Announcing The 2025 Ear Worthy Podcast Awards

 Here are the second annual Ear Worthy Award winners. Each winner will have a link to their podcast, and I encourage anyone reading or listening to check out these excellent podcasts and support these indie podcasters.

After our first annual nomination and awards process, we've learned from the lessons of 2024. First, we've shortened the name from the unwieldy Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards to its new, succinct successor -- the 2025 Ear Worthy Awards.

 Second, we've included more voices in the initial nominations process. Last year, it was our board. This year, nominations are based on input from our Board, select indie podcasters, podcast professionals, and our readers.

Third, we've streamlined and adjusted some of the categories, focusing on areas where indie podcasts are particularly strong. Lastly, we decided to only include indie podcasts that Ear Worthy reviewed in the last year, from August 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. Fear not, that decision enabled us to still evaluate over 240 indie podcasts. 

At Ear Worthy, we define independent "indie" podcasts as those produced by an individual without support from large podcast networks, such as Spotify, iHeart, Wondery, SiriusXM, or major production studios like Sony or Warner Music. Indie podcasts can belong to a small podcast network, be developed by a non-profit organization, a museum, or a quasi-governmental agency.

Finally, thanks to their podcast community-minded nature, we have two sponsors -- lenny.fm and The Podcast Professionals Association (PPA). These organizations are dedicated to supporting independent podcasts.

Here are the winners of the 2025 Ear Worthy Awards. 
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  Best Interview Podcast 
5 Random Questions -- Danny Brown -- Winner
Relationscapes-- Blair Hodges
Beef -- Bridget Todd
Conspiracy She Wrote -- Cristen Conger

On 5 Random Questions, Danny Brown sits down with his special guest and uses a random question generator to come up with five unpredictable, thought-provoking, and sometimes downright hilarious questions. No topic is off-limits as Danny and his guests dive into their answers, sparking lively discussions filled with laughter, surprises, and occasional deep insights.

As a special twist, every guest gets to turn the tables and ask Danny a random question of their choice, putting him on the spot and keeping things fresh and fun.

  This show is wildly improvisational, with twists and turns that are as unpredictable as a Formula 1 race track. You never know what a guest will say, but rest assured, host Danny Brown can handle anything. 

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 Best Life Lessons Podcast 
Blue Sky -- Bill Burke
Walk And Roll Live -- Doug Vincent & Addie Rich
The Late Discovered Club -- Catherine Asta
Multispective -- Jennica Sadhwani Winner
The Life Shift -- Matt Gilhooly

Multispective -- A repeat winner, Jennica has hit her stride with thematic presence, hosting excellence, and compelling episodes. The podcast does a superb job of enabling the victims of life and its tribulations to frame how they succeeded where so many others fail. 

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Best Health & Wellness Podcast 
The Remedy -- Dr. Michael Shen
Getting Personal With Plant Medicine -- Diana Ashley-Krach
Salad With A Side Of Fries -- Jenn Trepeck  Winner
An Arm And A Leg -- Dan Weissman

Salad With A Side Of Fries is another repeat winner for an excellent reason. It's the best health, wellness, lifestyle, nutrition, and workout podcast in the industry. Why an established podcast network has not snapped it up says something ugly about the current state of the podcasting industry. Moreover, host Jenn Trepeck is the co-founder (with Traci DeForge) of the PPA (Podcast Professionals Association), which supports Podcast Service Professionals as a way to advance their careers, expand their professional network, and provide resources and data to stay updated with the latest industry trends.

                                     
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 Best Movie Podcast
Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever -- Ayesha Khan  Winner
Verbal Diorama -- Em McGowan
What Went Wrong -- Lizzie Bassett & Chris Winterbauer
Unequal Sequel -- Dave & Rich
Bad Movies Rule -- James Hauser & A cast too long to list

This was the toughest category to adjudicate, as there were so many worthy shows. Last year's winner, Verbal Diorama, still celebrates the coming together of extraordinary casts and crews, bringing us movies that inspire, delight, make us laugh, and make us cry. We still must thank Em McGowan of Verbal Diorama because she has been the centrifugal force to recognize indie podcasts in the U.K. with an annual award and ceremony. Thank you, Em, for your courage and foresight.

This year, we consolidated categories, and last year's winner in the Film History category is now the winner in Best Movie podcast. Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever is a transformative show because you don't need to be a sci-fi fan to tag along with creator/host Ayesha Khan twice a month to discuss how science fiction films are reflections of the cultural, social, sexual, and political themes of the times. 

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Best Music Podcast 
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs -- Andrew Hickey Winner
Movement with Meklit Hadero -- Meklit Hadero
Behind The Song -- Janda Lane
Sticky Notes --  Joshua Weilerstein

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs by Andrew Hickey is for the most passionate popular music lovers. If you're looking for a thumbnail sketch of popular music, its iconic songs, and influential artists, this podcast may not be for you. Andrew Hickey immerses you in each song and the artist that recorded the tune. Episodes can run for longer than two hours. Hickey doesn't skim, he dives deep, and it shows.

 

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Best LGBTQIA+ Podcast
Rigour & Flow -- Tamanda Walker & Aiwan Obinyan Winner
I'm Feeling Queer Today -- The Future Perfect Project
Queer Grove -- Cherry Grove Archives Collection

  Rigour & Flow is a new podcast that began in early April from Dr. Tamanda Walker and Aiwan Obinyan. A married couple, they are part of a dream team of creative invention that runs AiAi Studios, a storytelling and production studio based in Leeds, UK. Aiwan and Tamanda declare: "We’re two Black queer women who’ve spent decades working across media, entertainment, research, and social justice - and we’re using this space to speak our truths, ask better questions, and have the conversations we don’t hear enough of."

What does the podcast cover? What do Aiwan and Tamanda talk about? This is the show where business meets love, and culture meets critique. Where Aiwan and Tamanda explore work, identity, queerness, and creativity, with rigour and with flow. 

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 Best Politics Podcast
The Political Junkie -- Ken Rudin
Open To Debate --  John Donvan  Winner
The Purple Principle -- Robert Peace

There are simply no debates any longer. Everything is an argument, and a clash of values. 

Open To Debate is the one show that models debate so others can learn how to participate. Moreover, because the show is in a debate format, the podcast tends to focus on facts, evidence, and substantiated data.                                

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 Best History Podcast
Byte Sized Biographies -- Philip Gibbons
'Tis But A Scratch -- Richard Abels
Why Wars Happened -- Emily Ross       Winner
It's A History -- Madison Schmidt
America: A History -- Liam Heffernan

A unique history podcast, Why Wars Happened  begins its historical treatise about 200 years before the American Revolution. Creator/host Emily Ross immerses her listeners in the society and culture that existed before a war, such as the American Revolution. 

Host Ross then added an interview series to her podcast. Ross says, "I've just introduced our companion history channel - Why Wars Happened - Interview Series." The first interview was on November 5 and was with historian Jim Ambuske, an expert in the American Revolution, Scottish history, and the British Atlantic world. In the episode, the host and guest dive into lesser-known perspectives of the Revolutionary era, focusing on Scottish loyalism and the role of emigration.

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Best True-Crime Podcast
Familicide -- Sam Mettler & Amy Chesler  Winner
Crime Adjacent -- Mike Adamick
The Murder Sheet -- Aine Cain & Kevin Greenlee

  Familicide, with co-hosts Sam Mettler and Amy Chesler, began in February with Amy's Story, Part 1, where co-host Amy became the guest discussing the tragic tale of her mother's murder by her older brother. The second part followed a week later, with episodes running approximately 55 minutes. 

Familicide hopes to help with disturbing audience questions: Is my child a potential killer? My dad? My husband? What do I DO?

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 Best Education Podcast
The Sound School Podcast -- Rob Rosenthal, Transom.org
Podcasting 2.0 In Practice -- Claire Waite Brown
Teaching Through The Emotions Podcast -- Betsy Burris
Art Educators Rule The World -- Erica Rosenfeld Halverson Winner
Creativity Found -- Claire Waite Brown

This is another category we consolidated, with Impostrix last year's winner in the Society / Education category. That show is still going strong.  ARTS EDUCATORS SAVE THE WORLD is a weekly podcast that brings successful artists together in conversation with their mentors. The podcast describes how teachers, especially art teachers, became mentors for notable people. Host Erica Rosenfeld Halverson brings a passion for arts and the life-long impact arts education to the podcast and her own teaching.

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Best Short-Form Podcast
5-Minute Biographies -- Anthony Davis
Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic -- Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD.
One Minute Podcast Tips -- Danny Brown
The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast -- Forrest Kelly    Winner
Arielle & Ned's Daily Tips That May Or May Not Help You -- Arielle Nissenblatt & Ned Donovan

The winner is The Best 5 Minute Wine Podcast by creator/ host Forrest Kelly because listeners love, among many things, the five-minute runtime. Forrest Kelly is economical with his interviews and packs a wallop in a few minutes. 

Kelly, a radio and television broadcaster since the 1980s, is an excellent host with just the right blend of enthusiasm and curiosity.

Moreover, his long-running character, Mr. Sour Grapes, may be one of the most engaging podcast characters ever created. Mr. Sour Grapes is a 75-year-old legend in the rolling hills of Sicily, Italy. Born and raised on a vineyard that has been in his family for generations, Sour's life has been steeped in the rich tradition of winemaking. 

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 Best Local Podcast
The Perrysburg Podcast -- Kim Newlove
Jersey's Best Podcast --  Jeremy Schneider, NJ.Com
The Coop Tank -- Steve Cooper      Winner
Toronto Mike'd Podcast -- Toronto Mike

This is a new category generated by the wealth of local podcasts we've covered this year. On The Coop Tank, creator/ host Steve Cooper talks to business owners instead of entertainers and finds out why they do what they do and how they got there. 

Every week, Steve, who also hosts the long-running interview podcast, The Coop Tank, interviews three local entrepreneurs in the South Jersey / Philadelphia area. Steve Cooper, a former stand-up comedian, is one of the best interviewers in the industry.

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 Best Audio Fiction Podcast
Silvertongues -- Josie & Michael Herman
The Inn at The End of Things -- Luna Alexander
 Josie's Lonely Hearts Club -- Rachel Music
Un(con)Trolled -- Kimberly Renee      Winner

 Un(con)Trolled is a raw, gripping tale of social media influencer, Kenah, who has mastered the art of uncovering her Internet trolls’ darkest secrets and exacting her own brand of karmic justice. As her journey twists between unsettling encounters and mental manipulation, the line between control and chaos blurs, raising one chilling question: who is really in control?

Creator/Host Kimberly Renee says, "Big picture, Un(con)Trolled offers a fictional lens into the realities of cyberbullying, online predators, and the mental health impacts of social media. As the adage goes, 'On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.' I would go so far as to say that you never know which dog will bite, so scroll with caution. And that goes for bullies and those being bullied." 

This is one genre where indie podcasts have far outpaced network-supported shows in both quantity and quality. The other nominees included two shows from the same Michigan-based indie podcast studio, Acorn Arts and Entertainment. The Inn at The End of Things by Luna Alexander and Silvertongues by Josie and Michael Herman are simply pieces of audio fiction that you can't miss. The most original audio fiction nominee was Josie's Lonely Hearts Club, a semi-improvised audio drama.

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 Best Limited Series Podcast 
Shofar, So Good -- Kate Mishkin
Shadow of Hope -- Karen Ann Coburn
Uncovering Roots -- Maxim Saakyan
Climbing The Walls -- Danielle Elliot
The Final Service -- Mateo Schimpf & Ray Suarez
Cramped -- Kate Helen Downey
Floating Space -- Katie Stokes       Winner

Floating Space is one of those podcasts that captures the sonic soul of listeners. Creator/ host Katie Stokes began by asking, "Do you know what a third place is?" Katie then posits that we are meant to have three places in our lives. 

"Home, work, and a third place where you belong," Katie explains in the podcast. "That third place is where you exist."

 

In the show, Katie asks, "What happens when the place you live becomes the place where you work?"

 

Her answer should concern us. "It's when your life becomes a lot smaller." 
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 Best Humor Podcast   
"Fine" Dining -- Michael Ornelas       Winner
Dead And Kind Of Famous -- Courtney Blomquist & Marissa Rivera
Another F*cking Horror Show -- Monique Sanchez & Amy Traydon
The Incredible And Endlessly Fascinating Fate, Chance And Coincidence Show -- Darren Keith

"Fine" Dining was last year's winner in the food and restaurant category. After numerous discussions of some intensity, we dropped that category. Then we added a Comedy category, with the caveat that the humor is organic to the show and not a morning zoo-type radio show. 

"Fine" Dining is therefore the winner again, but in this new category. Host Michael Ornelas is still in search of the most mediocre chain restaurant in America, hitting popular spots like IHOP, Texas Roadhouse, & Chili's to find the perfectly average 5-out-of-10 "fine" dining experience." Ornelas is one of those hosts who can brew up humor organically without pulling a hamstring to eject jokes.

We have to mention The Incredible And Endlessly Fascinating Fate, Chance And Coincidence Show, where Darren Keith may be the funniest person you've never heard of.

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Best Podcasting Podcast
Podcasting Tech -- Mathew Passy
Streamlined Solopreneur -- Joe Casabona
Podcast Perspectives -- Jeff Umbro
Podnews Weekly Review -- James Cridland & Sam Sethi    Winner
Leverage Your Podcast -- Lyndsay Phillips

Podcast journalism is hard. Trust us. We're barely adequate at it, so we know excellence in journalism and that is Podnews Weekly Review. The audio weekly version of its superb daily newsletter acts as barometer of where podcasting stands.

There's no other podcasting publication that covers so many aspects of podcasting -- content, technology, business news, industry trends, job listings, personnel moves, tips and tricks, and news. 

There's a circa 1980s TV commercial for brokerage firm E.F. Hutton that has the tagline, "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen."

In podcasting, when  Podnews Weekly Review co-hosts "James Cridland and Sam Sethi talk, podcasters listen." 
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Best Nature Podcast
Oceanography -- Clark Marchese
6 Degrees Of Cats -- Amanda B.    Winner
That's Just Wild --  Steve Backshall, Sarah Roberts, Lizzie Daly
TIL Climate -- Laur Hesse Fisher, M.I.T.
A Matter Of Degrees -- Dr. Leah Stokes & Dr. Katharine Wilkinson
What If We Get It Right -- Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

6 Degrees Of Cats-- Amanda B. / Captain Kitty 

 Last year's winner in the Pet category, we expanded the scope to include nominees such as That's Just Wild, TIL Climate, A Matter Of Degrees, What If We Get It Right, and Oceanography, a new podcast by NOAA. What makes this show so special is its unique ability to explore cats within the context of Jungian psychology, Egyptian culture, cultural traditions, and ancient societies. So, it's not a "cat" podcast (Sorry, J.D. Vance).  What we like most about 6 Degrees of Cats is its scholarly approach to cats, the hosting skills of Amanda B, and the catchy, frisky audio.

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Best Lifestyle Podcast
Tails And Tassels -- Gemma Smith
Sportly --  Kavitha Davidson
Normal Curves -- Regina Nuzzo & Kristin Cobb Sainani
This Is Propaganda --  Josh & Malcolm
If Books Could Kill -- Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri   Winner
High Notes -- Melissa Thom

If Books Could Kill expertly critiques bestselling nonfiction books of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Books featured on the podcast include Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and The End of History and the Last Man by Francis Fukuyama. 

The co-hosts are Peter Shamshiri, an attorney, and Michael Hobbes, a journalist. The co-hosts are superb with wit and wisdom to spare, and the show is entertaining and informative. You'll never look at another pop culture self-help book the same way again. 

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 Best Podcast Network That Supports Indie Podcasts

This one was easy. Sadly, there were no other nominees; however, we hope that next year, Tenderfoot TV, Next Chapter Podcasts, Immigrantly Media, and Sony will begin to collaborate with more successful indie podcasts. When Liam Heffernan and his new Mercury Podcast Network announced their arrival in February 2025, a lifeline was tossed to deserving indie podcasts. What Mr. Heffernan is doing is a game-changer for the industry. 
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Best Podcast Service Professional Of The Year
Elsie Escobar
Chris Krimitsos  Winner
Rob Greenlee
Tangia Al-awaji Estrada & Maribel Quezada Smith (Founders of BIPOC)

For this category, we have a statement from one of our sponsors. "Ear Worthy Awards, in partnership with The Podcast Professionals Association, is proud to recognize Chris Krimitsos as Podcast Service Professional of the Year. Chris has made consistent contributions to the growth of the podcast industry and to building opportunities for creators across all levels.

"As the founder of Podfest Expo, Chris created more than a conference—he built a community. Podfest brings together independent podcasters, industry leaders, and new voices to share knowledge and collaborate. Under his guidance, it has grown steadily while maintaining community and connection."

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  Best Indie Podcast of the Year
Open To Debate                                  Winner
Salad With A Side Of Fries
If Books Could Kill
Multispective
5 Random Questions
Podnews Weekly Review

Last year's inaugural winner, The Life Shift  is still going strong. Yet, with the breakdown of norms in the U.S. government, and the disenfranchisement of so many Americans due to arbitrary government cuts, mass firings, a weaponized U.S. Justice Department, and incompetent leadership, there was a consensus for Open to Debate as the Ear Worthy Podcast Of The Year. 

The show, Open To Debate, along with the non-profit organization, which is by definition independent of partisan forces, addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of the nation and its politics. It is the nation's only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing together multiple viewpoints for a constructive, balanced, and respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded individuals to engage with others who hold opposing views on complex issues. 

As a winner, Ear Worthy has donated $100 to opentodebate.org. 

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Congratulations to all the winners. These indie podcasters went on the noblest of journeys -- the search for excellence.

If you are a passionate podcast listener, consider supporting your favorite independent podcasts with a donation, a Patreon membership, or check out lenny.fm. If you are in the podcasting industry, then consider becoming a member of the Podcast Professionals Association (PPA).