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The nominations are in, the public vote is closed, and the results are in front of our judges. Today, we're announcing the finalists for the 2026 Quill Podcast Awards.
A big congratulations to this year’s finalists! Behind every show on this list is a team that showed up, put in the work, and built something their listeners genuinely care about, and that's worth celebrating.
So take a few minutes and dig into this year’s top shows. And make sure to keep an eye out for the winners announcement on May 28th.
Podcast of the Year
The Neurotic Vaccine: Comedy with a Point
Show description:
What happens when a Seinfeld & Cheers writer is the last human in an AI world? 2025 Quill Award winner (Best Comedy Podcast) Andy Cowan writes & directs "audio albums" where meticulously scripted vignettes meet the illusion of spontaneity.
Navigate the needling with AI Dr. K—cloned voice of his former co-host, a therapist—& AI guests. "Fascinating & cathartic...I'm in awe".—Discover Pods. Earned laughter for a WWGA-honoured writer seeking immunity. Take a shot! 💉
National Treasure Hunt
Show description:
National Treasure Hunt is the award-winning podcast taking an ocular device to the National Treasure film and television franchise. Hosts Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, dubbed "franchise historians" by screenwriters Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, provide interdisciplinary, "edutaining" analyses while interviewing cast, crew, and creative team members.
The Melting Pod
Show description:
The Melting Pod brings you stories of our dysfunctional immigration system and where we go from here.
Hosted by three friends who’ve served inside the federal government for two decades and four presidents of both parties, The Melting Pod will give you a deeper understanding of the immigration headlines, without jargon or shallow punditry.
Amanda Baran, Doug Rand, and Claire Trickler-McNulty will also bring you extraordinary people with extraordinary stories to tell – about how we got here and where we're going.
Best New Podcast
Cognitive Corner
Show description:
Welcome to Cognitive Corner, a youth-led podcast where the mysteries of the mind meet the frontiers of technology. I aspire to explore the fascinating intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychology.
From understanding how our brains process information to examining the latest breakthroughs in AI, we'll explore questions that challenge our understanding of consciousness, learning, and human potential.
Chef Over Your Shoulder
Show description:
Chef Over Your Shoulder is a podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Professional chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreit team up with burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert Amy Schlueter to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking and connecting...without the pressure.
It’s not about becoming a gourmet chef. It’s about why food matters in the first place, because it brings people together. Each episode is filled with cozy stories, nostalgic family recipes, kitchen tips, helpful recommendations, and a lot of laughter. Every conversation feels like a visit with friends, comforting, funny, and candid.
I Used to Work There
Show description:
Everyone has a work story. The inspiring ones, the unbelievable ones, the hilarious disasters, the heartbreaking moments, and the strange or paranormal encounters you never saw coming. This is where they are told.
I Used To Work There brings real people together to share the unforgettable stories from the jobs they once had. The moments that shaped them, shocked them, scared them, or still make them laugh years later. Some stories will lift you up. Some will haunt you. All of them stay with you.
Branded Podcast of the Year
Tried and Tested
Show description:
Welcome to PSI’s Tried and Tested Podcast, hosted by Isabelle Gonthier. Tune in every other Thursday for expert conversations on testing, credentialing, and assessment. Each episode explores industry trends, practical insights, and the real work behind high-stakes testing, featuring leaders and practitioners shaping the future of the assessment industry.
Not Just Fluff
Show description:
It may go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: we love our pets. They have their own social media accounts, big personalities, and an even bigger piece of our hearts. Our furry friends deserve quality care – and who hasn’t wished their pet could speak? While we can’t grant them that superpower, we did the next best thing. We made an award-winning podcast about them, for us.
Not Just Fluff is here to give you just that: Actionable tips and smart advice from pet professionals who really understand pet care. Host and Producer Hannah Shaw will sit down with pet pros to debunk common pet-related myths, share practical advice, and deep dive into some of the most common questions we hear from pet lovers.
Something Extra
Show description:
My name is Lisa Nichols, and I have spent the last 30 years as both the CEO of Technology Partners and as the mother to Ally, our daughter with Down syndrome. Down syndrome occurs when someone is born with an extra chromosome, but for Ally, her “something extra” goes beyond her DNA. She is one of the funniest, kindest, and most joyful people you have ever met.
Learning from Ally has taught me to look for the “something extra” in everyone I encounter. Join me as I interview leaders from around the world as they share their stories and show us what it takes to influence, encourage, and be a true leader in our daily lives. Welcome to Something Extra.
B2B Branded Podcast of the Year
Tried and Tested
Show description:
Welcome to PSI’s Tried and Tested Podcast, hosted by Isabelle Gonthier. Tune in every other Thursday for expert conversations on testing, credentialing, and assessment. Each episode explores industry trends, practical insights, and the real work behind high-stakes testing, featuring leaders and practitioners shaping the future of the assessment industry.
The Business Development Podcast
Show description:
The Business Development Podcast is the global show for founders, entrepreneurs, and sales leaders who want real growth without the hype. Hosted by Kelly Kennedy, the show delivers honest conversations, real-world lessons, and proven strategies on business development, sales, leadership, and mindset. Each episode breaks down what actually drives momentum, trust, and bigger deals over the long term.
The Curiosity Current
Show description:
Do you find yourself pondering what today’s trends and insights tell us about tomorrow’s consumers? Ever wonder how technology is changing the market research landscape? Are you curious about what keeps insights professionals up at night? Get swept away by the Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast about two world-leading market research experts who follow their natural curiosity to bring consumer insights to life.
B2C Branded Podcast of the Year
A Radical Act of Hope
Show description:
Welcome to A Radical Act of Hope. In this series, Inuk climate advocate Siila Watt-Cloutier brings us into her world. A world where melting ice isn’t just a symptom of climate change—it’s a disruption of memory, identity, and rhythms of life in the North. She takes us from her home in the Arctic to the frontlines of international climate justice, alongside those who have been speaking up—and holding steady—for decades. See full description.
Chef Over Your Shoulder
Show description:
Chef Over Your Shoulder is a podcast about the connections we make through cooking. Professional chefs Jody O'Malley and Kirstie Herbstreit team up with burn-to-the-bottom-of-the-pan expert Amy Schlueter to demystify the kitchen and bring back the joy of cooking and connecting...without the pressure.
It’s not about becoming a gourmet chef. It’s about why food matters in the first place, because it brings people together. Each episode is filled with cozy stories, nostalgic family recipes, kitchen tips, helpful recommendations, and a lot of laughter. Every conversation feels like a visit with friends, comforting, funny, and candid.
The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast
Show description:
Stay in-the-know on the hottest trending topics in health and nutrition with The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast, presented by Orgain. Join Dr. Ginger Hultin, DCN, RDN, CSO, an integrative dietitian nutritionist, as she speaks with some of the most inspiring and passionate subject-matter experts in nutrition, health, and wellness.
Each episode explores the science behind popular trends in nutrition and health, debunks common myths, and provides healthcare professionals and health-minded consumers with practical insights from trusted experts.
Most Creative Branded Podcast
The Other Path
Show description:
What do witches, ogres and shape-shifters have in common with dive bars, fashion shows and neighbourhood parks? They are all on The Other Path! Classic folk tales meet modern life in this fantasy audio drama series filled with magic, mystery, and danger created by Odyssey Theatre.
Follow people so desperate to fulfill their dreams, they choose a path that leads them to wrangle with magical forces and creatures straight out of folklore. They lure you with promises of good fortune, but be warned, they’ll lead you into danger. Whatever fate has in store, the other path reveals the unexpected.
Our five dramas by award-winning Canadian writers are inspired by fantastical tales from the past but set in today’s modern world. From haunting dramas to macabre comedies, these original tales come alive with the voices of professional actors and artfully crafted music and sound.
Creative Confessions
Show description:
Creative Confessions® is the podcast that collects and shares anonymous confessions from creatives to normalize the ups & downs of freelancing.
Raising Kids in the Age of AI
Show description:
A new podcast from The AI Education Project (aiEDU), created in collaboration with Google, that explores how AI is shaping the future of learning, hosted by aiEDU's Alex Kotran and Dr. Aliza Pressman, a developmental psychologist and bestselling author.
Best Business Podcast
The Business Development Podcast
Show description:
The Business Development Podcast is the global show for founders, entrepreneurs, and sales leaders who want real growth without the hype. Hosted by Kelly Kennedy, the show delivers honest conversations, real-world lessons, and proven strategies on business development, sales, leadership, and mindset. Each episode breaks down what actually drives momentum, trust, and bigger deals over the long term.
The Curiosity Current
Show description:
Do you find yourself pondering what today’s trends and insights tell us about tomorrow’s consumers? Ever wonder how technology is changing the market research landscape? Are you curious about what keeps insights professionals up at night? Get swept away by the Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast about two world-leading market research experts who follow their natural curiosity to bring consumer insights to life.
Something Extra
Show description:
My name is Lisa Nichols, and I have spent the last 30 years as both the CEO of Technology Partners and as the mother to Ally, our daughter with Down syndrome. Down syndrome occurs when someone is born with an extra chromosome, but for Ally, her “something extra” goes beyond her DNA. She is one of the funniest, kindest, and most joyful people you have ever met.
Learning from Ally has taught me to look for the “something extra” in everyone I encounter. Join me as I interview leaders from around the world as they share their stories and show us what it takes to influence, encourage, and be a true leader in our daily lives. Welcome to Something Extra.
Best Tech Podcast
Blueprint for Growth: Innovation in Housing
Show description:
British Columbia is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis. While addressing various aspects of the housing supply chain is essential, no single approach can fully solve the challenges we face in scaling housing production. So, what's the blueprint for growth? See full description.
Tech Stuff
Show description:
Behind every innovation is a new kind of power. TechStuff unpacks how technology reshapes influence, creativity, and control, from Silicon Valley’s rising moguls to the cultural forces they create. Because tech is the new religion, economy, and entertainment, all at once.
Each week, Oz Woloshyn and the brightest minds covering tech dig into the weird, funny, and sometimes unsettling ways technology, AI, and the internet shape our daily lives. From AI and social media to privacy, digital burnout, and the creator economy, they ask how all this innovation is changing who we are, how we work, love, and make meaning.
Smart talk, strange stories, and the questions everyone’s Googling: whether AI will replace us, how social media is affecting our kids, and what it all says about us.
Shell Game
Show description:
A podcast about things that are not what they seem, hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff. Season 2 tells the story of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the AI age. Or: how Evan tried to build a real startup, run by fake people.
This season, Evan confronts head-on the assertion from tech entrepreneurs and VCs that we’re on the precipice of AI remaking the workforce. That we should expect not just AI colleagues working alongside us, but also — by Sam Altman’s telling, at least — the dawn of a billion-dollar company with only one human involved. Evan learns what it would take to create such a company … by doing it: Launching a real startup with five AI employees. Over the course of eight episodes, he explores what AI agents tell us about the work we do, the meaning we find in it, and the world that their makers say we’ll all be living in soon enough.
Best Society and Culture Podcast
What's The Big Idea?
Show description:
"What's the Big Idea" is a new podcast featuring University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch in conversation with some of today's big thinkers. Together, they’ll unpack “the big idea” their work explores. A series featuring an exciting and diverse array of voices from the UM community contributing to the cultural, social, and economic well-being of the people of Manitoba, Canada, and the world.
The Public Service Project
Show description:
We're spending some time getting to know America's public servants: who they are, what experiences shaped them, why they chose the path of service, and what they've learned along the way.
Documenting A Genius
Show description:
Documenting A Genius is a special conversation remembering the life, artistry, and legacy of Zakir Hussain, one of the greatest musicians of our time. Presented by Topiary Studios, Documenting A Genius is a series that celebrates extraordinary artists and the stories that define their legacy.
Best Science and Medicine Podcast
Taking A Breath: A Stop The Clot Podcast
Show description:
Taking a Breath: A Stop the Clot Podcast is a show committed to shining a light on the dangers of blood clots and breathing life into The National Blood Clot Alliance’s mission of pushing these preventable killers to the forefront of public discourse.
We will hear the stories of notable blood clot survivors like Olympic medalists Katie Hoff Anderson & Tatyana McFadden, among others, as well as the expertise of medical professionals to provide connection, empathy and resources to listeners like you. See full description.
Cognitive Corner
Show description:
Welcome to Cognitive Corner, a youth-led podcast where the mysteries of the mind meet the frontiers of technology. I aspire to explore the fascinating intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and psychology.
From understanding how our brains process information to examining the latest breakthroughs in AI, we'll explore questions that challenge our understanding of consciousness, learning, and human potential.
DNA Today
Show description:
Discover New Advances in the world of genetics, from technology like CRISPR to rare diseases to new research. For over a decade, the multi-award-winning podcast” DNA Today” has brought you the voices of leaders in genetics. Host Kira Dineen brings her genetics expertise to interview geneticists, genetic counsellors, patient advocates, biotech leaders, researchers, and more.
Best Health and Wellness Podcast
The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast
Show description:
Stay in-the-know on the hottest trending topics in health and nutrition with The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast, presented by Orgain. Join Dr. Ginger Hultin, DCN, RDN, CSO, an integrative dietitian nutritionist, as she speaks with some of the most inspiring and passionate subject-matter experts in nutrition, health, and wellness.
Each episode explores the science behind popular trends in nutrition and health, debunks common myths, and provides healthcare professionals and health-minded consumers with practical insights from trusted experts.
It Happened To Me
Show description:
The mission of our podcast is to support you, our listeners and to create community, as you confront the toughest challenges in life. All of us will experience health hardships. The real question is how we adapt. That is the focus of It Happened To Me, which wants to help you overcome limitations and live a full and satisfying life. Drawing on their own health challenges, hosts Cathy Gildenhorn and Beth Glassman interview guests who share stories and research to help you succeed in the face of difficult health obstacles. It happened to me…I’m not alone, and neither are you.
F*ck Buddies
Show description:
Welcome to F*ck Buddies, the dating and sex advice podcast setting out to smash toxic masculinity and rape culture. We’re here to answer all of your sticky, sexy questions!
Best Video Podcast
Crafty Brewers: Tales Behind Craft Beer
Show description:
Welcome to Crafty Brewers, where we’ll increase your enjoyment of craft beer by learning about the stories, techniques, and inspiration behind the best craft breweries. In every episode, we visit a different brewery to showcase its unique atmosphere and hear brewers share how they got started, what they’ve learned, and what keeps them brewing. Crafty Brewers is perfect for beer lovers who want to discover new beer styles, explore brewing techniques, and get to know the people behind the pints.
Documenting a Genius
Show description:
Documenting A Genius is a special conversation remembering the life, artistry, and legacy of Zakir Hussain, one of the greatest musicians of our time. Presented by Topiary Studios, Documenting A Genius is a series that celebrates extraordinary artists and the stories that define their legacy.
Bright Lights Beyond
Show description:
Mentioned throughout all of history, NNDEstranscend time & space. They often share similar narratives & consist of a transformation involving life-changing self-actualization & newfound knowledge of the physical world. Through these experiences, we can gain the awareness we might need to answer the questions we have about death.
Bright Lights Beyond will hopefully lead you on a journey of your own and give you a new sense of life. We aim to inform and discuss similarities, discrepancies, and plausibilities of these stories. Learn, laugh, and encounter what leaving this world might look like.
Best Comedy Podcast
The Neurotic Vaccine: Comedy with a Point
Show description:
What happens when a Seinfeld & Cheers writer is the last human in an AI world? 2025 Quill Award winner (Best Comedy Podcast) Andy Cowan writes & directs "audio albums" where meticulously scripted vignettes meet the illusion of spontaneity.
Navigate the needling with AI Dr. K—cloned voice of his former co-host, a therapist—& AI guests. "Fascinating & cathartic...I'm in awe."—.Discover Pods. Earned laughter for a WGA-honored writer seeking immunity. Take a shot! 💉
You Wanted This
Show description:
A NEW weekly podcast from Richard & Reid - YOU pick the topic, but WE pick how we handle it.
Hosted by Richard Eden and Reid Vanier from the popular and multi-award-winning Doctor DC Podcast and Ghostfacers, YOU WANTED THIS is a bold new experiment in audience interaction. Powered by their loyal fanbase on the dedicated subreddit, You Wanted This makes the audience the producer by accepting any episode topics that have been posted and upvoted by their community. Reid and Richard do a comedic deep dive into any topic the audience decides on, adjusting their format each episode to fit the subject.
From Cults to Shipwrecks to The Muppets to Godzilla and beyond… You Wanted This!
I Used to Work There
Show description:
Everyone has a work story. The inspiring ones, the unbelievable ones, the hilarious disasters, the heartbreaking moments, and the strange or paranormal encounters you never saw coming. This is where they are told.
I Used To Work There brings real people together to share the unforgettable stories from the jobs they once had. The moments that shaped them, shocked them, scared them, or still make them laugh years later. Some stories will lift you. Some will haunt you. All of them stay with you.
Congratulations to this year’s Quill Podcast Awards finalists!
From climate justice to craft beer, survival stories to anonymous confessions from burnt-out freelancers — this year's finalists prove that podcasting remains one of the most human, most versatile storytelling formats we have.
The Quill Podcast Awards have been recognizing that connection since 2021, celebrating not just download numbers or production budgets, but the shows that actually move people, make you think differently, or finally understand something you couldn't quite put into words before.
Our panel of industry judges is now deliberating, and winners will be officially announced on May 28th. Until then, we'd encourage you to do one thing: pick a finalist you've never heard of and give it a listen. You might just find your next favourite show.
Want to be the first to know the winners? Sign up for our newsletter, and we'll bring the news straight to you. Congratulations to all of this year's finalists, you've earned it.
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About the author
Tianna Marinucci is a content creation and digital marketing specialist. She graduated from McGill University in 2021 and has since worked in a variety of industries from interior design to technology.
After traveling to more than 60 countries and working in three, she is inspired by diverse cultures and motivated by unique experiences.
In her spare time, Tianna loves trying new foods, going to concerts, and learning more about history and socio-economics through books and podcasts.
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