Laudable Podcasts receives TEN award nominations...
The Publisher Podcast Awards 2021 release their shortlist
The Publisher Podcast Awards 2021 shortlist
Well, that was a pleasant surprise! On Wednesday afternoon, our inboxes started to flood with notifications, pinging with good news after good news.
From midday, The Publish Podcasts Awards announced their 2021 shortlist on Twitter.
The first notification buzzed on our phones, telling us that Alone Together had been shortlisted in the ‘Best Coronavirus Podcast’ category.
The Laudable group chat was alerted with the news. “Get in!” exclaimed our Birmingham-based podcast producer, Matt Millard, “Yes! Buzzing!”
“Oh, Scran has been shortlisted, too,” I (Dan McLaughlin) replied. “Menopod too!”
And then, it started to snowball in a rather lovely way. It was difficult to keep track!
This week’s Laudable Podcasts newsletter will, yes, blow its own trumpet, and look at what podcasts made the mix for the awards ceremony in April.
Alone Together - A Coronavirus Podcast
As The Publisher Podcast Awards team notes, the ‘Best Coronavirus Podcast’ category is a new one – and hopefully for one year only!
It does what it says on the tin, really: celebrating the podcasts that have covered the Covid-19 pandemic for our audiences.
Our submission featured our ‘Best Bits’ episode, looking back at the first two series of Alone Together.
We felt that this episode showed off our highlights from the podcast: raising awareness about fundraising and campaigning from local heroes that we feel should be making the headlines, as well as sharing fact-filled interviews with experts offering tips and advice about life in and out of lockdown.
You can listen to series one and two of Alone Together, and our Local Heroes special, wherever you get your podcasts. But for interactive, immersive content, listen on the Entale app.
Scran
We don’t call Scran our “hit” food and drink podcast for nothing.
On the back of its amazing Burns Night LIVE special, Scran has been shortlisted in two categories for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
Naturally, it received a nomination for ‘Best Food & Drink Podcast’.
After all, it is the podcast that gives you an insight into what's cooking in Scotland, whether that’s discussing the finest whisky, or taking a culinary tour of the Highlands.
From Michael Roux Jr to Outlander’s Sam Heughan, Scran host Rosalind Erskine chats to celebrities and top chefs about what we should fill our plates and glasses with.
We are also very proud that the food and drink podcast has made the shortlist for ‘Best Commercial Strategy’, showing that Scran is having successes both critically and commercially.
You can plate up your servings of Scran on all podcasting platforms.
The ECHO’s Menopod
The ECHO’s Menopod co-host Susan Lee showed her delight about making the shortlist by telling her Twitter followers she was “thrilled skinny” by the news, thanking the guests who have appeared on the podcast.
The Menopod combines the rapport between our hilarious hosts - Susan Lee and Dawn Collinson - with the insightful, educational, and often funny guests.
Sue and Dawn act as a conduit between the listener and the expert, answering the FAQs about the menopause that some women may be too embarrassed to ask - or simply were not aware of in the first place.
We entered the ‘Myths and Misinformation’ episode with Dr Paula Briggs as our submission, showcasing the frank conversation about the medical side of the menopause.
The ECHO’s Menopod tackles puberty’s evil older sister one gin and tonic at a time, and hopefully we’ll be pouring a celebratory G&T when the winners are announced in April.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out series one of the podcast - with series two coming very soon…
The Brink
Uh-oh, we knew the competition was fierce, but we have arrived at the point where Laudable Podcasts face Laudable Podcasts in a couple of categories.
Travel back to 1980s Liverpool to witness the rise and fall of Militant, and their fight against Margaret Thatcher, in The Brink.
Liverpool Echo’s Julia Rampen speaks to key figures from the controversial time in the city’s history, including Militant’s Derek Hatton, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, ex-Tory minister Michael Heseltine, and many more colourful characters.
The Brink, our seven-part documentary about the tumultuous period in Liverpool, has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Limited Series’ category.
Three and a half decades on, Militant is still a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to be too left wing, put your ideals into practice - and how it can go spectacularly wrong.
Listen to the story of the most controversial group in British politics.
Weekend Bigots
And pitted against The Brink in the ‘Best Limited Series’ category is Weekend Bigots.
Scotsman journalist Kevan Christie takes you into the murky world of sectarianism in Scottish football, from the 1970s right up to the present day, talking to people who have been involved at the sharp end of the game.
In the six-part series, Kevan speaks to former footballers Derek Ferguson and Mickey Weir, ex-Scotland manager Craig Brown, former grade one referee Stuart Dougal, sports journalist Andrew Smith and of course, the fans.
The podcast poses the thorny question of why the divide still exists in Scotland to this day, and asks what can be done to change attitudes.
The North in Numbers
It seems quite right that since our mission is to put audio journalism at the heart of local news story telling, our podcasts have been shortlisted three times – yes, THREE times - in the ‘Best Local & Community Podcast’ category.
In no particular order, we start with The North in Numbers, our podcast that looks at the human stories behind the statistics.
Annie Gouk, deputy editor of data and multimedia at Reach, brings together data analysis and interviews with experts and those most affected to provide new insight into vital issues that have had a major impact on the north.
Whether that’s the huge increase in homelessness, the rise of knife crime, or the boom in restaurants seen across the region, The North in Numbers makes sense of the statistics, putting numbers and people at the heart of the story.
Production of series two is underway, and you can listen to the first series that captures the stories affecting northern communities now.
Liminal
Liminal is a perfect choice for the ‘Best Local & Community Podcast’ category after it reaches those communities living on our coastline, and bringing their stories into our homes.
Laura Davis, who has also been shortlisted for her ‘Beatles City’ podcast with the Liverpool Echo and Reach, is our guide, as she takes us for a walk along Britain's windswept coastline with the people who have made their lives at the edge.
In each episode, Laura discovers a different stretch of landscape, joined by those who make it special - from a widower finding friendship through a dog walking club on the beach to the street artists revitalising a faded seaside town.
Liminal captures the sounds of the coastline and blends them with the voices of people telling their own interesting stories.
With our trips outdoors limited under the new Covid restrictions, why not take a stroll on our coasts via our podcast?
The Edinburgh Briefing
And The Edinburgh Briefing is the third Laudable podcast to be shortlisted in the ‘Best Local & Community Podcast’ category.
Presented by Conor Matchett, The Edinburgh Briefing gets the insider's account of the city's news beat from the team at the Edinburgh Evening News.
Each episode delves into the issues that you've been talking about, whether it's a controversial council decision or a major new venue.
From the history of the iconic Forth Bridge to the famous Hogmanay celebrations, the past, present, and future of Edinburgh are explored in our podcast.
The Edinburgh Briefing also answers burning questions from listeners about life in the Scottish capital.
The North Poll
And finally, The North Poll has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Political Podcast’ category.
The North Poll is the podcast that gets to the heart of issues impacting the North of England.
Launched during the 2019 general election campaign, the Manchester Evening News’ political editor Jennifer Williams is joined by political journalists, academics, pollsters, and experts from across the North.
They debate the issues, unpack the campaign trail twists and turns, give the view from the doorsteps, and consider what the North really needs from Westminster.
In every category we have been shortlisted for, we are up against incredibly talented colleagues with superb podcasts - and it’s a privilege that our work has been recognised by The Publisher Podcast Awards.
We’ll keep you updated - with winners announced on April 21.
But for now, stay safe, stay positive, stay informed, and stay tuned.
- Dan McLaughlin