AUCKLAND, Today: The 2025 New Zealand Podcast Awards have revealed this year’s winners, celebrating standout storytelling, innovation and audience connection across Aotearoa’s fast-growing podcast scene. The Spinoff Podcast Network led the pack with multiple Gold wins.
The winners span everything from sharp political analysis to imaginative audio fiction, showing just how ambitious and culturally impactful the local podcasting space has become.
When the Facts Change picked up Gold for Best Branded Podcast, recognised for its clear, engaging take on New Zealand’s political economy and its ability to make complex ideas feel accessible.
Hosted by Bernard Hickey, the show has built a deeply engaged audience with a 76% listen-through rate, 360,000 downloads, a social reach of 700,000 and a 4.8-star Spotify rating.
Its 24% growth in followers reflects its rising influence and a strong partnership with Kiwibank’s economics team, whose expert insights help lift national understanding.
Fury of the Small won Best Fiction Podcast, celebrating the Dungeons & Dragons limited series from The Wild Magic Tavern and The Spinoff, with performances from Brynley Stent, Arlo Gibson, Ella Hope-Higginson, Tom Eason and Paddy Carroll.
Featuring immersive sound design by Te Aihe Butler, the series blends drama, improv and tabletop roleplay into a unique audio experience.
““This Gold win for Best Network or Publisher is a tremendous honour and a reflection of the creative ambition and dedication of everyone at The Spinoff.” – Amber Easby, CEO of The Spinoff.”
The series earned recognition across several categories:
- Best New Podcast (Gold) – Celebrated as one of the year’s most inventive and impactful debuts.
- Creativity Award (Silver) – Honoured for originality, immersive storytelling and innovative production.
- Podcast of the Year (Silver) – Recognised for outstanding craft and audience impact.
The Spinoff Podcast Network’s Gold for Best Network or Publisher highlights a year defined by creative range, community connection and editorial ambition across shows like Gone By Lunchtime, When the Facts Change and The Fold.
Supported by live events and more than 900,000 downloads in the past year, the network continues to help shape national conversations.
“This Gold win for Best Network or Publisher is a tremendous honour and a reflection of the creative ambition and dedication of everyone at The Spinoff,” says Amber Easby, CEO of The Spinoff.
“We are so proud of the work our teams produce – it is genuinely resonating with our audience, who are clearly hungry for high-quality, impactful audio.
“I want to acknowledge the brilliant work from our team, including content producer Te Aihe Butler and senior producer Jin Fellet, who are pivotal in overseeing production and setting the high bar for all of our outstanding podcast work.”
Building on the success of Juggernaut in 2024, The Spinoff has now released Juggernaut 2: The Story of the Fourth National Government. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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