The Signal Awards, now in its fifth year, has named finalists for its 2026 honors, with Jon Stewart, Amy Poehler, Oprah Winfrey, Anderson Cooper, Monica Lewinsky, Michelle Obama, and Craig Robinson among the recognized.

The awards, which the organization says spotlight podcasting’s “risk-takers,” drew a 30% increase in submissions for the second consecutive year. Finalist podcasts and production companies include “Funny You Ask with Ike Barinholtz” from Fixated, “Good Hang with Amy Poehler” from Spotify’s The Ringer, “The Oprah Podcast” from Harpo Entertainment, “The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart” from Paramount, “Wild Card with Rachel Martin” from NPR, and “The Sam Sanders Show” from KCRW.

Independent and emerging creators also made the finalist list, among them “Being Jewish with Jonah Platt,” “Bucket Podcast,” “Flightless Bird,” “More Muslim” and “Zero to Well-Read.”

“Podcasting has become more culturally influential than ever before,” said Jemma Rose Brown, General Manager of the Signal Awards. “This year’s finalists are a true testament to the medium’s growth in both breadth and depth.”

Fan voting for the “Listener’s Choice Awards” saw more than 385,000 votes cast in 2025. Winners of the 2026 “Listener’s Choice Awards,” along with bronze, silver and gold honors selected by the invitation-only Signal Awards Judging Academy, will be announced October 20. A Signal Winners’ Party is scheduled for November 9 in Brooklyn.

Oswin Baker, founder and co-host of “Trapped History,” a 2025 Signal Award winner, credited the recognition with expanding the show’s audience. “Winning a Signal Award has taken ‘Trapped History’ to another level,” Baker said. “Sharing stories of people we weren’t taught about in school, this season our small indie show has been featured in Forbes and The Guardian, pulled in 45K extra downloads and hit 50K Instagram followers.”

Listener’s Choice voting is open and runs through October 15.

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