I LOVE Podcasts
As many know who follow me, I love podcasts. I am subscribed to over 50 of them. They are a large part of how I keep up-to-date on the latest in podcasting, blogging, website design, WordPress technology, marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), social media, etc.
I also listen to a number of podcasts for personal development, keeping up on the news (apart from the very distorted mainstream media), health and fitness, history, and even my other work in Christian apologetics.
Podcasts are a lot of work!
And, as someone who is now developing a podcast (with another being planned), I’m well aware of how much work and effort these people pour into their shows, often with very little in return, aside from praise of their listeners or click on a referral link. At best, once they become recognized in their genre, they might begin to gain new clients from their efforts. Until then, it’s mostly work with little return.
Awards
But, each year, there are a few formal recognitions of their efforts. One of these is the annual Podcast Awards. What’s nice about this one is that is that it is listener/community driven. First, the podcaster needs to get enough people to nominate their podcast to make it into the top 10 in each major category. Then, they need to muster support from their communities to vote – daily – or as often as possible. This daily voting over 15 days (which began yesterday, May 29th, 2016) helps smaller podcasts with great audience engagement have a chance against the larger podcasts (as they often fail to get as big of percentage of their audience to take action).
Vote now!
So, please go and vote now – and daily – until June 12th, 2016. (Note, you don’t have to vote in every category… just skip categories you don’t want to vote in or have no preference.)
Or, if you don’t listen to a bunch of podcasts, I’d appreciate you helping some of my favorites. (I’m also including Daniel J Lewis’ recommendations. (of The Audacity to Podcast). Daniel has been my primary influence in getting into podcasting so deeply, so I’d love to support him and his community.)
Note: After you vote, you should get a confirmation email, which you MUST click for your vote to count. If you don’t get this, check your spam folder. And, if you promote this on Twitter, please use the #pca2016 hashtag.
Our Picks
Steve’s picks:
- Peoples Choice: No Agenda Show (interesting and humorous – sometimes NSFW – deconstruction of mainstream media and world events)
- Arts: B&H Photography Podcast
- Business: The Productive Woman (Daniel’s recommendation, see below)
- Education: School of Podcasting (another excellent, how-to-podcast, podcast hosted by our friend Dave Jackson)
- Entertainment: Triplecast (Daniel’s recommendation, see below)
- Government & Organizations: Congressional Dish (crucial to listen to and support if we want to save the USA… Congress is the key. Know what’s going on in there… hint: it ain’t pretty!)
- Kids & Family: Dad Spotlight (Daniel’s recommendation, see below)
- Music: The Bugcast (Daniel’s recommendation, see below)
- News & Politics: No Agenda
- Religion & Spirituality: The Briefing (recommended by James White, the host of my favorite Christian apologetics podcast, The Dividing Line.)
- Sports & Recreation: Packers Fan Podcast (Daniel’s recommendation, see below)
- Technology: The Audacity to Podcast (IMO, the best how-to-podcast, podcast hosted by our friend Daniel J Lewis)
- TV & Film: ONCE – Once Upon a Time podcast
Daniel J Lewis’ recommendations:
- People’s Choice: The Hollywood Outsider (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Arts: Resourceful Designer (member of Podcasters’ Society)
- Business: The Productive Woman
- Education: The Wired Homeschool (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Entertainment: Triplecast (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Government & Organizations: Congressional Dish (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Kids & Family: Dad Spotlight (member of Podcasters’ Society)
- Music: The Bugcast (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Sports & Recreation: Packers Fan Podcast (friend of Noodle.mx)
- Technology: The Audacity to Podcast
- TV & Film: ONCE – Once Upon a Time podcast