How to Create an Award-Winning Podcast Submission
The New Zealand Podcast Awards are officially open and if you’re a podcaster, you might be wondering: is my show ready to enter?
Awards aren’t just about having a good idea. Judges look at the whole package: audio quality, consistency, audience engagement, and impact. If you’re not quite there yet, don’t panic. Think of awards season as both a chance to win and a chance to grow.
Here’s your roadmap to creating a podcast awards submission that stands out:
1. Is Your Podcast Ready?
Judges expect clean, consistent audio; regular episode releases; and evidence that you’re building a community. Listener reviews, shares, and testimonials go a long way. If you don’t tick all those boxes yet, spend the next 12 months levelling up. Small changes, like upgrading your mic, engaging your listeners outside the podcast, or running a listener survey, can make a big difference.
(Need a shortcut? My Confidence & Clarity Podcast Audit gives you tailored, judge-level feedback so you know exactly where to focus next.)
2. Pick the Right Category
Don’t just choose the flashiest-sounding award. Play to your strengths. Amazing interviews? Enter “Best Interview.” Strong sound design? Aim for a technical category. Loyal listeners? “Best Indie” could be your lane. Tailor your entry to fit the category description.
3. Build a Killer Show Reel
This is your highlight package. Keep it sharp (5–10 minutes), start strong, and showcase variety, whether that’s a powerful interview, a moment of humour, or a beautifully produced segment. Smooth transitions keep it professional. Be ruthless in clip selection.
If this part feels overwhelming, outsource it. A fresh set of ears (like mine) can cut through your attachment to certain episodes and create a seamless, impactful reel.
4. Nail Your Written Submission
Stick to the criteria. Avoid waffle. Use specifics: instead of saying “Our audience is growing,” write “Our downloads increased 50% in six months, reaching 12 countries.” Back it up with reviews, testimonials, and data. And mirror the judges’ language. If they’re looking for “creativity, originality, and execution,” make sure those words shine through.
5. Tell Your Podcast Story
Don’t just list facts, take the judges on a journey. What gap did you fill? What impact have you made? Why does your podcast matter? The more compelling your story, the more memorable your submission.
💡 Final tip: Even if you don’t win, the process itself is valuable. You’ll see your podcast more clearly, and you’ll be better prepared next time.
Ready to enter? Good luck and have fun with it!
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[Music]
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Want a podcast? Coda. I'm Maxine,
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podcast producer, audio nerd, and
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founder of Maxine London Creative. Let's
0:17
explore what it takes to start and
0:19
maintain a successful podcast. I'll chat
0:22
with industry experts, podcast hosts,
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and fellow audio nerds on everything
0:27
about the wonderful world of podcasting.
0:29
We'll talk techniques, trends, and top
0:31
tips to get you started on your podcast
0:34
journey. Whether you're a podcast newbie
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or you've been here a while, welcome.
0:38
Want a podcast?
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Reckon your podcast has what it takes to
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win an award? With submissions for the
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New Zealand Podcast Awards for 2025
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officially open, I thought I'd take the
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time to chat through what it takes to
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win an award. And I'm not just talking
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about this year's New Zealand podcast
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awards because these tips will be
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applicable for any awards season. Today
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I am talking about how to put together
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an awards submission that will actually
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impress the judges. We'll cover how to
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know if your podcast is even ready, how
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to pick a category that plays most to
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your strengths, how to create a show
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reel that will make the judges sit up
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straight, and how to write a written
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submission that ticks all the boxes.
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First things first, how do you know if
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your show is even ready for an award?
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Here's the thing. Awards aren't just
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about having a good idea. These judges
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are going to be looking at the whole
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package. That means audio quality. Does
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your podcast sound clean, balanced, and
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easy to listen to? Judges don't expect
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you to have a fullblown radio studio
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setup, but they do expect you to care
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about the basics. Things like clear
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vocals, minimal background noise, and
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consistent audio levels. If your volume
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jumps all over the place, if you've got
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uneven or jarring audio cuts, or if
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you're recording in the kitchen with
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your dishwasher on, that's all going to
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hurt your chances. Now, if your audio
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isn't quite cutting it this year for
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this year's award submissions, don't
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worry. These are just some things that
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you can improve for next year. You can
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do things like invest in a decent
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dynamic microphone, learn a little bit
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of editing, you can record in a quieter
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space, or even make small changes like
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adding soft furnishings to your room.
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That can make a big difference. Audience
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engagement. Judges love to see signs
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that you're building a real community
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around your show. And this doesn't mean
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you need tens of thousands of downloads.
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They'll be impressed if you can show
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evidence of listener loyalty, like
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strong ratings, reviews, people sharing
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your episodes on socials, or an engaged
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online group or newsletter community. If
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you don't have reviews or engagement
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yet, don't be afraid to ask your
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audience in a fun, creative way, and
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make sure that you're encouraging
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conversation with your listeners outside
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of the podcast itself. Consistency and
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craft. Have you been releasing episodes
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regularly? Do your episodes feel thought
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out, structured, and intentional? Or are
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they a little bit all over the place?
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Consistency is a huge sign of
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professionalism and growth. If your
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schedule has been a little bit patchy,
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maybe you should focus on getting
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consistent first. A solid run of well
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prodduced episodes can make your show
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look so much stronger when the
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submissions roll around again.
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Now, if you're listening and thinking, h
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maybe I'm not quite there yet. That is
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totally fine. Honestly, entering the
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awards isn't just about winning some
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sort of shiny trophy. In fact, I don't
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even think you get a trophy. It's more
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about leveling up your podcast. If this
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year isn't your year, just treat the
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awards criteria like your road map. Ask
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yourself, is my audio as clean and
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consistent as it could be? Am I building
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real engagement around my audience? And
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do I have listener feedback or
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testimonials that show my podcast makes
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an impact? Also have a look at your
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consistency. Like, are you releasing
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episodes regularly enough to show growth
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and consistency? If you've got gaps
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here, that's okay. Spend the next 12
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months working on them. Run a listener
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survey to collect feedback and refine
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your release schedule or even take the
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time to really polish your production.
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And if you're not really sure where to
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start, that is exactly where my
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confidence and clarity audit is for.
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I'll listen to your podcast with a
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judge's eye and give you tailored advice
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on where you're strong and where you can
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improve so that by time the submissions
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roll around again you are award ready.
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Or maybe you're sitting there thinking
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yes actually my show is ready. If that's
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you here's what you do next. First and
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most importantly it is so crucial to
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choose the right categories. Don't just
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enter the flashiest sounding category.
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Enter the ones that actually fit your
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strengths. Look at what you do best. Is
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it storytelling? Maybe it's interviews.
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Maybe you've got killer production
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values or a niche audience that hangs on
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your every word. Match that to the
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category description. For example, if
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your sound design is amazing, go for
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technical categories. If you've nailed
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your audience connection, look for
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categories like best indie or best new
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podcast. If your interviews sparkle, but
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your editing isn't so fancy, go for best
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interviews rather than best production.
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And don't forget, you can usually enter
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more than one category. Just make sure
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that it's not copy and pasted, that
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you're actually tailoring each entry to
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the specific category and what they're
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looking for. Now, let's talk about the
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fun bit. Creating a show reel. This is
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where the judges can really hear what
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makes your podcast shine. Keep it short
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and sharp. Usually, it's around 5 or 10
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minutes, but always check the guidelines
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because it will tell you exactly what
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they're looking for. Once you have
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thoroughly read and understood the
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guidelines, it is time to choose your
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clips. It's important that you don't
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just choose your favorite clips, but you
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actually play into the guidelines and
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give the judges exactly what they want.
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Here's how to put it together. Start
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with your strongest clip. You've got
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seconds to grab attention, so make sure
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you make it count. Include variety.
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Maybe a snippet of your intro, a juicy
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guest moment, and then a little bit of
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storytelling magic. Show depth, show
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emotion, show creativity.
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Choose clips that highlight your best
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qualities, whether it's humor, heart, or
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creativity, or even slick editing. Play
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to your strengths. Now, again, this is
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all going to come back down to what
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category you're entering and the
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specific guidelines for that category.
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For example, if it's best interview,
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showcase your interviewing skills. Use a
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mix of clips that have you engaging in
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the conversation and clips of your
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guests opening up, being vulnerable, and
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giving you the gold.
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If it's best branded or sponsored
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podcast, showcase how your podcast
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highlights brands in a variety of ways.
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Maybe that's host red ads, casual
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adlibs, interwoven in stories, or even
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with guests. Word of warning though,
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don't try to squeeze in everything
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you've ever done. Judges don't want the
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greatest hits extended edition. They
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just want a curated snapshot that shows
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exactly why your podcast stands out. Pro
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tip, include smooth transitions. A tiny
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little bit of music or a smooth sound
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effect between the clips can really make
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your reel feel seamless and intentional.
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Now, let's talk about the traps and what
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to avoid in your show reel. Here's what
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not to do. Don't start with a long-
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winded intro or theme song. Judges don't
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need to hear your full opener. They just
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want to get straight to the good stuff.
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Don't include inside jokes or rambling
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guest stories that take forever to get
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to the point. And don't include every
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single best bit that you've ever done.
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Remember, this is a highlight reel, not
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a featurelength documentary. You have to
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be ruthless. If it's a clip that is good
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but not great, or if it doesn't serve
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the category that you're entering, leave
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it out. Less is more. And if this part
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of it feels a little bit overwhelming,
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outsource it. Seriously, hire someone
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like me to create a professional show
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reel that hits the brief, flows
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seamlessly, and shows your podcast in
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its absolute best light. Sometimes an
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outside air is exactly what you need to
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cut through your emotional attachment to
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certain episodes or moments.
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Once you've got your show reel
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completed, it is time for your written
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submission. This needs to be clear,
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direct, and tied back to the judging
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criteria. Judges are reading heaps of
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these, so don't waffle. If there's a
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word count, make sure that you adhere to
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it. Answer every question like it really
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matters. And with specifics as well. So,
10:04
instead of saying, "Our audience is
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growing," you could say something like,
10:08
"We've grown 50% in the last 6 months,
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and our listeners are now tuning in from
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12 different countries." Instead of our
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show is unique, say why it's unique and
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what impact it's having on your
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community. Include testimonials,
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reviews, and pieces of audience feedback
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that will back up what you're saying as
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well. And remember, impact is key.
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Judges love to see that your podcast is
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doing more than just existing. What
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difference is it making? Who's it
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helping? and how is it changing the
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conversation in your niche?
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For every single part of your
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submission, make sure that you have read
10:50
the judging criteria like it is exam
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notes because honestly, it is. If they
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say they're looking for creativity,
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originality, and execution, make sure
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that those exact things are obvious in
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your submission. Don't assume that
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judges will magically get your show. You
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have to show them in their own language.
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You can mirror their words back at them
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as well. So if the criteria says strong
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storytelling, you can literally write,
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"Here's how our show demonstrates strong
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storytelling." It feels a little bit on
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the nose, but honestly, it does work.
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When it comes down to it, the most
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important thing to remember is that
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you're taking these judges on a journey
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through your podcast. They haven't
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necessarily heard your podcast before,
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so treat them like they know absolutely
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nothing about it. Storytelling is key.
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At the end of the day, this is what will
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separate your submission from the rest.
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So, tell the story of your podcast. You
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can frame it like this. What challenge
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or gap in the market are you responding
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to? What did you create and how did you
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deliver it? What impact has it had that
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makes your submission memorable? Judges
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will walk away not just knowing what
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your podcast is, but why it matters.
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Remember, even if you don't win this
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year, the process itself is a massive
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growth exercise. You'll see your podcast
12:24
more clearly, and you'll get practice at
12:26
positioning it in a way that sells its
12:29
strengths. And hey, if you're submitting
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to the New Zealand Podcast Awards, I'd
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love to cheer you on. Tag me when you
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announce your entry or send me a DM and
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let me know what category you're gunning
12:39
for. If you need support putting your
12:42
show real together or even strategizing
12:44
which categories are best for your show,
12:46
get in touch. Or if you want
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personalized feedback on how to get your
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podcast awards ready for next year, my
12:55
confidence and clarity podcast audit is
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the perfect place to start. I'll go
13:01
through your podcast with a fine tooth
13:03
comb and give you back tailored advice
13:06
on everything from content to
13:09
presentation to production. You can
13:11
check that out via the link in the show
13:13
notes. Good luck. Have fun with it if
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you're entering and I will catch you
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next time on W podcast.
13:25
Thanks for listening to W podcast. If
13:28
you got something out of this episode,
13:30
give it some love. Subscribe, follow,
13:32
share it with your friends, or leave a
13:34
review. It all helps to get this podcast
13:37
into the ears of those who need it. If
13:39
you're keen to connect, check out
13:41
Wodcast or Maxine London Creative on
13:44
Instagram or head to maxine
13:46
Londoncreative.co.nz.
13:48
Check out the show notes for links.
13:50
Thanks again for being part of my
13:51
community. See you next time.
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