February 2025 marks a major milestone for ARN’s iHeart as it celebrated five years of shaping Australia’s podcasting landscape — while securing yet another #1 ranking in the latest Podcast Ranker.

Released today, the January Podcast Ranker reaffirms iHeart’s leadership as Australia’s #1 Podcast Publisher, a title that has held for an extraordinary 57 consecutive ranker. Last month alone, iHeart recorded over 6.5 million listeners and 22.7 million downloads.

Further strengthening its position as the home of premium audio, iHeart has extended key partnership with Audioboom and Sony, reinforcing its commitment to delivering world-class content. These renewed agreements build on recent collaborations with BBC Studios late last year and Exactly Right Media, the creators of My Favorite Murder, last month.

Longstanding partnerships with Clubby Sports, Channel 7, and The New York Times further cement iHeart’s reputation as Australia’s leading destination for must-listen podcasts.

Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, said: “Celebrating our fifth anniversary as Australia’s #1 podcast publisher is a huge achievement and highlight iHeart’s dedication to delivering outstanding audio content. Our continued dominance in the Podcast Ranker reflects the strength of our partnerships and the incredible engagement of our listeners.

With the renewal of key agreements with Audioboom and Sony, alongside exciting collaborations with BBC Studios and shows like Life Uncut, The Daily Aus and She’s On The Money, we’re continuing to grow our offering and set the benchmark for podcasting in Australia.”

Overall, iHeart represents 45 of Top 200 podcasts, with highlighting including:

Casefile: True Crime at #5 overall (#1 True Crime)

Life Uncut at #9 (#1 Relationship Podcast)

Stuff You Should Know up 5 places to #17 (#1 Knowledge)

The Daily Aus climbing 9 spots to #19

The Kyle & Jackie O Show jumping 13 spots to #26 overall (#1 radio show) despite being off air for most of the month

She’s On The Money up 10 spots to #28

BBC’s Global News Podcast moving up 3 places to #30

On Purpose With Jay Shetty maintaining its spot at #34

No Such Thing As A Fish climbing 3 places to #40

TED Talks Daily at #60

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, according to Podtrac, announced the return of 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards and nominees across all 29 categories.

The awards, which will honor the very best in podcasting throughout 2022 and celebrate the most innovative talent and content creators in the industry, will video stream on Tuesday, March 14 and 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m PT on iHeartRadio’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page, as well as broadcast on select iHeartMedia radio stations across the country and everywhere listeners are via the iHeartRadio app. The show will also be available on demand following the initial stream.

Nominees across categories include podcasts from all creators, distributors and platforms with a judging panel composed of blue-ribbon podcast industry leaders, creatives and visionaries who will determine the winners in categories including entertainment, comedy, crime, news, sports, food, business and more, including a new category, Best Overall Ensemble.

Each year, podcast fans help decide the winner of the coveted Podcast of the Year award by socially voting on Twitter. This year’s nominees include Conan O’Brian Needs a Friend, Crime Junkie, Fly On The Wall With Dana Carvey and David Spade, Las Culturistas, Love and Noraebang, Maintenance Phase, Morbid, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Scam Goddess, and SmartLess. Voting has begun and willing through the end of the year. More information can be found at iHeart.com/podcast-awards.

In addition, the 2023 iHeartPodcast Awards will present Icon Awards to pay tribute to creators, organizations and podcasts that have made groundbreaking contributions to podcasting’s expanding role in today’s popular culture.

Kara Swisher, widely acclaimed journalist, editor and podcast host, will be honored with the 2023 Pioneer Award; Dr. Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab podcast and creator of the free Psychology and the Good Life curriculum for high school teachers which teaches students about wiser choices and how to live a happy and fulfilling life, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, host of the widely popular mental health podcast Therapy for Black Girls, whose work focuses on making mental health topics more relevant and accessible for Black women, will both be honored with a 2023 Social Impact Award; and Ashley Flowers, founder and CEO of audiochuck, the award-winning podcast production company, will be honored with the 2023 Innovator Award.

“We continue to see tremendous growth in the podcast industry, as this medium explodes with new creators and brand interests alike,” said Conan Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group. “To celebrate the most noteworthy, innovative storytellers in podcasting, we are proud to host the signature event to honor this creativity and empower new and emerging voices around the world.”

Last year, the 2022 iHeartPodcast Awards featured an array of celebrity presenters, guests and nominees recorded from multiple locations. Appearances included Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, Martha Stewart, Dua Lipa, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Paris Hilton, Flame Monroe, Shonda Rhimes, Will Ferrel, Wilmer Valderrama and many more.

For the full 2023 category nominees (in alphabetical order) click HERE.