International Women's Podcast Awards

The International Women's Podcast Awards launched in 2021 and recognize "moments of brilliance" from women working in podcasting — both behind the mic and in production roles like editors, producers, and writers. Categories celebrate work across genres rather than just naming top shows, the idea being to highlight specific moments and craft rather than overall fame.

The 2026 edition is co-presented by Tink Media (Lauren Passell's company) and Everybody Media, and for the first time the ceremony will take place in Toronto, Canada, marking the awards' first edition outside the UK and reflecting an international expansion the program has pursued. The awards are proudly queer and trans inclusive.

A long-running scholarship program covers entry fees and event tickets for women who couldn't otherwise participate, which is a meaningful access feature in an industry where most awards are pay-to-play. If you're a woman producing audio at any level, this is worth tracking — both for entering and for the kind of detailed-craft recognition the categories reward.

The community around the awards is also smaller and more relational than larger ceremonies. Shure is the headline partner for 2026, which adds some scale to the production values without diluting the indie character of the awards themselves.

Submissions typically open earlier in the year and the scholarship application process runs alongside the standard entry path. The move to Toronto signals broader expansion ambitions — past editions have been UK-anchored — and likely makes the awards more accessible to North American producers who couldn't justify the transatlantic trip.