When entries close on Tuesday 9th of May, 200 judges will begin to decide who is shortlisted for the 2024 British Podcast Awards.
The Chair of Judges team for British Podcast Awards 2024 has been announced today, consisting of podcasting royalty and true crime soulmates Hannah Maguire & Suruthi Bala of hit podcast RedHanded, alongside podcast producer, presenter and commissioner, Leanne Alie, who is a leading voice in the UK podcast industry.
Hannah Maguire & Suruthi Bala’s popular podcast RedHanded has won Gold in the Listener’s Choice category at the British Podcast Awards for three consecutive years and is consistently at the top of the UK podcast charts and also has huge international reach. Last year, they also launched the limited true-crime series, Filthy Ritual, with Novel and Global about one of the most prolific fraudsters in British history; Juliette D’Souza, which will be adapted for television by ITV.
Leanne Alie is an experienced podcast presenter, producer, commissioner and the new Head of Podcasts at The Artists Partnership, one of the UK’s leading talent agencies. She has commissioned and developed some of BBC Sound’s most successful titles such as Pressed and Brown Girls Do It Too and she is also the host and creator of British Podcast Award-winning series Coiled. Leanne is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the audio industry: she is a trustee of the Multitrack Fellowshipand developed the BBC Sounds Audio Lab, a programme creating new podcasts with up-and-coming creators from underserved backgrounds.
The Chair of Judges team will ensure the judging panel is made up of the best in the industry and that its nominees reflect the true breadth of the UK’s podcast landscape.Thousands of podcasters will be trying to scoop awards across 27 categories at HERE at Outernet on Thursday 26th September, including Entertainment, Wellbeing, Business, Fiction and New Podcast, plus the publicly voted Listeners’ Choice.
Hannah, Suruthi and Leanne are calling for all podcasters to submit their entries by Tuesday 9th of May at 23:59 to be in with a chance to win a prestigious British Podcast Award.The British Podcast Awards are also inviting potential entrants to register their intent to enter in order to extend their early bird access until 9th of May. Use link here (registering doesn’t commit them to enter).
As part of its ongoing diversity and outreach initiatives, the British Podcast Awards will continue to discount fees for independent and non-commercial podcasts – which make up the majority of the sector. It is partnered with the Podcasting Seriously Fund, who provide entry fee support from independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio producers.The deadline for the British Podcast Awards is Tuesday 9th of May at 23:59. Enter now at britishpodcastawards.com
Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala say:
“Having won the Listeners’ Choice Award three years in a row, we were so excited to be asked to be Chair of Judges for The British Podcast Awards 2024! We feel passionately about promoting the incredible podcasting that’s coming out of the UK”
Leanne Alie says:
“Being asked to be the industry chair of judges is a real honour and full circle moment for me. Working behind the scenes on the BPA’s was one of my routes into the industry – I have advocated for better representation for these awards and I look forward to celebrating a diverse range of winners and the best storytellers in the UK.”
Notes to Editors
About Hannah Maguire & Suruthi Bala
Starting with just a £10 microphone in a cupboard, Hannah Maguire & Suruthi Bala’s internationally-renowned chart-topping podcast RedHanded has gone from strength to strength: winning Gold in the Listeners’ Choice category at the British Podcast Awards for three consecutive years, penning a Sunday Times Best-Selling book and selling out live tours worldwide. Last year saw the release of their gripping limited true-crime series Filthy Ritual, produced by Novel and Global about one of the most prolific fraudsters in British history, which will be adapted for television by ITV.
About Leanne Alie
Leanne is passionate about making content for diverse audiences and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the audio industry.
Leanne is a leading voice in the UK podcast industry, having dedicated her career to creating opportunities for creators from diverse backgrounds. She is Head of Podcasts at The Artists Partnership, one of the UK’s leading talent agencies.
Leanne is also an experienced commissioner having developed some of BBC Sound’s most successful titles such as Pressed, Brown Girls Do it To and Constantly Evolving with Eve. She is also a trustee of the Multitrack Fellowship and developed the inaugural BBC Sounds Audio Lab, which is a brand-new accelerator programme where she develops new podcasts with up-and-coming creators from underserved background to tell untold stories.
As a podcast producer, Leanne specialises in developing content for Black audiences; she started off her production journey producing podcasts such as Dope Black Dads, Dope Black Women and Time to Talk with Alex Reads. As well as developing entertainment content she creates branded content, such as the up and coming business based podcast, Unfinished Business with start up Inspiration Space.
Most prominently, she is the host and creator of Coiled podcast; a documentary podcast exploring Black hair in all its forms and textures, which has been featured in the Radio Times, Stylist, The Guardian and was named one of Apple Podcasts Top Podcasts of 2021.
As a presenter Leanne fronts explorative documentaries, including an upcoming documentary for BBC Newsbeat about the UK hairdressing industry.
About the British Podcast Awards
Now in its 8th year, the British Podcast Awards champions the people both in front of and behind the microphone, giving creators the recognition they deserve. They aim to shine a light on the very best the sector has to offer across a wide range of topics and formats. Whether you’re part of a major studio or a solo podcaster going it alone, the British Podcast Awards is your chance to showcase your skills.
Our panel of independent expert judges will be looking for the best and brightest the podcast industry has to offer, recognising those standout shows that elevate the medium and help create an industry that we can all be proud of. We’re looking forward to receiving your entries and celebrating the passion and diversity of podcasting with you.
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