arts Podcast

Winner: Potterless

Runner up: Bon Appetit Foodcast

Full list of finalists:

Accession

Art Sistory

Bon Appetit Foodcast

Culture Gabfest

Oh No! Lit Class

How to Love Lit Podcast

Potterless

Smidgen

Spicy Eyes

The Lonely Palette

Waypoint Radio

Health & Fitness Podcast

Winner: Sex With Emily

Runner up: Disability After Dark

Full list of finalists:

Disability After Dark

Everyday Ayurveda and Yoga

FitFizz

Get Fit Guy

Hate to Weight

Mind Love

Sex with Emily

The Better Show

The Health Code

Music Podcast

Winner: Dissect

Runner up: Dolly Parton’s America

Full list of finalists:

Broken Record

Dissect

Dolly Parton’s America

Earfloss

Hit Parade

Lost Notes

POPS! The Louis Armstrong Story

Producing the Beatles

Song Exploder

Switched on Pop

The Open Ears Project

People’s Choice

Winner: And That’s Why We Drink

Runner up: Crime in Sports

Full list of finalists:

And That’s Why We Drink

Cover to Cover

Crime in Sports

Dark Poutine

Drinking and Screaming

Fantasy Footballers

Gay Future

Graveyard Tales

Seek the Joy

Those Conspiracy Guys

Each year we ask for feedback to improve the voting, nominations, categories, and the general process. Next year, I know for sure we’ll add a few categories — at a minimum foreign language, LGBTQ+, and food. If you have any ideas on the awards and how to improve them, shoot us an email at contact@discoverpods.com