Apple Celebrates Best Podcasts of 2021

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 Best of Podcasts 2021
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.

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Top Rated Comments

DMG35 Avatar
52 months ago
Ironically Apple also was celebrated for having the worst podcast app.

Congrats to Apple!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
8CoreWhore Avatar
52 months ago
No Louis Rossmann?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Herrpod Avatar
52 months ago

What is wrong with the Podcasts app?

In my experience, it's fluid, reliable, and syncs beautifully across all my Apple devices. It is everything I could possibly desire in a podcasting application.
I’m assuming you don’t use other apps, so you don’t realize how ridiculously god awful Apples is.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
52 months ago
No A Hotdog Is A Sandwich?

This list is worthless.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
stevet Avatar
52 months ago

It's a very American focused list.
It's also handcrafted ad not really based on statistics as the award and article would lead you to believe.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
52 months ago
They need to work on the app first before they can give out the awards come on.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)