Twelve Radio Shows And Podcasts Nominated For 2025 Peabody Awards.

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has announced the nominees for the Radio/Podcast category. The dozen nominees were chosen by a unanimous vote of 27 jurors from over 1,000 entries across podcasts, radio, television and the web to represent the most compelling and impactful stories released during 2024. Two series — NPR’s Embedded and This American Life — were each double nominees.

“As with what always makes Peabody unique, this year’s nominees explore the local and global, the forgotten and the widely celebrated, the extraordinary and beautiful, and the ugliest and most horrible side of our inhumanity to others,” said Executive Director Jeffrey Jones. “Peabody-recognized storytelling is always a must-watch and must-listen for anyone who wants to understand the world we occupy together.”

The audio nominees in alphabetical order include—

“Blindspot: The Plague in the Shadows”

WNYC and The History Channel

WNYC Studios and The History Channel bring listeners stories from the early days of the AIDS epidemic, highlighting the people on the frontlines of activism and showing the long-term effects of the disease decades later.

“The Good Whale”

Serial Productions and The New York Times

Serial Productions and The New York Times tell the story of efforts to free the orca who played the title role in the film Free Willy from an amusement park in Mexico City. The epic experiment takes a number of unexpected turns, calling into question the practice of keeping animals in captivity — even, and maybe especially, celebrity animals.

“In the Dark: The Killings in Haditha”

The New Yorker

The New Yorker’s investigative podcast considers the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians by U.S. Marines, questioning whether they were war crimes, murder, or legitimate combat actions. Reporter Madeleine Baran and her team took four years, traveling to 21 states and three continents, to get the story.

“Lost Patients”

KUOW Seattle, The Seattle Times, NPR

NPR’s Lost Patients reframes the conversation around mental illness in the United States by centering the voices of those experiencing psychosis and exposing systemic failures in mental health care.

“Pablo Torre Finds Out: Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row”

Meadowlark Media

Correspondent David Fleming explores an unusual phenomenon in a Texas supermax prison: death row inmates using their final words to cheer for their favorite sports teams. Through the story of Charles Flores, the piece reveals how sports fandom offers inmates a way to express identity, connection, and humanity, even in their final moments.

“Pulse: The Untold Story”

Trevor Aaronson, Western Sound, and Audible

In this Audible production, host Trevor Aaronson challenges the established narrative surrounding the Pulse nightclub shooting, revealing that it was not a premeditated anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime, but rather an opportunistic act by shooter Omar Mateen — a shocking revelation that has received little coverage.

“Ripple”

Western Sound and APM Studios

In its first season, this investigative podcast revisits the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, revealing ongoing ecological and health crises faced by Gulf Coast communities long after media attention faded.

“Salmon Wars”

Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica

Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica team up to look into the disappearing salmon population in the Northwest, telling the story through the voices of one Yakama Nation family fighting to save the fish.

“Supermajority”

Nashville Public Radio and NPR’s Embedded

NPR’s Embedded presents this special four-part series following three mothers as they try to take on Tennessee’s Republican-controlled state legislature, hoping for changes to gun laws after their children’s school suffered a mass shooting in 2023. The lifelong conservatives assumed they would be heard by their own party but face challenging truths along the way.

“Tested”

Bucket of Eels, CBC, NPR’s Embedded

Hosted by Rose Eveleth, Tested delves into the ongoing debate surrounding who qualifies to compete in women’s sports, focusing on athletes Christine Mboma and Maximila Imali, who face challenges due to new regulations regarding testosterone levels. The series highlights broader issues of fairness, identity, and the societal implications of enforcing strict gender binaries, while also facilitating important conversations around sex and gender in sports.

“This is the Case of Henry Dee”

This American Life

This American Life spotlights the parole case of Henry Dee, who is seeking release after 50 years in prison. Listeners are taken along the difficult process, which ultimately calls into question the function of parole, and the meaning of crime and punishment.

“Yousef, Youmna, Banias, and Majd: Four Lives in Gaza”

This American Life

This American Life reports on the personal stories of individuals affected by the conflict in Gaza, showcasing their experiences and decisions through intimate phone conversations. Chana Joffe-Walt’s series of episodes provides a unique perspective on the war, emphasizing the humanity and agency of those living through it — from families navigating relocation to children coping with trauma, ultimately illustrating the resilience of life amid despair.

The winners of the 85th Annual Peabody Awards will be announced May 1 and celebrated June 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The ceremony will be hosted by Roy Wood Jr., with longtime NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell being honored with the Career Achievement Award and landmark comedy sketch series “Saturday Night Live” being honored with the Institutional Award.

The Peabody Awards were founded in 1940 at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia and remain there today.