Hundreds of hosts, producers, and executives on what they heard and loved this year.
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Below, youll find this years results.
But first, some words on process.
Voters were given the opportunity to explain their picks, but that wasnt compulsory.
Everyone quoted gave us permission to do so.
Most are named, while others are left anonymous for various reasons.
Our outreach this year yielded over 180 responses.
Two things to note: First, a considerable number of voters ended up submitting more than three picks.
Sometimes they were generous with honorable mentions, sometimes they just plowed through the limit.
Okay, thats enough throat-clearing.
Lets get to it.
14.The Big Dig
Who knew people felt so fondly about Boston?
Well, not Boston per se.
Anyway, some argued that GBHsThe Big Digfurther represents a high point for public media in the medium.
13.Bandsplain
Got a spare six hours to burn on two heads talking about the Talking Heads?
Buddy, youre in for a treat.
Perhaps it took a little time for Saleks discipline and commitment to the bit to really kick in.
Some even seemed to be in awe of the thirst for mayhem required to lead a project like this.
), was a feat that didnt go unrecognized by a larger pool of people.
A truly killer season, one producer wrote.
Among the more passionate arguments came from Tracy Alloway, co-host of BloombergsOdd Lots.
Lots of people will identifyYou Must Remember Thisas an entertainment podcast, she wrote.
Death, Sympathy Pains, and this yearsExposed: Cover-up at Columbia University.
The episode with the recorded doctors visit was painful to hear.
Particular praise was directed to Youngs handling of his own story.
Ronald doesnt fall into this trap.
Hes a reliable narrator willing to examine when his own brain is unreliable.
Voters pretty much felt the same way.
But some also focused their reflections on the substantive style of the show more generally.
I feel like he values my time and keeps things snappy and informative, and that eases my mind.
(Many of whom are presumably also grappling with the same class strangeness that he feels.)
The specificity of Menjivars writing was consistently identified as a high point.
Ill be thinking about this one for a long time.
That verdict comes from Ellen Horne, director of the Podcast and Audio Reportage program at NYUs journalism school.
Who the hell else in media is trying this hard 25 years in?
An incredible high-wire act, wrote one prominent podcast host.
If podcasting this year needs to justify its existence, Id point here.
I mean, he and producer Annie Brown even wrangled together a seance for the benefit of good tape!
Charming is the operative word.
Is it possible for a ghost story turned murder mystery to be … said Amory Sivertson, co-host of WBURsEndless Thread.
But seriously, this show was a fun but incisive reminder never to forget our matriarchs.
You Didnt See Nothinnot only does this hybrid genre justice, it innovates on the form.
Intimate and propulsive investigation, poetic, and musical sound a show that truly felt fresh and exciting.
But every time I finished an episode, it made me look at the world differently.
PJ Vogt is the best at making podcasts.
Simple questions that unfold into wondrous answers and, more than that, explorations.
I thinkthe coffee episodeandthe diamonds episodeare good examples.
It should be noted thatVogt himself recently wrotethat the podcast has not yet achieved profitability.
Perhaps the show will get there soon.
Either way,Search Engineis off to a strong start, and its many admirers have their fingers crossed.
They wouldve placed tenth and 13th in this survey, respectively.
After that, a wave of support came crashing in; at last count, itwouldve placed sixth.
At this time,Heavyweights future remains uncertain.
Heavyweightis consistently my favorite podcast, said one producer.
Ive loved what Jonathan Goldstein has done his entire radio career fromThis American Lifethrough toWiretapat the CBC.
I adore his writing and his self-deprecating style.
But most important, I loveHeavyweightbecause of its life-affirming stories that both capture my attention and move me.
Episodes are more likely to make me shed a tear than any other podcast I know.
I love this guy, wroteRumble Strips Erica Heilman.
Theres alittlebit ofJoe Frankvibe referring to the legendary radio maker and I love him.
Theyre hilarious, for one.
But its not just that.
Their deep dives get at the very essence of the memoir and its author:What does she wear?
What does she eat?
How does she live?
(These three questions make up an end-of-episode segment that really sums it up.)
One thing I love about the hosts is they never, ever sound like know-it-alls.
Noah Kulwin, co-host of theBlowbackpodcast, simply says: Odd Lotsis the best business interview program around.
In any form, I think the story of the children at Mt.
Meigs deserves telling, but Josies deep empathy gives this show moments of catharsis that elevate it.
