Apple has today shared a press release celebrating the best and most popular podcasts of 2021, as curated by the Apple Podcasts editorial team.
Apple named "A Slight Change of Plans" with Maya Shankar as "Best Show of the Year." The show combines storytelling with cognitive and behavioral science to help listeners navigate change in their lives, including real-world stories about change when navigating the foster care system and undergoing medical treatments. A Slight Change of Plans features conversations with Riz Ahmed, Kacey Musgraves, Tommy Caldwell, and more.
"Anything for Selena" with Maria Garcia has been awarded "Newcomer of the Year." The show explores Latino fatherhood, belonging, identity, and language through storytelling and cultural analysis.
In addition to Best Show of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, Apple recognized a large number of shows and episodes that have "defined and reflected" 2021:
Shows
- "A Kids Book About: The Podcast" with Matthew Winner
- "Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain"
- "Good Inside with Dr. Becky"
- "Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang"
- "Pantsuit Politics" with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
- "Teenager Therapy" with Gael Aitor, Kayla Suarez, Mark Hugo, and Thomas Pham
- "The Experiment" with Julia Longoria
- "The Midnight Miracle" with Talib Kweli, yasiin bey, and Dave Chappelle
- "This Land" with Rebecca Nagle
- "U Up?" with Jordana Abraham and Jared Fried
Episodes
- "A Friendly Ghost Story" from "Invisibilia" with Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse
- "Bubba Wallace" from "Club Shay Shay" with Shannon Sharpe and Bubba Wallace
- "Glorious Basterds" from "Storytime with Seth Rogen"
- "How Do I Love Someone?" from "WILD" with Megan Tan
- "My Parents, Ellen and Tom" from "Forever is a Long Time" with Ian Coss
- "The Body Mass Index" from "Maintenance Phase" with Michael Hobbes
- "The People in the Neighborhood" from "Still Processing" with Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris
- "The Symphony" from "The Midnight Miracle" with Talib Kweli, yasiin bey, and Dave Chappelle
- "The Unwritten Rules of Black TV" from "The Experiment" with Hannah Giorgis
- "This Strange Story" from "9/12" with Dan Taberski
For more information about Apple's nominations and the top new shows, free channels, and subscriptions in Apple Podcasts, see the full press release.
