The story of David and Goliath, found in 1 Samuel 17, is an iconic biblical narrative where a young shepherd, David, defeats a towering Philistine giant named Goliath using only a sling, five stones, and faith in God. This underdog victory highlights themes of courage, determination, and overcoming insurmountable odds.
Let's substitute David for Em McGowan from the Verbal Diorama podcast and Emma Turner from whynow Media. What these two women accomplished, with the assistance of others, is to take on the large podcast networks and the entire podcasting industry and create the British Independent Awards. The awards, now in their fourth year, seek to celebrate the truly independent talent of UK- based podcasters that don’t have the financial backing of brands to support them. The categories include True Crime, Sport, Music, and Film and TV, among others, and an Overall Podcast of the Year, which is chosen from the winners of each category.
Emma Turner related in Content Is Queen in 2025: "I was working at whynow as a freelancer, but the CEO [Gabriel Jagger] wanted to start an events division, so my remit was to create some events from scratch. I went to him with a couple of proposals, one being the Independent Podcast Awards, and he actually said, first, “why would you do that?” – I’m being very honest here – and I was like “whynow is all about celebrating independent talent, arts and cultural talent that probably wouldn’t get covered anywhere else.” Naturally the Independent Podcast Awards fit in really well with that. As with most events there was a big discussion about the practicalities before I was given the go-ahead, but we got there!"
Ear Worthy sat down with Emma Turner, who was gracious enough to give us time in between her hectic schedule.
Q. Can you tell me about your background? Growing up? What did you want to be when you grew up?
A. I grew up in a village in Northamptonshire, called Middleton Cheney, which was great. Lots of fields to run around and build dens in, and played out in the streets until the sun started to set. Exactly like
you imagine a countryside childhood to be like in the UK. Like most children, I went through various stages of what I wanted to be when I grew up, including a vet, a doctor, and most randomly, a set designer for theatre and films. As I got older, this evolved into having no clue what I wanted to do, so I went to university to buy myself some time. I studied English Literature with Media and Cultural Studies so you could say I’m doing something vaguely related to my degree now.
Q. Can you detail your experience in podcasting?
A. Like most people, my first experience with podcasting started with Serial. I used to run a lot, and have completed a few marathons, which means getting loads of training miles in your legs. I turned to
podcasts and audiobooks to get me through, and the case of Hae Min Lee and Adnan Syed was the distraction I needed.
Podcasts drifted out of my life for a while, but they became a focus again when I started at whynow and Film Stories. Simon Brew’s multi award-winning Film Stories podcast was a gateway into re-discovering the medium, and I got involved in helping to launch the excellent Film Quiz Podcast. The latter gave me a great insight into how much work goes into making a podcast, and how hard it is to keep one going. The premise was exactly as it sounds: it was a film quiz hosted by the comedian Nick Helm, with comedians as the contestants. It was heaps of fun, but so hard to get the diaries to align, and so after one amazing series, we had to put an end to it.
Q. How did you meet and connect with Em McGowan of Verbal Diorama?
A. Em used to write a column about podcasting for Film Stories magazine each month, and one day when talking to Simon she mentioned that it was so hard for indie creators to get nominated for
them. From the outside looking in, it felt like it was only the shows with big-name talent that were getting nominations and winning, and wouldn’t it be nice to launch an awards process that celebrates the little guys.
I’d just started working with Simon at whynow, and he brought the idea to me. I met Em, and we realized she was onto something. I did some research, presented the idea internally, and we got the backing we needed to go and give it a go.
We’re now in our fourth year of the awards, so it’s fair to say that Em’s idea was definitely a good one!
Q. What are the objectives of the Independent Podcast Awards? Were people initially skeptical?
There was definitely some skepticism in the industry when we launched, especially around whether anyone needed another podcast award show, as the British Podcast Awards were already well established.
I genuinely believe there’s space for all of us. The British Podcast Awards are great; they get people talking about the industry that we all love. Our awards are for those that might be at the other end
of the spectrum and just starting out, but may be future winners of the BPAs.
We also have other great awards like the International Women’s Podcast Awards which I’m a huge fan of, as I’m all about supporting other women. And it would be wrong of me not to mention the Golden Lobes, not least because of their incredible name, but also because Giles Gear and his team are helping to bring comedy podcasts into more people’s lives. The world is a pretty dark place at the moment, so who wouldn’t want something funny in their ears to help them escape just for a little while?
Q. What do you see as the role that indie podcasts play in the industry?
A. Indie podcasts prove you don’t need a huge budget to create something compelling that speaks to people, and builds communities. Indies make up a huge percentage of the shows in the market, and
they keep the industry thriving. It means we get such a massive variety in the topics covered, and there’s a show for everyone whatever their niche interest or background is. Whether that’s shows like The Scars that talks to people that have visible scars and how they’ve affected their lives, to Screamers a women’s football podcast, you can hear the passion coming through all the hosts.
Q. How could the industry be more receptive, supportive, and inclusive of indie podcasts and podcasters?
A. I think that there’s a lot of love out there for indies, particularly in the UK. We’ve had a lot of support from some of the big players such as Acast, Adelicious (now Audioboom), Apple, Captivate, and
Spotify, not just with the event itself but supporting the winners after the event.
There could perhaps be more of a spotlight shone on indies on streaming platforms, and more help in getting their shows discovered. It’s so hard for someone just starting out to go up against a
celebrity talking about the same subject, as one has a ready-made audience. Alongside that, making it easier to make money from your show would be great, but that’s a universal issue, not just indies -
unless you can get a big brand on board to help fund it.
Q. What are the award plans for 2026?
A. The awards are always evolving slightly from year to year, with new categories and new formats being celebrated. This year we’ve introduced a category for Best Limited Series, as some stories are
best told in just a few episodes.
One thing that has struck me since I started working in the podcast world is just how lovely people are, and I think that’s even more so within the indie community. Everyone is incredibly supportive
and I’m always blown away by the energy in the room on the night of the awards. People say that they love being around other indie creators who are going through the same trials and tribulations as them.
We’re now looking at ways to keep that love going year-round, whether that’s other events, or other ways to keep bringing the community together.
Q. You have a great podcast voice (from our conversation). Have you thought of hosting a show?
A. That’s very kind of you to say, but I’m much more of a behind the scenes' person. I’ve guested on a few podcasts, which was pretty nerve wracking, but kind of enjoyable. I don’t know how good they
were though, as I haven’t been able to listen back to myself. So if anyone is looking for a guest for their show with no particular area of expertise, who definitely won’t listen back, then I’m available
for bookings!
Q. If you feel you want to share, are you married, children? Your three favorite podcasts? How can indie podcasters submit?
A. I live with my boyfriend in North East London. I’m a huge fan of outdoor swimming, and I’m very lucky to live near an old reservoir that has been turned into a watersports center where I swim
alongside herons and swans as often as I can! I’m also an Arsenal fan for my sins, I can’t wait to see them throw the season away in the next couple of games…
It would be too hard to choose my three favorite podcasts, but some I’ve been enjoying recently include: 40ish; Elements: Breaking Down Classic Albums (the MF Doom episode is particularly
amazing); Weird In the Wade; The Magnus Archives; and in the celebrity world, The Romesh Ranganathan Show and Everybody Has A Secret never fail to make me smile. And of course the Film Stories and Verbal Diorama podcasts!
The Independent Podcast Awards are open for entry now, you can get all the details about how to submit at independentpodcastawards.com
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