New wider focus for the BGAJ Podcaster of the Year Award as entries for 2026 open

Entries are now open for the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists’ ‘Podcaster of the Year Award’ which celebrates agricultural podcasts and the people behind the microphone. The award was launched in 2024 by BGAJ to celebrate agricultural podcasting and inspire agricultural podcasters to innovate the craft.

It is once again being kindly sponsored by specialist rural podcast production agency RuralPod Media.

This year however, the competition will focus on the producer behind the show. Whether you produce a show by yourself or whether you are part of a wider team, we are looking to celebrate the production and editorial talent behind agricultural podcasts. For the first time, we are also opening up entries to non-Guild members to encourage greater diversity.

Ben Eagle, Director of RuralPod Media, said: “Podcasting continues to grow and develop and numerous agricultural and rural podcasts have been launched over the past few years. For this year’s BGAJ podcast prize I am excited that we are broadening the competition to agricultural podcasters outside of the guild. We are looking for innovative, well-constructed and thought through podcasts that move the craft of podcasting forward and serve agricultural audiences.”

The winner and runner up will both receive tickets to the Guild’s Harvest Lunch on 8^th October as well as cash prizes of £200 for the winner and £100 for the Runner Up.

The entry guidelines are as follows:

• Deadline for entries: 21 August 2026
• Podcast content must be related to agriculture, the environment or rural life.
• Podcast entry must have been released between 01/08/2025 and 31/07/2026.
• Entries must include the producer’s name, email address and contact telephone number; the title and date of the broadcast; a brief description of the purpose of the episode and the podcast as a whole.
• Submit the link to one podcast episode and specify the timecode for up to 5 minutes of audio that you would like your entry to be judged on.
• One submission allowed per entrant.
• If there is more than one producer for a show, we will accept multiple entries for the same show, but the entry/episode must have been produced by the named entrant.

Your entry will be judged using the following criteria:

1. Production value – Consider the recording quality, including sound design, editing and technical aspects. Is the podcast well produced with clear audio and seamless transitions? Does the entry use non-verbal sound to tell the story?
2. Content and Storytelling – Is the content interesting or entertaining? Is it engaging and suitable for its intended audience? Would it make me want to listen to more episodes from this podcast?
3. Audience engagement – does the podcast connect with its audience? Does it foster listener interaction and feedback? Is there evidence of a strong and active community around the podcast?
4. Originality and Creativity – Is the content original? Does the podcast feature interviewees, stories, perspectives or ideas that aren’t represented in other media?
5. Impact and Influence – does the content have a broader impact on the agricultural industry or wider society? What is the reach of the content? Does it contribute towards social change or awareness? Does it inspire action, conversation or reflection amongst its listeners?

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