When and where are the 2024 awards taking place?

This year’s IWPAs will be on Wednesday 19th June 2024 at the IET: Savoy Place, London, with an early evening reception followed by the awards themselves. As ever, the event will be livestreamed for any guests who are unable to attend in person. 

When do entries open?

Entries open on Monday 26th February and will close on Tuesday 2nd April.

Shortlists will be announced at The Podcast Show, London, which is taking place on 22nd and 23rd May 2024.

Who are the awards for?

The International Women’s Podcast Awards celebrate women and transwomen in podcasting.  We champion and celebrate their work, both behind the mic and behind the scenes, from podcast hosts and producers, to editors, writers and the many roles in between. 

Although the entries are for women and trans women, our judging panel is representative of all genders, and everyone is welcome to attend the awards. We aim to make this space as safe and inclusive as possible. 

How much does it cost to enter?

It’s £25 per entry for independent and charity podcasts, and £60 for those run by corporate entities or production companies. 

We have kept our fees the same as last year but following a significant uptake the last 2 years, the IWPA Bursary Fund will be open again this year to facilitate complimentary entry for anyone worldwide that needs it, no questions asked.

What is the IWPA Bursary Fund, who is eligible for it, and what information is required for application?

We’re determined that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to people entering the awards, and we know how expensive it is to come to an event in London, whether you’re local or travelling within the UK or from afar, so aim to help with attendance too. In 2022, we’ve introduced the IWPA Bursary Fund, which covers the costs of both entering and/or attending the event, either in-person or online.

It’s open to anybody, anywhere. All that’s required is to fill in a quick form and a code for complimentary entry/attendance will be made available. The form will be on the awards webpage, and we’ll link to it here too when entries open.

Can the same podcast be entered in more than one category?

Yes, you can enter your podcast in more than one category.

What you can’t do is make multiple entries from one show in one category. 

To avoid confusion, a ‘clip’ here means the segment of audio you’re choosing to enter as part of one submission. 

Bear with us: 

• you can enter the same clip in multiple categories if you think it fits
• Or you can enter different clips from the same podcast in different categories 

This is always a point of confusion every year so we hope this makes sense! 

Can I enter if my podcast isn’t produced in the UK or the USA?

For sure – we’d love to hear your work, wherever you are. Last year we welcomed entries from 27 different nations around the world and we’re very excited to see what happens in 2024. 

Do I have to be able to attend the event in June in order to enter?

No, absolutely not. We accept entries from all over the world, and have had shortlisted podcasts, runners up and winners from across the globe in multiple timezones. It’s hard to organise an event at a time that suits the entire world, but we have a global livestream that’s recorded and we do our best to facilitate access for as many people as we can!

What about if my podcast isn’t in English?

That’s also brilliant, we have a category for podcasts in languages other than English as we’re really keen to highlight the broadest range of work that we can. All you’ll need for this category is an English language transcript to go along with your audio submission. 

Does it matter how many downloads the podcast has had? What if it isn’t near the top of the podcast charts?

Absolutely not. The International Women’s Podcast Awards celebrate moments of audio brilliance, and the people that make them happen – we are proudly queer and trans inclusive. In a lot of respects, we are unlike other awards: we don’t look at what genre your podcast is, and we don’t care how many downloads you’ve had. It’s about how you make the judges feel, how the story is told, how the point your guest is making is explained – you get the idea.

Can I enter audio from an episode that we released several years ago or is there a timeframe for entries for the 2024 IWPAs?

As we are an annual awards, the audio you enter must have been released between 1st May 2023 and 19th June 2024.

Two things on this:

1. As we’ve pulled the awards forward this year, this will create a crossover period on eligibility of entries from 2023, as last year people could enter work released up until September 2023, which was the closing date for entries. You may re-enter work from this period that was submitted last year, as long as the audio was not a winner or a runner up in 2023. 
2. We also realise that 19th June 2024 is after the closing date for entries, and is the actual date of the awards. Although entries will close at the beginning of April, this gives you the option to enter work that is ready for release after the entry closing date, but that will be out in the world before the actual awards themselves in June. If the audio that is entered isn’t then subsequently released by the time of the event, it unfortunately won’t be eligible to win. 

Is the venue accessible?

Yes, the IET are dedicated to providing the highest levels of accessibility to allow full participation at events for all attendees. You can read their webpage on accessibility here and their full accessibility guide here [PDF].

Can you share what measures are in place to ensure that everyone will feel safe and supported at the IWPAs?

We’re aware that coming to a large social event can be daunting, particularly if you’re attending alone. Here’s a few examples of what we’re doing to ensure a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone:

• We’ve designated a space within the event venue where anyone can go if they need a moment of quiet or to speak with a member of our team. These spaces will be clearly marked and easily accessible.

• We encourage those attending alone to arrive at a slightly earlier time if you wish, so we can welcome you and introduce both ourselves and others before it gets particularly busy

• All guests are offered the opportunity to send us a request in advance of any individual or representative of an organisation that they may wish to meet if possible, and we do our best to help with this

• We enforce a strict zero tolerance policy against any form of harassment, discrimination, or disrespect. Any reports of such behaviour will be taken seriously and addressed immediately.

• We encourage feedback and open dialogue about how we can continue to improve the inclusivity and safety of our event. Attendees can reach out to any staff member to report concerns or suggestions anonymously.

Our goal is to create a space where everyone can connect, learn, and share in a setting that celebrates the diversity and richness of the podcasting community. We’re here to support you and ensure your experience at our event is both enjoyable and safe. We are also proud to be signatories of the Equality in Audio Pact.