The Next Great Podcast

We all started out as a collection of cells, and though we’ve since evolved into unique human beings, we’re all still held to the same arbitrary standards about what our bodies should and shouldn’t look like. We love this concept for the way it questions those standards and aims to deconstruct the social and political meanings of our bodies. Stevie and Marty’s dedication to body positivity, diversity, and mental health awareness, among other vastly under-discussed topics, is what makes this show both interesting and necessary.

On every episode of her moving new podcast, Alex embarks on an emotional journey in an attempt to reconcile friends and family who have fallen out. We love the heartfelt look at the complexities of human relationships, the effort to bring closure and healing to both parties, and the emphasis on exploring friendships, why they end, and how those endings impact our lives.

It is time for a true crime show where no one has to die. Crimes Against Food takes the upsetting, yet popular, true crime genre and mixes it with food to create a fun, light-hearted, and overall refreshing show that aims to solve food history’s greatest mysteries. Devin does a great job of maintaining the high stakes and drama associated with true crime—and as the listener, you get to walk away without feeling awful about the state of humanity. By combining great audio design with a compelling concept and charismatic host, we think this show has the potential to capture a huge audience and help the true crime category evolve in an exciting new direction.

Rom-coms and fairy tales leave us believing that true love is both fated and eternal. But what really happens after the happily ever after? Gina’s upbeat, authentic, and realistic take on the lack of real-life fairytale endings for couples is both fascinating and relatable. We love the way she finds the beauty (and humor) in moving on, making anybody who’s been through--or is in the midst of--a breakup feel a lot less alone. Featuring a variety of real-life stories from guests of every walk of life, this show has potential to captivate a big audience by focusing on an experience almost anyone can relate to: heartbreak.

After the success of Only Murders in the Building—about murder podcast fans whose fascination with the category turns their lives upside down—it feels like an actual podcast that critically examines our true crime obsession is way overdue. We believe this will draw a big audience of listeners who feel a little ambivalent about their own fascination with dark tales—or who thoroughly enjoy the category but want some help unpacking why. With philosophy, history, and psychology backgrounds, Rylie and Sara will examine issues like why certain victims’ stories get privileged over others and why violence and scandal excite the human brain so much.

The story in Hookergate is fascinating in its own right, but host Lindsay’s charisma and enthusiasm draws you in from the start. And because of her family ties to the town in question, the storytelling feels raw and personal rather than random. This show is perfect for true crime lovers who are tired of murder and death but are still addicted to hearing real-life scandals unfold.

You think you know Alexandre Dumas until Anna and Andrew give you the full story. Just like Newton’s Law did for the guy who discovered the laws of gravity, we think this show will shed new light on a beloved author who very few people actually know anything about. Dumas’s gripping story has the potential to attract a big audience, and Ana and Andrew’s relaxed conversational style make this feel especially approachable, like you’re hearing about a little-known chapter of history from a friend.

Very little is known about the Yazidi Genocide and Fahrinisa plans to change that with this podcast. She combines beautiful writing with high-quality audio to tell a deeply reported and emotionally compelling story about a little-known, yet incredibly high-stakes, topic. By focusing on the complicated figures in a single family, this podcast has the potential to build awareness about a complex geopolitical issue through these relatable human stories.

We love this podcast for the way it centers the voices of athletes with disabilities, using sports journalism as a vehicle for larger conversations about whose stories matter. As a competitive wheelchair basketball player himself, Derek’s personal connection to the game makes him a dynamic host who understands what it takes to rise to the top of the sport.

While nearly everyone knows the musical ‘Chicago’, we love the way Lulu and Leesa shed new light on the story. This podcast uses the allure of the glamorous, slick world of ‘Chicago’ to tell a thrilling story that doubles as a deep examination of class, race, and gender in the 1920s. As trained media professionals AND ‘Chicago’ superfans, this podcast is well researched and is delivered in a way that is both intriguing and informative.