The Audio Production Awards are back for 2026, and Sport Social Podcast Network is on board as a media partner once again.
Backed by headline sponsor Audible, the APA's celebrate the creativity, craft and talent shaping the UK podcast and audio industry. Recognising the people both behind the scenes and in front of the mic, the awards honour excellence across podcasts, radio, audiobooks, sound design, production and presenting.
Organised by AudioUK, the industry body dedicated to advancing the podcast and audio industry the APAs are where the podcast and audio community comes together to recognise outstanding achievement and celebrate another year of exceptional work.
The APAs have always been one of the highlights of the industry calendar for me. Over the years I've attended as a producer, commissioner, Content Head and sponsor, and what has always struck me is the genuine sense of community in the room. The APAs celebrate the people behind the podcasts, audiobooks and radio we all love: the producers, editors, sound designers, presenters, writers and teams whose creativity brings great ideas to life.
Now, as CEO of AudioUK, I'm incredibly proud to play a part in championing these awards. They reflect everything that makes our industry special: outstanding creativity, collaboration, innovation and a shared passion for great storytelling.
I'm also delighted to welcome back Audible as our headline partner and grateful to Amazon Music for continuing to support our Pay What You Can scheme, helping to ensure entries to the awards remain accessible.
I can't wait to see the incredible work that will be recognised this year and to celebrate with colleagues and friends from across the audio community at the BFI in November.
Chris Baughen, CEO of Audio UK.
2026 brings the biggest shake-up to the APAs category list yet. Six new and updated categories join the lineup this year: Executive Producer of the Year, International Breakthrough Award, Experimental Sound Design, and Best Use of Video are brand new, while Non-Fiction Audiobook and Ensemble Cast each become standalone categories in their own right for the first time.
Across all 30 categories, the awards celebrate production excellence spanning Comedy, Factual / Documentary, Audio Drama, Arts & Culture, Music, Entertainment, Lifestyle & Society, True Crime, History, Sound Design and more, plus a variety of on-mic and emerging talent awards. There are also the coveted awards for Production Company of the Year, Publisher or Network of the Year, Producer of the Year, and the new Executive Producer of the Year: recognising the leaders and visionaries who shape what gets made.
The Kids Content category returns, celebrating the explosion of audio and podcasts being created for younger audiences and as always, it will be judged by its target audience. Kids!
Most categories are open to individual producers as well as teams of producers working closely together, in recognition that many productions cannot be narrowed down to the work of a single person. Entrants are encouraged to read the category citations for the full entry guidelines.
Entries are open now and close on 16th September at 2pm BST.
Early Bird entry fee for AudioUK Members is £50+VAT and £60+VAT for non-members and will run for an extended period of 10 weeks until Sunday 30th August.From then on, the standard entry fee will be £65+VAT for AudioUK Members and £70+VAT for non-members until the final deadline on Wednesday 16th September at 2pm (please note: there will be no late extension to the entry deadline).
Pay What You Can Scheme Returns
With the excellent support from Amazon Music, AudioUK will be running the Pay What You Can scheme for a fifth year, offering discounted entry rates for those under financial constraints, who would otherwise be unable to enter the Awards. Please email roshan.roberts@audiouk.org.uk to access the scheme.
TO ENTER plus all category descriptions, eligibility criteria, and further details, click here: https://theapas.co.uk/live/en/page/categories