On Sept. 29, the Signal Awards announced their 2026 finalists, kicking off what we’ll call the start of Podcast Awards Season. We have one question: Is your outfit ready?

If you’ve ever tried to explain the Signal Awards to someone outside the industry, you may have used the phrase “the Oscars of podcasting.” Unless you’ve already used it to describe the Ambies. Or the OG podcasting Oscars, the Webbys. Heck, the iHeart Podcast Awards might actually be the most consequential of the bunch, at least judging by the likelihood that winning one will lead to a blockbuster distribution deal. 

Getting to the bottom of which of the above counts as our Oscars isn’t really the point. So what if the podcasting awards landscape is a little messy? Each one has its unique charm and raison d’etre.

The Signals, for example, now in their fifth year, are known for their abundance. They offer a cornucopia of juried prizes and Listener’s Choice awards, in over 200(!) discrete categories. The sheer number of finalists is why you’re currently being barraged with requests on LinkedIn to get out there and rock the vote. Listener’s Choice voting is open until Oct. 15, and you can expect a second wave of chipper posts celebrating the results in the weeks thereafter. Since the Signals hand out Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, there should be plenty to go around. 

Meanwhile, the Ambies are gearing up for year six. Everything about them seems designed to parallel the Academy Awards — including the fact that their adjudicating body is unsubtly named The Podcast Academy.