Black Podcasting Awards Extends Application Deadline To Champion More Indie Audio Excellence

Black Podcasting Awards (BPAwards) has officially extended its 2025 application deadline through Monday, August 11. This extension is a dedicated effort to support independent Black podcasters who are shaping the future of audio storytelling. Moreso as the U.S. mainstream media landscape evolves without Joy Ann Reid, Stephen Colbert, and NPR.

“If you’ve been meaning to apply, this is your chance,” said Demetrious Bagely, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Podcasting Awards. “We are here to celebrate and elevate the passionate hobbyists and indigenous indies, along with the familiar movers & shakers. We urge all eligible podcasters to come through to receive recognition, support, and encouragement for their work, get their name in the running now, and support Black podcasting broadly.”

Now in its fifth year, the Black Podcasting Awards uplifts and celebrates Black voices across dozens of categories — from comedy and culture to tech, wellness, politics, and beyond. This year’s awards will culminate in the first-ever in-person ceremony, taking place Friday, October 17, 2025, in partnership with the 7th annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival in Baltimore, Maryland.

Special Application Pricing Details:

$139 per category application is in effect through Monday, August 4.

Regular pricing of $199 per application resumes Tuesday, August 5, and remains through the deadline of August 11.

Podcasters can use the discount code STAYCOOL for 10% off their application.

Submitting takes less than 10 minutes. Eligible podcasts are at least 50% Black hosted with a minimum of 6 episodes in English published between May 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025, to a public RSS feed. 

Apply now at apply.BlackPodAwards.com

About Black Podcasting Awards

Black Podcasting Awards (BP Awards) celebrates, spotlights, and bolsters Black podcasts for more wins and successes. It achieves this primarily by producing an annual awards program and ceremony. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Erica Cobb Makes History As Inaugural Lead Judge For Black Podcasting Awards

Black Podcasting Awards (BPAwards), the largest global awards program for Black podcasters, proudly announces Erica Cobb, co-host of TEGNA’s popular show ‘Daily Blast Live’ and the acclaimed host of the 2023 NAACP Image Awards-nominated podcast Comeback with Erica Cobb, as its trailblazing inaugural lead judge.

Joining Erica Cobb at the judges’ table are a diverse and distinguished array of media makers and communication professionals, including veteran online broadcaster Dr. Vibe, Nigerian podcaster Osakpolor Aiguobasinmwin, Podcasters Unlimited CEO Denese Duran Longsworth, influential content creator Lloyd George, and award-winning podcasters Krystal Hill and Dominic Lawson.

Since its 2020 founding, the organization has bestowed awards on nearly 50 podcasts. Its biggest winners to date include Cassandre Dunbar’s inspiring Be Well, Sis, A’Shanti Gholar’s pioneering Brown Girls Guide to Politics, and Anna DeShawn’s groundbreaking Queer News.

2023 winners will be unveiled at its much anticipated fourth annual ceremony, a livestream event on BPAwards’ YouTube channel Sunday, September 24, 2 pm Eastern.

Stay up to date with BPAwards by following them @BlackPodAwards on social media.