Ireland’s first dedicated digital audio awards, the GoLouds, have been announced by Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp Media to salute popular podcasts and music choices based on annual streaming data. The awards are named after the GoLoud digital audio app serving live radio, podcasts and endless hours of music streaming in one place.
The GoLouds award categories cover business, culture, comedy, sport and tech.
An awards show honouring the nominees and winners will take place in Dublin later this year. The public will also have their say as the awards will include three audience-voting categories for best Irish podcast, best international podcast and best newcomer. To encourage Ireland’s next big podcast talent there will be the GoLoud Podship gong.
Worth €20,000, the award is open to anyone with a new idea for a podcast series. The winner will take home a cash prize of €5,000, as well as studio facilities, production support and a “significant marketing launch” for their series which will feature exclusively on the GoLoud platform. Applications are now open on www.goloudnow.com/podship
The GoLouds are managed by Kiela Brodigan (pictured), who heads up digital at Communicorp and is ex-Fáilte Ireland. The awards were endorsed by the Bandwagons, the podcast that “covers all your watercooler conversations” and comedian Julie Jay, host of Crimeland, the podcast where Jay chats to people about her favourite true-crime stories.
