Radio and podcast company iHeartMedia is teaming with South by Southwest for the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards — returning as an in-person event after behind held virtually the last three years.
The awards show, honoring podcasting excellence across 29 categories including the fan-voted Podcast of the Year Award, will take place Monday, March 11, starting at 8 p.m. CT during SXSW. The event will be held at the Fairmont Austin hotel.
The ceremony will broadcast live on select iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide; through the iHeartRadio app; and via a video stream in partnership with YouTube on iHeartRadio’s Channel. The event will be available on demand following the initial live stream.
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Nominees will be selected by a judging panel composed of podcast industry leaders and creatives who will determine the winners in categories including comedy, crime, news, pop culture, sports, food, business and more. In addition to the panel-judged category awards, the Podcast of the Year will be selected by a fan vote. The 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards also will feature Icon Awards, which will pay tribute to creators, organizations and podcasts that have made groundbreaking industry contributions.
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The iHeartPodcast Awards debuted in 2019, with the first two shows held in L.A., before shifting to virtual events from 2021-23.
“Each year we look forward to celebrating the podcast industry’s most groundbreaking and innovative voices as the medium continues to evolve and explode,” Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group, said in a statement. “Over the past few years, SXSW has become a dynamic and effective setting for us to host many of our interactive podcast panels, discussions and experiences. There’s no better location to bring this celebratory industry event back, live and in person, than Austin at South by Southwest.”
SXSW’s partnership for the 2024 iHeartPodcast Awards “showcases our commitment to celebrating creative people across the diverse world of podcasting and beyond,” said Jann Baskett, SXSW co-president and chief brand officer. “We’re thrilled to join forces with iHeartMedia to bring the iHeartPodcast Awards to Austin and amplify the incredible talent shaping the future of this dynamic medium.”
Previous iHeartPodcast Awards shows have featured celebrity presenters and guests, including appearances by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, Dua Lipa, Martha Stewart, Questlove, Mayim Bialik, Will Ferrell, Malcolm Gladwell, Draymond Green, Bethenny Frankel, Conan O’Brien and Angela Yee.
SXSW 2024 will take place March 8-16 in Austin, Texas. This year’s speaker lineup is slated to include Rosario Dawson, “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper, “How to Be an Antiracist” author Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, head of ChatGPT Peter Deng and ACE Entertainment CEO Matt Kaplan. The festival’s initial music lineup was announced last fall. (Disclosure: Variety parent company PMC owns a majority stake in SXSW.)