Everything you need to know before you enter
Episodes created January 1, 2025 or later are eligible. Enter from anywhere in the world, in as many categories as fit your work. Creator awards are free with any paid entry.
Five steps to a LIBBY
Submitting your podcast for the NYC Podcast Awards is simple. Follow these steps to compete for the iconic LIBBY trophy.
Select your categories
Review our three category types (Craft, Creator, Content) and choose the awards that best fit your podcast. You can submit to multiple categories.
Prepare your submission
Gather your best episode from the eligible period (created January 1, 2025 or later), your show artwork, and a creator bio. A hosted MP3 trailer URL is optional, but strongly suggested.
Complete the entry form
Fill out our online submission form with your podcast details, episode links, and category selections. Make sure all information is accurate.
Pay the entry fee
Choose your pricing tier (Student, Indie, or Company) and complete payment. Creator awards are free with any paid entry, and scholarships are available for those who qualify.
Submit and celebrate
Hit submit and you're done! You'll receive confirmation via email. Nominees will be announced on February 4, 2027.
Priced to be accessible to all
We believe great podcasting should be accessible to all creators. Per category, per entry; pick the tier that describes you.
The late window
Miss the Nov 15 deadline? Late entries are accepted until December 1, 2026 with a 50% late fee (Student $112.50, Indie $150, Company $225 per category). The fee is applied automatically at checkout during the late window. After December 1, the season is closed for real.
Eligibility & requirements
Please review these requirements carefully before submitting. All entries must meet these criteria to be considered.
Who & What
- Eligible period: episodes created January 1, 2025 or later.
- Open globally: creators from anywhere in the world can submit.
- Original content: work must be original, and you must be legally allowed to represent it.
- Publicly available: submitted episodes must be publicly available for judging.
How Many
- Multiple categories: the same podcast can enter multiple categories, each with its own entry fee.
- Multiple entries: different podcasts or episodes can be entered separately.
- One best episode: submit your single best or most representative episode from the eligible period.
What To Prepare
- RSS feed or direct links to submitted episodes.
- A hosted MP3 trailer URL for your show (optional, but strongly suggested).
- Show artwork (1400x1400px+ suggested), description (100-300 words), creator bio.
- Episode timestamps for specific segments, if applicable.
Money should never be the reason you don't enter.
We're committed to ensuring financial barriers don't prevent great podcasters from entering. Scholarships grant full fee waivers to creators who demonstrate financial need. Here's how it works for 2027:
1. Complete your full entry and select the scholarship option, including a short explanation of your financial situation. Your submission is completed and held. Scholarships are limited to one category per applicant, so pick the category where your show is strongest.
2. Scholarship decisions are announced November 10, 2026, five days before the deadline.
3. If your application isn't accepted, you can pay the standard fee before the November 15 deadline and your entry proceeds normally. Entries without an accepted scholarship or paid fee by the deadline are not judged.
Applications are reviewed case by case, and acceptance is not guaranteed. And remember: Creator awards are always free with any paid entry, no scholarship needed.
Questions? Answered.
Can I submit the same podcast to multiple categories?
Yes! You can submit the same podcast to multiple categories. Each category submission requires a separate entry fee, but this gives you more opportunities to win a LIBBY.
Do I need to be based in NYC to enter?
No. While the awards celebrate NYC's audio culture, they are open to creators worldwide. You do not need to be based in New York City to submit or win.
How many episodes should I submit?
Submit your single best or most representative episode from the eligible period (created January 1, 2025 or later). Check specific category requirements when submitting.
What if my podcast is new and doesn't have many episodes?
That's fine! Submit your best work regardless of episode count. We have a Best Debut Podcast category specifically for first-time shows and new voices.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
Late entries are accepted from November 16 through December 1, 2026 with a 50% late fee, applied automatically at checkout. After December 1, submissions are closed for the season.
How do scholarships work?
Apply as part of your full entry: complete your submission, select the scholarship option, and briefly explain your financial situation. Scholarships are limited to one category per applicant. Decisions are announced November 10, 2026. If your application isn't accepted, pay the standard fee before the November 15 deadline and your entry proceeds; entries without an accepted scholarship or paid fee by the deadline are not judged. Acceptance is not guaranteed.
What do I need for the trailer field?
A direct URL to a hosted MP3 of your show's trailer. Most podcast hosts provide a direct episode media link; that's exactly what we're looking for. The trailer is optional, but strongly suggested: it helps judges (and later, audiences) get a fast feel for your show.
Can I edit my submission after submitting?
You can make minor edits until the submission deadline of November 15, 2026. Contact us at contact@silversound.us for assistance.
When will I find out if I'm nominated?
Nominees will be announced on February 4, 2027, the same day the audience vote opens. All entrants will be notified via email whether they've been nominated.
Do I need to attend the ceremony to win?
No, but we strongly encourage winners to attend the awards ceremony on March 12, 2027 in New York City!
Are entry fees refundable?
Entry fees are non-refundable after submission. Please review all requirements carefully before submitting.
What do you do with my information?
We use what you submit to run the competition, and nothing shadier than that. We never sell your data. Read the full Privacy Policy.
What are the terms of entry?
The short version: submit original work you have the right to represent, fees are non-refundable, and by entering you let us show off your show. Read the full Terms & Conditions.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 2026
Who we are
The NYC Podcast Awards (the LIBBY Awards) are presented by Silver Sound, 28 W 27th Street #906, New York, NY 10001. Questions about this policy: contact@silversound.us.
What we collect
When you enter, we collect what the entry form asks for: your name, email, phone number, podcast details, episode links, show artwork, creator bios and photos, team member names, and, if you apply for a scholarship, the information you share about your financial situation. If you use the contact form or nominate a judge, we collect the details you provide there. If you vote in the audience vote, we record your votes and basic technical information used to keep the vote fair. If you join our newsletter, we keep your email address.
Payments
Payments are processed by PayPal. We never see or store your card number; we receive confirmation that payment was made so we can match it to your entry.
How we use it
We use your information to run the competition: screening, judging, notifying entrants and winners, and answering your questions. Submission materials (your show, artwork, bio, and trailer) are shared with our screening committee and judges as part of evaluation; payment details and scholarship applications are not. If you are nominated or win, we display your show name, artwork, creator names, and trailer on this site and in our announcements. We may email you about the season; newsletter emails always include an unsubscribe link.
Who we share it with
Service providers that make the site work: PayPal for payments, Google (Forms, Sheets, and Apps Script) for form handling and data storage, and our email newsletter provider. We do not sell your personal information to anyone, and we only disclose it beyond the above if the law requires it.
Your choices
Email contact@silversound.us to ask what we hold about you, to correct it, or to request deletion. Competition records for judged entries are kept as part of the awards archive; we will explain what can and can't be removed when you ask.
A few more things
Our data is processed in the United States. This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their information. If we change this policy, we will update it here with a new date.
Terms & Conditions of Entry
Last updated: July 2026
The agreement
By submitting an entry to the 2027 NYC Podcast Awards, you agree to these terms.
Eligibility
Entries must be original audio work created on or after January 1, 2025, publicly available for judging, and submitted by someone legally allowed to represent the work. Entries are open globally. Providing false information may disqualify an entry without refund.
Fees
Entry fees are per category and are selected by tier (Student, Independent, or Company) in good faith. Fees are non-refundable after submission. Entries submitted between November 16 and December 1, 2026 incur a 50% late fee, applied automatically at checkout. No entries are accepted after December 1, 2026. Creator award categories are free with any paid entry.
Scholarships
Scholarship applicants submit their complete entry along with the application. Decisions are announced November 10, 2026 and are made case by case; acceptance is not guaranteed. If an application is not accepted, the standard fee must be paid by the November 15 deadline or the entry will not be judged.
Use of your materials
You keep ownership of your work. By entering, you grant the NYC Podcast Awards and Silver Sound a non-exclusive right to use your show name, artwork, creator names, bios, photos, and trailer audio to operate and promote the awards: on this website, in nominee and winner announcements, in our newsletter, and on our social channels.
Judging and voting
Judging follows the multi-round process described on our Judging page, and judging decisions are final. The audience vote must be played fair: manipulation of the vote may result in disqualification of the affected podcast.
The practical stuff
Season dates may be adjusted if needed; the current schedule on this site governs. We are not responsible for failures of third-party services (podcast hosts, payment processing, email delivery) outside our control. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York. Questions: contact@silversound.us.
Enough reading. Go win a LIBBY.
You know the steps, the price, and the rules. All that's left is the work you've already made.
Make some noise!Questions? Email us at contact@silversound.us