Hendrik Baird, co-founder and content director at Baird Media, says the idea for Blood in the Dust came to him close to midnight while at a guest house in KwaZulu-Natal.
"We are the only fiction podcast producers in the country at present, and winning Podcast of the Year proves not only our technical expertise, but also that there is value in this format.
"I am now motivated to produce the next two seasons. Winning Podcast of the Year means our work was heard and judged on its merits." —
Only the gold winner from each Genre Award category qualifies for Podcast of the Year," says Baird.
Baird Media won 10 awards, including gold and silver medals, across six categories.
Only the gold winners in all categories are eligible for the Podcast of the Year.
The Awards saw 108 award placements across craft, genre, impact and special honours.
The True Crime South Africa – die Afrikaanse weergawe by Jacaranda FM / Gerda de Sousa was named the Best Vernacular Language Podcast.
Best Vernacular Language Podcast is not an entry category. It is awarded to the vernacular language podcast with the highest cumulative score across genre category judging, making it automatic recognition of the best vernacular show in the competition. Afrikaans is a vernacular language and is included
Best Host went to Phumi Mashigo for Podcast Party
The Awards took place last night, Thursday, 11 November and were broadcast live on YouTube.
| Best Host | |||
| Prize | Finalist | Host | |
| Gold | Podcast Party | Phumi Mashigo | Listen |
| Silver | Listen To Your Footsteps | Kojo Baffoe | Listen |
| Bronze | Love, Dating & Chaos | Philicity Reeken | Listen |
| Best Co-Hosts or Ensemble | |||
| Gold | Table For Two | Russel Wasserfall and Jonathan Warncke | Listen |
| Silver | SA Rescue: Out Alive | Dineo Mphahlele and Natarah Nadesan | Listen |
| Bronze | Mindscaped Podcast | Shaheen Sha and Nazeer Jamal | Listen |
| Best Interview | |||
| Gold | Something Shifted | Stories of Indentity, Loss and Life Transistions | Sean Loots | Listen |
| Silver | This Way Up | Terry Shakinovsly and Babette Gallard | Listen |
| Bronze | Love, Dating & Chaos | Philicity Reeken | Listen |
| Best Scripted Podcast | |||
| Gold | STRIPPED: An Audio Drama Podcast | Baird Media/StartLivingMy.Life | Listen |
| Silver | The Lion of Lindanda - The Story of Harry Wolhuter, told by Harry Wolhuter | Solid Gold Podcasts | Listen |
| Bronze | True Crime South Africa | Nicole Engelbrecht | Listen |
| Best Sound Design | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Silver | The Lion of Lindanda - The Story of Harry Wolhuter, told by Harry Wolhuter | Solid Gold Podcasts | Listen |
| Bronze | African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe | Gcina Mhlophe and East Coast Radio | Listen |
| Best Editing | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Silver | STRIPPED: An Audio Drama Podcast | Baird Media/StartLivingMy.Life | Listen |
| Bronze | More Good Days | Faf du Plessis, Dr Michael Mol and Sean Lunn | Listen |
| Best Production | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Silver | STRIPPED: An Audio Drama Podcast | Baird Media/StartLivingMy.Life | Listen |
| Bronze | The Lion of Lindanda - The Story of Harry Wolhuter, told by Harry Wolhuter | Solid Gold Podcasts | Listen |
| Best Writing | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Silver | Something Shifted | Stories of Indentity, Loss and Life Transistions | Sean Loots | Listen |
| Bronze | True Crime South Africa | Nicole Engelbrecht | Listen |
| Best Original Score or Music Use | |||
| Gold | African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe | Gcina Mhlophe and East Coast Radio | Listen |
| Silver | 'n Sak Vol Stories | Melt Sieberhagen & Dan Dewes | Listen |
| Bronze | More Than A Story | Nic Moxham | Listen |
| Best Design | |||
| Gold | SA Rescue: Out Alive | Dineo Mphahlele and Natarah Nadesan | Listen |
| Silver | Something Shifted | Stories of Indentity, Loss and Life Transistions | Sean Loots | Listen |
| Bronze | African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe | Gcina Mhlophe and East Coast Radio | Listen |
| Best True Crime | |||
| Gold | True Crime South Africa | Nicole Engelbrecht | Listen |
| Silver | Profiler: True Crime Africa | Paul Llewellyn/ Gerard Labuschagne/ Amy Difford | Listen |
| Bronze | True Crime South Africa – die Afrikaanse weergawe | Jacaranda FM / Gerda de Sousa (based on the English version by Nicole Engelbrecht) | Listen |
| Best Business or Finance | |||
| Gold | Investec Focus Radio SA | Multiple hosts | Listen |
| Silver | Bruce Whitfield's Business Week | Bruce Whitfield | Listen |
| Bronze | CEO Nights with Nyimpini | Nyimpini Mabunda | Listen |
| Best News or Current Affairs | |||
| Gold | Jane Dutton Talks Dirty | Jane Dutton | Listen |
| Silver | The Lead | Graeme Raubenheimer | Listen |
| Bronze | Democracy Unplugged | Podcast Party | Listen |
| Best Comedy | |||
| Gold | Two Freaks Notice | Andie Reeves and Sitaara Stodel | Listen |
| Silver | Mevrou Mevrou | Gerda de Sousa and Dianne Broodryk | Listen |
| Bronze | The GenC Podcast | JP Jackson and Rizaan Rose | Listen |
| Best Sports | |||
| Gold | The Active Hobo | David Jenkins | Listen |
| Silver | The Biggest Man in Cricket | David Brooke | Listen |
| Bronze | Sport for Dummies - The Winter Olympics edition | Pippa Hudson | Listen |
| Best Education | |||
| Gold | Green Noise | CapeNature/Dan Corder | Listen |
| Silver | The Paws & Effect Podcast | Dr Carra | Listen |
| Bronze | Curriculum Bootcamp | Pippa Hudson | Listen |
| Best Health and Wellness | |||
| Gold | Being You with Lisa Raleigh and Stafford Masie | Lisa Raleigh and Stafford Masie | Listen |
| Silver | More Good Days | Faf du Plessis, Dr Michael Mol and Sean Lunn | Listen |
| Bronze | What's Eating Us? | Zukiswa Pikoli | Listen |
| Best Kids or Family | |||
| Gold | Baby Brunch | The Parenting Series | Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp | Listen |
| Silver | African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe | Gcina Mhlophe and East Coast Radio | Listen |
| Bronze | The Playdate by Ubongo | Blaque Nubon, Mama Olive, The Cuddle Blog | Listen |
| Best Society and Culture | |||
| Gold | This Way Up | Terry Shakinovsly and Babette Gallard | Listen |
| Silver | Mindscaped Podcast | Shaheen Sha and Nazeer Jamal | Listen |
| Bronze | Amandla with Mpeo | Mpeo Nkosi | Listen |
| Best Fiction | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Silver | STRIPPED: An Audio Drama Podcast | Baird Media/StartLivingMy.Life | Listen |
| Best Technology | |||
| Gold | The Solutionists | Bronwyn Williams and Sharon Pearce | Listen |
| Silver | Tech Talk with Vodacom | Media 24 Advertising and Content Marketing | Listen |
| Bronze | Local Logic by Altron | Altron | Listen |
| Best History | |||
| Gold | The Lion of Lindanda - The Story of Harry Wolhuter, told by Harry Wolhuter | Solid Gold Podcasts | Listen |
| Silver | More Than A Story | Nic Moxham | Listen |
| Bronze | SA Rescue: Out Alive | Dineo Mphahlele and Natarah Nadesan | Listen |
| Best Arts and Entertainment | |||
| Gold | The Video Store | Russell Grant | Listen |
| Silver | Critical Arcade | Nick Hendrix & Dave Edwards | Listen |
| Bronze | From the Hip with Benjy Mudie | Benjy Mudie | Listen |
| Best Food, Leisure & Travel | |||
| Gold | Pizza Sessions | Russel Wasserfall | Listen |
| Silver | Melanie Walker's Grounded | Melanie Walker | Listen |
| Bronze | SA Food Stories | Nicci Robertson | Listen |
| Best Politics & Opinion | |||
| Gold | Sharp Sharp | Rob Rose/Zukile Majova | Listen |
| Silver | This Is Politics | Justice Malala and Mondli Makhanya | Listen |
| Best Faith and Spirituality Podcast | |||
| Gold | Redeemed Media SA Podcast | Sipho Mbatha | Listen |
| Silver | The Soul Khaya | Mandy Trollip | Listen |
| Bronze | Bybelstories in Afrikaans | Carin Conradie | Listen |
| Best Self-Help and Personal Development Podcast | |||
| Gold | The Comeback with Carol Ofori | Carol Ofori | Listen |
| Silver | The Eminence Project | Briony Liber | Listen |
| Bronze | The Joy Movement | Kate Thompson-Duwe | Listen |
| Independent Podcast | |||
| Gold | Something Shifted | Stories of Indentity, Loss and Life Transistions | Sean Loots | Listen |
| Silver | More Than A Story | Nic Moxham | Listen |
| Bronze | Listen To Your Footsteps | Kojo Baffoe | Listen |
| Branded Podcast | |||
| Gold | Pizza Sessions | Russel Wasserfall | Listen |
| Silver | Investec Focus Radio SA | Multiple hosts | Listen |
| Bronze | Group One - AI and the Law | Gavin Rome SC | Listen |
| Best Podcast Network | |||
| Gold | Netwerk24 Klankgolwe | Maryke Cumpsty | Listen |
| Silver | Solid Gold Podcasts | Solid Gold Podcasts | Listen |
| Bronze | JacPod | Jacaranda FM | Listen |
| Community Builder Award | |||
| Gold | African Story Magic with Gcina Mhlophe | Gcina Mhlophe and East Coast Radio | Listen |
| Silver | Network - Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA) | Women in Mining South Africa | Listen |
| Bronze | Mindscaped Podcast | Shaheen Sha and Nazeer Jamal | Listen |
| Social Good Award | |||
| Gold | Good Morning Angels | Martin Bester, Philicity Reeken & Xola Ntshinga | Listen |
| Silver | Mindscaped Podcast | Shaheen Sha and Nazeer Jamal | Listen |
| Bronze | Good Things with Brent Lindeque | Brent Lindeque | Listen |
| Best Live Podcast Event | |||
| Gold | Democracy Unplugged Youth Month Panel | Siya Sangweni | Listen |
| Silver | CEO Nights with Nyimpini | Nyimpini Mabunda | Listen |
| Bronze | The ONE Thing Guy | Stuart Hyslop | Listen |
| Best B2B Podcast | |||
| Gold | Never Think Alone | Kyle Fraser | Listen |
| Silver | South African Digital Marketing Podcast | Terence Mentor | Listen |
| Bronze | Podcast Cave | Janet Hancock, Carl Schultz and Richard Burgess | Listen |
| Best Corporate or Internal Podcast | |||
| Gold | Network - Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA) | Women in Mining South Africa | Listen |
| Silver | The Crucible - SAIMM | Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy | Listen |
| Bronze | #FerringPod | Ferring Pharmaceuticals | Listen |
| Best International Show | |||
| Gold | High Net Purpose | Island Bridge | Listen |
| Silver | Self Help Show | Gina Margaret Tiger | Listen |
| Bronze | Shine: Life Perspectives from a Bespoke Jeweler | Daniel Boettcher | Listen |
| Podcast of the Year | |||
| Gold | Blood in the Dust: The Wolwefontein Murder | Baird Media | Listen |
| Best Vernacular Language Podcast | |||
| Gold | True Crime South Africa – die Afrikaanse weergawe | Jacaranda FM / Gerda de Sousa | Listen |
