As podcasting continues to roar for iHeartMedia’s bottom line, the company can put another feather in its cap. iHeartPodcasts has been named Podcast Company of the Year at the 2025 Signal Awards, earning more honors than any other organization this year.
Now in its fourth year, the Signal Awards celebrate the podcasts shaping contemporary media, recognizing excellence across craft, innovation, and audience impact. The 2025 edition drew more than 385,000 public votes, a 126% increase over last year.
This year’s Audio Icon Award goes to Ashley Flowers, creator and host of Crime Junkie and founder of Audiochuck. Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know receives the inaugural Cultural Impact Award, while Question Everything, created by This American Life veterans Brian Reed and Robyn Semien, is honored with the Special Achievement Award.
Winners of both the Academy-selected Signal Gold and Listener’s Choice categories include The Wonder of Stevie (Audible), The Mel Robbins Podcast (143 Studios), Club Shay Shay (Shay Shay Media), and The Moth Radio Hour (The Moth). Indie podcasts such as Debt Heads, Hyperfixed, Señora Sex Ed, and Things That Go Boom also earned top honors.
The Winner’s Party, presented by ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts, will be held on November 10 at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY.
Signal Awards General Manager Jemma Rose Brown commented, “This year’s Signal Award winners illuminate how audio is shaping discourse. From investigative work that exposes truth, to personal essays that make the intimate universal, and cultural commentary that reframes how we see the world – this year’s winners remind us why podcasting has become not just relevant, but essential.
