• A Panel of Judges from the UniPodFest Advisory Board will make up the panel of judges for the UniPodFest award. Each judge is responsible for selecting one top entry from their allocation.  The judges listen to all the top selections and discuss via email which they agree to give the award.
• The scoring process below is used as a basis for their decisions.
• Judges must declare conflicts of interest and entries will be allocated to judges where there is no conflict.
• There is a judging diversity monitoring process to ensure that judges are diverse and from a variety of backgrounds – this will be reviewed every year to keep bringing in new people. If you would be interested in being a future judge please email contact@soundtruism.com  

Criteria for UniPodFest Judging Process:

Key Questions asked in the judging process:

• How does the podcast serve the community it’s aimed at?
• Thinking about the podcast audience, how does the content hit the mark?
• How is the podcast different? Does it stand out somehow?
• Is it well researched?
• What are listener figures like?
• Does it leave you wanting more?

Community Criteria (score 0-5)

How well does the podcast serve its community? Does it incorporate or speak to them indicating a valuable connection with the podcast; does it really speak to listeners do you think?  Does the podcast connect with audiences through socials or by any other means – live shows or get togethers or a newsletter?

Originality Criteria (score 0-5)

How original is the podcast idea? Is there originality in guest selection, topics that are spoken about? Is the voice, style or tone of the podcast original in that it is something that is not heard on traditional radio and broadcast mediums. Does it incorporate original elements within the production or storytelling?

Research Criteria

How well researched is the podcast? What level of planning and preparation has gone into the podcast to research guests, topics and structure the conversation (if it is an interview based podcast).  Has the research extended to diversity of guests included, looking to expand the guest pool outside  their own circles to incorporate diverse opinions, thoughts and perspectives?

Longevity and Success

How likely is the podcast to continue to grow and move from strength to strength? Think about the topics of podcast episodes and the capacity for the podcast to keep going, rather than trail off as a one-off season. Does the podcast hit any of the podcast success indicators below?

• Audience metrics may be measured from follower growth, podcast reach and demographics
• Looking at popular episode download figures
• Quality of production and content
• Consistency in publishing episodes
• Growth in expertise or skill of the podcaster
• Reviews or positive listener feedback
• Website traffic
• Does the podcast have a key sponsor or is it likely to interest sponsors?
• Any associated podcast merch or spin-off benefits to the podcaster? (write-ups in the local press or being asked to speak on panels or for media interviews for example).

CEO & Founder: Soundtruism Productions