Inaugural ceremony at SXSW 2026 will honor the creators who built this industry without network backing
AUSTIN, TX — Oxford Road, the world’s largest podcast advertising agency, today announces the Independent Podcast and Creator Awards (Indie PaC Awards), the first awards dedicated exclusively to honoring independent podcasters and creators. The ceremony will be hosted by Killer Mike, the Grammy-winning artist, entrepreneur, and advocate for creator ownership who has built his career on the same principles of independence the awards celebrate. Libsyn (Liberated Syndication Inc.), a longtime champion of independent creators and the leading podcasting platform for both creators and advertisers, is serving as the founding sponsor.
“Independent creators tore down the gates,” said Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road. “They proved you don’t need a network, a studio, or anyone’s permission to build an audience that trusts you. The Indie PaC Awards exist to recognize the creators who took that risk, the brands brave enough to back them early, and the work that makes people hit subscribe. This is Year One. If you’re here, you’re part of the story.”
A New Standard for Recognizing Independence
Unlike other podcast awards, the Indie PaC Awards focus exclusively on creators who own their work and operate outside major network control. Finalists were selected through a rigorous process combining Oxford Road’s proprietary ORBIT data with evaluation by an independent jury of leading creators, journalists, and brand executives.
Jury evaluation centered on two questions: Did this make me want to keep watching or listening? And does this creator use the medium in a way that feels fresh or distinctive? The result is recognition that honors both influence and craft.
The Nominees
This year’s nominees span the full spectrum of independent media, from household names to breakthrough voices.
Heavy hitters include Steven Bartlett (The Diary of a CEO), Theo Von (This Past Weekend), Lex Fridman, Kill Tony, Tim Ferriss, Shawn Ryan, Jason Calacanis (This Week in Startups), Philip DeFranco, Ben Shapiro, and Pardon My Take.
The nominees also spotlight creators pushing the medium forward: Kendall Rae (True Crime with Kendall Rae), CreepCast, JxmyHighroller, Jomboy, Dan Harris (Ten Percent Happier), CboysTV, Cleetus McFarland, Hala Taha (Young and Profiting), and breakout shows like Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder, Dr Insanity, and The Telepathy Tapes.
Award Categories
The Indie PaC Awards comprise four segments:
The Jury Awards — Ten categories judged by an independent panel based on craft and audience engagement:
- Best Independent Interview Show
- Best Independent Narrative/Storytelling
- Best Independent Comedy
- Best Independent Specialty Show
- Best Independent Business & Entrepreneurship
- Best Independent Health & Wellness
- Best Independent Sports & Recreation
- Best Independent News & Politics
- Breakthrough Independent
- Independent Creator of the Year
The ORBIT Influence Awards — Five awards determined by Oxford Road’s proprietary performance data:
- Highest Impact
- Highest Volume
- Breakout Performer
- The Perfect Score
- The Advertiser’s Choice
The Patron Awards — Recognizing the brands investing most heavily in independent creators
The Oxford Prize in Podcasting — A lifetime achievement award honoring a creator who represents what this medium can be
The Jury
Featured jurors for the inaugural Indie PaC Awards include Ashley Flowers, host and founder of Crime Junkie and Audiochuck, who built the largest independent true crime podcast from a $13,000 investment; James Cridland, editor of Podnews and one of the industry’s most respected voices on podcast standards; Hernan Lopez, founder of Wondery and The Podcast Academy; and Gladwell Mwangi, Paid Media Enablement Lead at Whole Foods, representing the brand perspective on creator partnerships.
The Ceremony
Winners will be announced at Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas.
Sunday, March 15, 2026, 4:30–7:00 PM CT, Podcast Movement Evolutions, Skybox on 6th
For full nominee lists, methodology, and ceremony details, visit indiepac.com.
About Oxford Road
Oxford Road is the world’s largest podcast advertising agency, specializing in audio advertising across podcasting, streaming audio, terrestrial radio, and creator-based video. Following its 2024 merger with Veritone One, the agency serves Fortune 500 companies, global publicly held enterprises, B2B brands, and direct-to-consumer businesses. Oxford Road has processed more podcast advertising performance data than any other firm and developed ORBIT, the industry’s leading creator performance benchmarking tool. Recognized as thought leaders by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Adweek, and Ad Age.
About Libsyn
A pioneer in podcasting for more than two decades, Liberated Syndication Inc. (“Libsyn”) is the leading podcasting platform for creators and advertisers to host, distribute, monetize, amplify, and measure their audio and video content. The Company has powered more than 250,000 shows and delivered over 75 billion downloads to listeners around the world. Libsyn Ads, trusted by over 2,000 advertisers, offers industry-leading podcast advertising solutions, serving as a comprehensive ad buying and management offering for creators, advertisers, and agencies to initiate and manage highly targeted campaigns across thousands of shows. Visit libsyn.com for more information.
