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Events | Awards

INDEPENDENT PODCAST AWARDS 2026: GREAT DAYS OUT ON THE BUS FROM BUXTON TAKES THE TOP PRIZE

In brief

  • Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton, solo produced by Maria Passingham, was named Independent Podcast of the Year 2026 on Wednesday 4 November at Kings Place in London.
  • It also won Best Travel & Adventure and Best Podcast Artwork (artist Savannah Storm), and was Highly Commended in the new Best Regional category.
  • War Hall: A Theatre of the Mind became the awards' first ever Runner-Up, after winning Best Arts & Culture and Best Music.
  • This was the fourth edition, with 28 categories, three of them new for 2026, and more than 400 people at a sold-out ceremony. YouTube was Headline Partner.
  • Apple, Spotify and Pocket Casts have made playlists of all the winners.

The night at Kings Place

The Independent Podcast Awards were co-founded in 2023 by Verbal Diorama and whynow to celebrate shows made, in the organisers' words, "in backrooms, in their creator's spare time and without the pressures of upsetting sponsors". The 2026 winners were chosen by a panel of judges and announced on 4 November at Kings Place, London, in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 400 people from the indie podcasting community.

YouTube was this year's Headline Partner, and Mairi Brewis, Head of MediaCo and Responsibility Partnerships for YouTube UK, announced the overall winner. Three categories were new for 2026: Best Regional Podcast, Best Personal Stories Podcast and Best Limited Series. (whynow; Independent Podcast Awards)

Independent Podcast of the Year: Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton

Maria Passingham's show took three trophies on the night: the overall title, Best Travel & Adventure and Best Podcast Artwork. The judges said: "This is a remarkable podcast. It is so hyper local and yet so completely immersive. The host is instantly charming, open and natural." They added that it is "a massive argument for the audio format", with soundscapes that make "you feel like you're on the bus, in the field, in the pub alongside Maria."

According to the organisers, the show's name is going up on billboards in Leicester Square courtesy of Spotify. (PodcastingToday; whynow)

Runner-Up: War Hall: A Theatre of the Mind

War Hall, the first podcast to be named Runner-Up, won both Best Arts & Culture and Best Music. Podnews reports that it tells the wartime history of Walthamstow's Assembly Hall and is hosted by Professor John Thomas and Angela Allen MBE, who is 96, lived through the air raids that threatened the venue's construction, and received a standing ovation on the night. (Podnews)

Category winners

  • Best Arts & Culture: War Hall: A Theatre of the Mind (Highly Commended: Mag Hags, What the Austen?)
  • Best Books: The Failing Writers Podcast (Highly Commended: The Reading Cafe)
  • Best Branded Content: The Creative Life Story Work Podcast (Highly Commended: The Dementia Perspective)
  • Best Business & Culture: The Factory Next Door (Highly Commended: How to Own The Room)
  • Best Children & Young Adults: Dexplorers (Highly Commended: Taking the Dis!)
  • Best Comedy: Leyline High Rewind (Highly Commended: Crushed by Margaret Cabourn-Smith)
  • Best Environment & the Natural World: BatChat (Highly Commended: The Bell Witch Podcast)
  • Best Films & TV: All The Right Movies
  • Best Gaming: PastMaster: Reshaping History
  • Best Horror & The Supernatural: How Haunted?
  • Best Lifestyle: A Dose of Wellbeing: The Pharmacist Support Podcast
  • Best Limited Series: The Secret Life of Songs (Highly Commended: What I Really, Really Want)
  • Best Music: War Hall: A Theatre of the Mind
  • Best News & Politics: The Trawl
  • Best Parenting: Neuroshambles (Highly Commended: The Parent Teacher Loop)
  • Best Regional: Highlands Reimagined (Highly Commended: Dear Derry, Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton)
  • Best Science & Technology: Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast
  • Best Self Improvement: The Lighting Fires Podcast
  • Best Sex, Love & Relationships: Come Curious
  • Best Sport: Grand Pricks (Highly Commended: Top 100 in 10 Golf)
  • Best Travel & Adventure: Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton (Highly Commended: The Water Road)
  • Best True Crime: The Overturn (Highly Commended: REAL)
  • Best Video Podcast: Prash's Murder Map: True Crime Podcast (Highly Commended: Vintage Politics)
  • Best Podcast Artwork: Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton (artist: Savannah Storm)
  • Best Podcast Jingle: Garlic & Pearls (musicians: Joe Martin, violin, and Gareth Jones, trumpet)

Other winners named on the night include Mag Hags, Spooky Story Time and Still Life. The full list, with every shortlisted show, is on the Independent Podcast Awards website.

What the winners tell independent podcasters

The overall winner is a one-person production built on location sound and a strong sense of place, and the judges singled out the craft behind it. The new Best Video Podcast and Best Regional categories, plus YouTube's headline partnership, show how far video and local storytelling now sit at the centre of indie podcasting in the UK and Ireland.

Make your own show in London

London Podcasts, a Fitzrovia Post company, has 14 purpose-built recording studios at Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, Camden, London NW1 7DJ. Four are permanently configured for video podcasts, and every podcast studio booking includes an experienced engineer. Audio-only sessions start from £200 per hour + VAT and video podcast sessions from £230 per hour + VAT, with a one-hour minimum. Finished edits, trailers and social cuts are available, and complete production starts from £1,250 + VAT per episode.

Book online at londonpodcasts.co.uk/book, email bookings@londonpodcasts.co.uk or call 020 7209 3474.

FAQ

Who won Independent Podcast of the Year 2026?
Great Days Out on the Bus from Buxton, solo produced by Maria Passingham. It also won Best Travel & Adventure and Best Podcast Artwork.

When and where were the Independent Podcast Awards 2026?
The winners were announced on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at Kings Place in London, at a sold-out ceremony attended by more than 400 people.

What is War Hall: A Theatre of the Mind?
A podcast about the wartime history of Walthamstow's Assembly Hall, hosted by Professor John Thomas and Angela Allen MBE. It was the awards' first ever Runner-Up and won Best Arts & Culture and Best Music.

Who won Best Video Podcast at the Independent Podcast Awards 2026?
Prash's Murder Map: True Crime Podcast, with Vintage Politics Highly Commended.

Who runs the Independent Podcast Awards?
They were co-founded in 2023 by Verbal Diorama and whynow. YouTube was Headline Partner for 2026.

How much does it cost to record a podcast at London Podcasts?
Audio-only sessions start from £200 per hour + VAT and video podcast sessions from £230 per hour + VAT, with an engineer included and a one-hour minimum. Complete production starts from £1,250 + VAT per episode. Book at londonpodcasts.co.uk/book or call 020 7209 3474.

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