Here are many of the winners of the 2025 Black Podcasting Awards.
Black Podcasting Awards
Black Podcasting Awards (BPA) Executive Director Demetrius Bagley recently said in an interview, “Black podcasters have long understood that waiting for mainstream platforms to tell their stories was never the plan. So they built their own. With no algorithm favoring them. With less than 1 out of every 100 podcasts being Black. Of course, their podcasting needs to continue. And be celebrated, spotlighted, and strengthened for what all could follow.”
The Buzz—Buzzworthy Radio has won a Signal and Astra Award, and has been releasing episodes for almost 20 years.
NaVell Lee
NaVell Lee, creator/host and executive producer of the highly successful The Buzz–Buzzworthy Radio podcast, which features exclusive, in-depth conversations with actors, filmmakers, and creators, covering film festivals like SXSW, red carpets, and studio press days, focusing on the craft and personal stories behind the work.
Mr. Lee observes: “Black podcasters are not celebrated enough, mainly because it seems that they are not promoted as heavily. However, we have some of the best stories and history to share. We certainly work three times as hard to create such a viable product. Seeing black hosts and shows celebrated with the Black Podcasting Awards is truly an honor. It gives respect and attention to shows that many never knew existed.”
Despite the challenges for African Americans in the U.S. – persistent socioeconomic disparities, wealth inequality, and systemic racism in housing, education, and healthcare, according to the Brookings Institute – Black podcasters have made inroads and built a self-sustaining ecosystem that includes Black podcast professionals, Black podcast networks, Black consumers, and Black advertisers.
Let’s look at the state of Black podcasting, identifying successes, areas of concern, and future prospects.
The Numbers don’t lie
In 2024, African Americans represented an estimated 13.7 percent of the total U.S. population.
“Black podcasts only represent one-half of one percent of all active podcasts,” states Demetrius Bagley, Executive Director of the Black Podcasting Awards (BPA) in an interview. “That’s a problem.”
“Black people are big supporters of podcasting,” explains Demetrius. “According to the Infinite Dial survey, 45% percent of Black Americans in the U.S. age 12+ have listened to podcasts in the last month, and 28% have listened in the past week.”
Demetrius then tells us that, according to Infinite Dial, the top ten podcasts among Black listeners include familiar shows to all audiences like Joe Rogan, Crime Junkie, and The Daily. It also includes shows — The Breakfast Club, Drink Champs, The Joe Budden podcast, and the Steve Harvey Morning Show — focused on Black audiences.
There is also a thriving Black podcasting infrastructure for both creators and listeners. Some of the most influential Black podcast networks include the Black Effect Podcast Network, which is a partnership between Charlamagne and iHeartRadio. The network’s goal is to “bring together the most talented and trusted voices in Black culture for critical conversations on social justice, pop culture, and more. We’ve curated influential Black voices and tastemakers and will continue to do so as we expand to include not only voices you know, but voices you should.”
Ear Worthy
In a landmark study – The State Of Black Podcasting 2026 – the datasets revealed numerous conclusions about the vibrant health of Black podcasting in the U.S.
First, tracking less than ~1% of all podcasts being Black. Only six percent of podcasts ever reach 100 episodes. Black podcasters do it at 5x that rate.
Second, Black podcasters publish weekly or more at 32 percent versus 21 percent for all English-language active podcasts. In fact, 3,506 Black active shows (nearly 70 percent of known actives) published within the past year, according to the study.
Third, Black podcasts build deeper catalogs than average, with 31 percent having 100+ episodes vs. ~19 percent for all other podcasts.
Fourth, Black podcasts “stay in the game” longer than predicted, with 30 percent of Black podcasts active after three years, as compared to the industry average of 18 percent overall.
Fifth, while not specifically data-driven, Black podcasters have achieved these objectives without proportional support, no dedicated discovery mechanisms, nominal advertising, and minimal press coverage.
Sixth, the nature of black podcasts differs from that of the industry as a whole. While the industry favorites are true-crime, Black podcasts tend to be more about teaching, coaching, and healing.
“I think this new study demonstrates unequivocally that Black podcasters have made strong gains despite significant headwinds,” said Demetrius Bagley in a recent interview.
And the winner is…
What anchors Black podcasting are several key events and systems. First up is the Black Podcasting Awards (BPA). In the six years the awards have been in existence, there have been 350 nominees, 36 award categories, 126 winners, and 76 volunteer judges.
The Black Podcasting Awards (BPAwards), founded in 2020, is a volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that celebrates, spotlights, and bolsters Black podcast creators across dozens of categories, including Best Culture, Best Editing, and Podcast of the Year.
BPA
BPA also has a vibrant Substack newsletter, and a free newsletter –BPAwards Opportunities shares info about award programs, grants, and speaking gigs for podcasters. Subscribe and receive it on Saturday mornings at apply.blackpodawards.com and, for journalists, All Hear.
The Black Podcasting Awards are the ultimate grass roots organization. It started from a tweet in February 2020: “f** it, let’s start our own black podcasting awards. Nobody sees us til it benefits them, so hell w/ them!”-Tracy Clayton @brokeymcpoverty
Demetrius Bagley, the executive director, is an award-winning documentary movie producer, nationally recognized events producer, and an accomplished fundraiser + crowdfunder.
Demetrius Bagley, the executive director of the BPA, is an award-winning documentary movie producer, nationally recognized events producer, and an accomplished fundraiser + crowdfunder. Demetrius produced the Stars on Fire, Black Astrologers Today, as well as Astrology Brooklyn podcasts. He also published astrology columns for VIBE Magazine.
BPA
Black Podcasting Awards (BPA) reached a new milestone in October 2025, bringing dozens of podcasters and fans together in Baltimore for its first-ever in-person ceremony, held during the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival. The standing-room crowd filled the historic Motor House’s Black Box Theater to honor the voices shaping Black podcasting, from indie creators and breakout shows to leaders redefining the medium itself.
With 45 awards bestowed on 29 podcasts, five podcasters, and one network, the evening showcased the brilliance and breadth of Black podcasting. Anna DeShawn (Queer News) earned four honors, including the prestigious Legend Award. Fellow indie podcaster Lisa Woolfork (Stitch Please) echoed DeShawn’s big night, sweeping all three of her categories.
Music and culture favorite, We Sound Crazy Podcast, also scored three awards, including the coveted Podcast of the Year. Longtime creator Dominic Lawson (Black Is America) received three new awards, including the peer-voted Podcaster of the Year, bringing his career total to 42.
“Podcasting is more than a notion!” said Christin Smallwood, host of Untoxicify Your Relationship, which earned Best Religion & Spirituality Podcast. “Creating this body of work has been a labor of love — one that has stretched and strengthened me, and I pray empowers others seeking sustainable, grace-filled relationships.”
Impostrix Podcast creator/host Whitney Knox Lee spoke about her award in an interview, noting that, “BPA staff and volunteers are deeply dedicated to uplifting top tier shows, and I am honored the Impostrix Podcast is considered one of those shows.”
Impostrix
In 2024, creator / host Whitney Knox Lee won for Best Business Award for her podcast Impostrix. Whitney describes the podcast this way: “Impostrix Podcast validates working people of color who feel like an imposter in their workspaces or who navigate racial toxicity in their career. We are a healing and learning space that encourages creativity, resilience, confidence, and pride.”
Michael Washington Brown, creator/host of Echoes In the First Person, about forgotten or neglected history talked in an interview about te support system linked to Black podcasting. “Since launching Echoes, I’ve been continually moved by the loyalty and support we’ve received. The show began very simply — sharing early episodes with friends and family — and it has since grown into a global audience that returns every week.”
What is The Black Effect?
The Black Effect Podcast Network is the leading platform for Black creators to raise their voices and be heard in the podcast space. It brings together the most influential and trusted voices in black culture for stimulating conversations around social justice, pop culture, sports, mental health, news, comedy and more. Launched in September 2020, the Black Effect Podcast Network has since debuted 37 shows, featuring a luminous roster of marquee talent and culture-shifting voices committed to enlightening, educating and entertaining audiences, curated by Charlamagne Tha God himself.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 25: Antoinette “Toni” Miller speaks onstage during the “Gen X to Gen Z: Bridging the Gap” Panel 2026 Black Effect Podcast Festival at Pullman Yards on April 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeart Media and The Black Effect Podcast Network)
Getty Images for iHeart Media an
The 2026 Black Effect Podcast Festival took place on a rainy Saturday, April 25, 2026 at the Pullman Yards in Atlanta. The event featured live podcast recordings, panel discussions spanning the business of podcasting, a pitch your podcast both, the Black Marketplace and more. Hosted by Loren LoRosa and DJ Envy of The Breakfast Club, the festival brought an impressive roster of talent through its doors. Cee Lo Green, Sheryl Underwood, Yung Miami, K. Michelle, Tika Sumpter, Claressa Shields, Lil Duval, KevOnStage, Dominique Morgan, Jamilla Bell, Mecca Lou, Stormi Steele, and a host of others made appearances throughout the day. Live tapings brought several popular shows to the Pullman Yards stage, including Drink Champs, The Don’t Call Me White Girl Show, Club 520 Podcast, Grits and Eggs Podcast and Reality With The King.
Beyond the entertainment, the festival leaned into substance with panels covering the evolution of artificial intelligence, audio and media development, and the future of the broader media landscape. The Audio and Media Development panel featured KevOnStage, Tika Sumpter and Carlos King among others, offering a candid look at where Black media is headed and what creators need to get there.
True to its mission of building community while celebrating creativity, the festival offered more than just programming. The popular Pitch Your Podcast Booth gave emerging creators a genuine shot at visibility, while The Black Effect Marketplace — powered by Shopify — showcased merchandise from Black-owned businesses and gave entrepreneurs a platform alongside some of the biggest names in the industry.
What started as an idea to amplify Black voices in podcasting has grown into one of the most anticipated events on the cultural calendar. With each passing year, the festival adds more names, more panels, more moments and more proof that Black media is not just surviving in a crowded landscape — it is setting the standard for what great media looks and feels like.
Black Effect Festival
Who pays attention to podcast ads?
According to a new report from Nielsen, Connecting with Black America, more Black listeners – 73 percent of them – remember the brands they hear advertised on podcasts. That’s higher than the overall population (70%).
Chris Colbert, CEO of DCP Entertainment, said in an interview, “Even though studies time and time again show that Black consumers are the leaders in digital purchasing and digital media consumption, we don’t get equal opportunities to bring in revenue. One of our goals was, and continues to be, showing major companies that it is beneficial to their financial bottom line to invest in Black creators who are speaking to the Black community.”
According to Edison Research, Black podcast listeners are highly receptive to advertising, with 90 percent taking action—such as purchasing or researching products—after hearing ads. They are more likely than the general U.S. audience to buy products mentioned by hosts (54% vs. 44% overall), especially on shows with Black hosts, which foster high trust
In fact, Edison Research reveals that 52 percent of Black weekly listeners have purchased a product or service after hearing it advertised on a podcast, compared to 49 percent of the general U.S. weekly audience.
The Black Podcast Listener Report revealed that 63 percent of adult Black monthly podcast listeners say that it is very or somewhat important that podcasts include Black stories and perspectives. Fifty percent of adult Black monthly podcast listeners say that it is very or somewhat important that podcasts have Black hosts.
Getty Images
When it comes to Black podcast listenership, women lead the way, unlike the rest of the industry, which still skews male, according to a SiriusXM 2025 Study. The average Black monthly podcast listener skews young and female, and 48 percent are employed full-time, while 36 percent have a college degree or higher—in other words, the kind of consumer brands want to reach.
Almost six in 10 (56%) of Black podcast listeners say the host plays a huge role in which shows they choose to listen to or watch. Meanwhile, 47 percent of Black consumers exclusively or mostly consume audio content from their culture. Whether they’re culture enthusiasts, part of the hive, trendsetters, or superfans, Black listeners are looking for trusted, relatable voices.
Black hosts and creators such as Audie Cornish, Kevin Blackistone, Bomani Jones, Jemele Hill, NaVell Lee, Sam Sanders, Bridget Todd, and others are influential in mainstream podcasting.
“There’s progress, but more work to be done,” said podcast marketer Daryll Greaves in an interview. “We need more Black voices in mainstream podcasting, we need the large podcast networks like Spotify and iHeart to either develop new podcasts for Black voices or recruit existing Black podcasts into their roster of shows.”
Whitney Knox Lee is a civil rights attorney, anti-racism equity consultant, and host of the Impostrix Podcast, which focuses on helping professionals of color navigate workplace toxicity and impostor experiences. A former civil rights attorney who works to protect the rights of incarcerated individuals, she is a 2020 Fellow of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law Racial Justice Institute. She also founded Wills for the People, an estate planning practice supporting Black households and communities of color.
Impostrix
In an interview with Attorney and podcaster Whitney Knox Lee, she sums it up this way: “Where would I like to see Black podcasting go? Its weird because Black podcasting is the entire universe of podcasts that I listen to, and in my mind (and also the statistics apparently) these shows and their hosts are steadfast and resilient. What I take from the stats is that we do more and for longer periods of time, more consistently, than non-Black independent shows. These shows are amazing, unique, refreshing, and REAL. To the extent these shows aren’t ‘mainstream’ or don’t catch the attention of media outlets or ad dollars, I say it’s a missed opportunity. I would love to see more platforms for Black indie hosts to reach wider audiences. Think BET’s 106 & Park, MTV’s Total Request Live, or today SiriusXM’s The Highway channel show “Highway Finds.” Where can indie shows be sampled on a large stage for viewers, listeners, and investors alike? I would love to see that station!”