iHeartRadio bestows Icon Awards in advance of January event

In advance of the company’s 2020 Podcast Awards, iHeartRadio is announcing today three Icon Awards. These honors are bestowed separately from the panel-judging process which determines winners across many categories for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards on January 17 in L.A.

Here are the winners:

  • Social Impact Award1619, a podcast which documents the landing of America’s first slaves 400 years. It is a five-part series produced by The New York Times.
  • Innovator Award: NPR’s Life Kit wins this Icon Award, which is sponsored by Zoom. Life Kit started in 2018 and targets beginners in essential life skills such as finance, health, and parenting.
  • Audible Audio Pioneer Award: The winners here are filmmaker Payne Lindsey and music industry veteran Donald Albright for their influence which “paved the way for true crime podcasts.” their startup, Tenderfoot TV with their first podcast Up and Vanished.

“We’re thrilled to honor ‘1619,’ ‘Life Kit’ and Tenderfoot TV as this year’s iHeartRadio Podcast Icon winners,:said Conal Byrne, President of the iHeartPodcast Network. “From history to true crime to everyday guidance, their work is as diverse as it is trailblazing, and they make it easy to understand why podcasts have become a must-listen for millions of people each and every day.”

Brad Hill