2024 - Frequently Asked Questions

I’m confused, where do I start?
 
Firstly, don’t worry! We group our categories into Shows, People, Special Awards and Public Votes. 
 
The Show Awards categories are mainly genre-based. So things like Best Comedy or Best Fiction. A podcast can enter up to three categories. 
 
In People Awards we have the Rising Star - that’s an award for a person who’s new to podcasting (in the last 2 years) and has really made an impact. That’s entered like any other category. 
 
The Special Awards are categories that you don’t have to create a new entry for. When you enter, say, Best Comedy, there’s some tick boxes for you to opt in (this is for categories like Best Independent Podcast or the Spotlight Award). 
 
All of our podcasts get entered into the Creativity Award and the winners of each of the Show categories go forward for the Podcast of the Year battle! 
 
So, start by reading the entry guidance, look at the categories, and then the rules. Then you should be ready to enter. 
 
Oh, and also check out our previous winners, to see the kind of people that won the different categories.
 
What do I need to enter?
 
Generally, we’re after up to a 15 minute ‘best of’ show reel. We ask for a maximum of up five clips, from at least three separate episodes. You’ll upload a single MP3 that has all these clips edited together, but with a second of silence between each clip. We don’t want you to add any non-podcast clips - so no adding clips of you explaining your clips (this explanation should go in the written track listing that accompanies your entry.
 
The reason it’s 15 minutes is that our judges have to listen to around a 500 entries - that’s already 125 hours of audio! Your job is to distill your podcast brilliance down to clips that demonstrate that to someone who’s never heard your show before. 
 
We also ask for a number of clips from a number of episodes to demonstrate that you regularly create brilliant material and didn’t just have one good episode!
 
Doing it this way allows us to compare every entry in the same way. 
 
Do check out the rules, as some categories deviate a little bit from what’s above (things like we allow Fiction to be a bit longer due to the nature of the material).
 
Why do I have to pay to enter?
 
The Awards cost a surprising amount of money to put on. Logos, social videos, the entry system, nominations announcements, PR, accounting, the trophies - it all adds up! 
 
There are two entry fees, which is the right one to pay?
 
Our very broad thinking is that if your show is a labour of love or isn’t really designed to make any money then you should qualify as an independent podcaster. If you’re part of a business or organisation (whether the podcast is purely promotional or revenue generating) or if your ability to make the podcast is enabled by a business or organisation, then you should be paying the corporate podcast fee.
 

Independent podcasters, educational institutions or charities: $40.

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Corporate podcasts (if it's part of any business/corporate entity: $80.

 
Can I pay by Invoice?
 
If you’re making ten or more entries, yes we can do an Invoice, PROVIDING you email us 7 days before the closing date. Otherwise it’s credit cards (over 95% of entries are paid for by credit card). 
 
Can I get a receipt?
 
Yes, the details should have been emailed to you, that is unless you selected ‘send me no emails’ when you registered. You can check that in the Settings on the system.

 
I’m an independent podcast, you’re just all about the big boys, what chance have I got?
 
Every year, lots of independent shows are nominated and win New Zealand Podcast Awards (have a look for yourself). Our judges are made up from the whole sector - independents, big companies and international judges too. Each entry is judged by three to five people and we design it so that different kinds of people hear your work.
 
All of our categories have their own panel, who aren’t aware of the deliberations of the other panellists. The first time the organisers know the nominees is when our panel chairpeople get in touch with their lists.
 
Whilst people from our sponsors are some of the judges, they make up a very small proportion of them and the nature of the panels mean they have no more say over who wins than anyone else. When we talk to our judges about the process it often comes across that they’re just mainly creators themselves who love hearing brilliant shows, there ends up being virtually no politics. Honest!
 
We’ve had winners with hundreds of downloads and ones with hundreds of thousands. We’re just about rewarding great work. 
 
 
Can I have an extension?
 
Probably not. We send the entries off to the judges at 6pm the following day so there isn’t much wiggle room.
 
If you’ve ever worked on a complex project you know how you feel when people try and get around the rules. Just like you we try to be helpful, but we’re trying to organise a really complex thing that involves over a thousand people. It may not seem much to extend a deadline or change a submission - but the machinery is already in motion.
 
I’m having problems with the system, what shall I do?
 
Firstly, like all IT things, log out and log back in again - and see if that fixes it. If not email us. 
 
I didn’t get my confirmation email?
 
Check your spam. If it’s not in there you may have entered the wrong email address when you registered (surprisingly common). If you don’t think it’s that try the forgot my password link on the homepage of the system.
 

When will the ceremony be?
 
TBC! But almost certainly the end of November.
 
Rules
 
The New Zealand Podcast Awards, \ are looking for shows that celebrate the best of the podcast medium, rewarding programmes that create high-quality, episodic content, consumed by their subscribers and podcast app listeners.
 
To that end, judges will be asked to reward entries with an appreciation of the podcast audience and medium, and that do so consistently.
 
QUALIFYING PERIOD
 
Programmes (and audio submitted) for the main awards must have been either produced in New Zealand, by Kiwis, or for New Zealand audiences and published between 1st August 2023 and 31st August 2024 inclusive.
 
Entrants to most categories must have at least six proper episodes published before 31st August 2024; this is because we want to inform listeners of great New Zealand podcast series, rather than short-run or one-off works. Best Fiction, Best Documentary and Listeners’ Choice categories need to have a minimum of three episodes published before 31st August 2024.
 
To qualify for theListeners' Choice Award podcasts must have been available to listen to on 31st August 2024.
 
ENTRY SUBMISSIONS
 
Audio from the entries must have been available to download via RSS from the qualifying period, or free to access for a period of time and subscribable-to on an audio app or website. 
 
Each entry MUST be submitted as a single MP3
 
There should be material from at least three separate episodes from within the qualifying period (Best Documentary, Best Fiction and The Climate Award can be from one or more episodes)
 
There should be a clear fade in/out between extracts. 
 
Your entry should include 2 to 5 clips (except for Best Interview, Best Documentary & Best Fiction where you can have 1-5 clips)
 
Your entry should be a maximum 15mins (in total - that’s the time of all the clips together) in all categories except Best Fiction & Best Documentary (where you can play a single extract of 30mins). 
 
No non-podcast audio should be included (so don't include any specially made introductions for us).
 
Entries should be predominantly in English or any Maori / Pasifika language.
 
You may enter your podcast into no more than three categories - choose categories that will best reflect your series and that will help new audiences discover you.
 
Written submissions (for most categories) should be no more than 250 words (except for, The Climate Award and Rising Star where you have up to 1000). In addition, we welcome listening statistics and track-listings.
 
If copyrighted content forms part of the entry, details of relevant agreements should be mentioned in the written submission.
 
Each nominee agrees to provide the New Zealand Podcast Awards with non-exclusive rights to present submissions in their entirety (or through clips we make) to promote the awards, both on the New Zealand Podcast Awards site and via other media outlets.
 
Best New Podcast
 
The Best New Podcast category is exclusively for shows that launched their first episode after 31st July 2023, and have produced at least six episodes between then and the 31st August 2024. 
 
Independent Award
 
The Independent Award is for independent podcasts (or companies with an income under $100k) and is free to enter when you submit to any standard category - just opt-in on the Your Details page.
 
Spotlight Award
 
The Spotlight Award is for podcasts with 20,000 downloads or greater per episode. It is free to enter when you submit to any standard category - just opt-in on the Your Details page.
 
Judging
 
Conflict of Interest: individuals or companies directly involved in production, judging and/or sponsorship of these Awards must alert us to any conflicts. We may choose to exclude an entry in certain categories; any potential conflicts of interest will be decided by the independent Chair of Judges.
 
Any disputes will be resolved on the principle of Equity.  
 
Judges’ decisions are Final.
 
Full terms and conditions here