Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Podcast Hall of Fame 2026 Ceremony
Behind the Moments That Made the 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame
Originally published on Recognized.fm in partnership with SoundsDebatable.com
On January 16, 2026, John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire hosted the 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame ceremony, which was a relatively intimate affair, unlike the elaborate red carpet events for movie stars and entertainers. A cash bar and appetizer station occupied one corner of the venue, nothing extravagant, but enough to make the space feel welcoming before the program began. The evening balanced live induction speeches with pre-recorded remarks from inductees who could not attend in person. The remote presentations integrated smoothly into the flow of speeches rather than feeling like afterthoughts.
Does the Order of Inductees Mean Anything?
I’ll admit I found myself curious whether the order of inductee presentations during the event or on the website was significant.
Rob Greenlee; his answer was clear, emphatic, and unambiguous. “The order of inductees during the ceremony is not intended to imply ranking or hierarchy. It is determined by a combination of programming flow, availability, and narrative pacing for the live event. Every inductee is honored equally as part of the same Hall of Fame class unless it is a memorial, which requires a slightly different presentation.”
That’s a meaningful clarification. In a class where inductees range from deeply influential infrastructure builders to figures with niche profiles, it would be easy for attendees to read significance into sequencing that is not actually there. The Hall of Fame treats the class as a collective, not a ranked list.
A Different Kind of Awards Program
What separates the Podcast Hall of Fame from most industry recognition programs is its criteria. Inductees must have been active in podcasting for at least five years, and nominees are selected through an electronic voting process by current inductees and the Board of Governors.
That induction philosophy reflected Chairperson Rob Greenlee’s statement:”This year’s class reflects the full spectrum of what makes podcasting so powerful. From independent educators, technologists, and community builders to legal advocates and business innovators, these inductees helped shape podcasting into a global medium, and they have made it easier for the next generation of creators to be heard.”
Greenlee’s framing reflected the evening’s events. The eleven inductees represented genuinely different kinds of contributions: platform builders, educators, creators and podcast advocates. Podcasting’s strength comes from the variety of contributors; compelling content depends on infrastructure, advocacy, and the behind-the-scenes work that rarely earns applause. Podcasting’s growth requires more than compelling content. It take a village.
Remembering Who Built the Foundation
The ceremony carried particular emotional weight this year because of the person who was being remembered, along with those being celebrated.
Todd Cochrane, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, passed away in September 2025. The Blubrry co-founder and creator of the People’s Choice Podcast Awards spent decades building the infrastructure that helped transform podcasting into a sustainable industry. His People’s Choice Podcast Awards, which ran for nearly two decades, have been postponed indefinitely following his death; he reminds us of how a single person’s dedication, creativity, and determination can impact an entire industry.
The tribute to Cochrane, along with the posthumous recognition of Dan Miller, gave the evening a gravitas and authenticity that most awards ceremonies fail to achieve. Honoring them made the ceremony feel complete.
What the Ceremony Felt Like
The number of people attending specifically because of Dan Miller’s influence was striking. It made me reflect on what it takes to start with an idea and build it into a meaningful enterprise and inspiring a celebration honoring your legacy. At the very least, such an accomplishment demands a vision of the future, creating thinking, and tenacity to never give up.
I also wondered about the demographics of people in attendance. The families and guests of honorees were invited gratis.
According to Greenlee, “The intent is to allow inductees to attend with guests or family members while still preserving the ticketed nature of the event. The exact number may vary slightly year to year based on venue capacity and overall event logistics.”
Inductees were given five complimentary tickets, a thoughtful touch that helped create a warm, amiable, and personal feeling in the room, complementing the professional purpose of the event
The induction and acceptance speeches varied considerably in length and tone; the honoree had their personal approaches, expressions of gratitude. Some inductees delivered emotional tributes to decades of work. Others offered brief, humble acknowledgments. The variation reflected the individuals being honored, each with a different relationship with the industry and a different story to tell.
Not every induction landed with equal force, and that is worth acknowledging. Some inductees, such as James Cridland, whose daily Podnews coverage has been essential industry reading for years, seemed genuinely overdue for the recognition. Others, as happens often in recognition ceremonies, did not have the same depth of influence as their fellow inductees. That disparity is not unique to this program; every recognition body struggles with comparing different types of contribution across different scales of impact.
How the Hall of Fame Stays Afloat
The relationship between the Podcast Hall of Fame and Podfest Expo is essential for this ceremony to continue. Podfest provides in-kind sponsorship support, venue access, staging, AV, production infrastructure, and staffing. In exchange, Podfest currently receives the ticket sales revenue from the ceremony.
The 2026 ceremony also drew additional support from Blubrry, Podnews.net, the Podcasting Professionals Association and Passion Struck Network.
The future for the Hall of Fame looks exciting.
According to Greenlee, the organization is actively working to put the event on more sustainable financial footing. “In the lead up to the 2027 Podcast Hall of Fame, we will be actively pursuing substantially increased sponsorship support for the whole Podcast Hall of Fame and live in-person ceremony including video production and distribution via YouTube to help elevate its public visibility as we recognize increasingly high visibility inductees. The goal is to ensure the organization can continue to operate independently, preserve its inductee archives since 2015 at PodcastHall.com, and honor future inductees.”
For an organization that has been quietly doing important work since 2015, largely on goodwill and in-kind support, any institutional contribution would be a meaningful step forward.
What Comes Next
The 2027 class is already taking shape. According to Rob Greenlee, two inductees have already been selected through the current voting process, with a target of twelve in total.
There is far more to the Podcast Hall of Fame than a single article can capture. In an upcoming article, we’ll be taking a deeper look at the history and lasting impact of the award since its founding, tracing how it has evolved, what it has meant to the medium, and where it goes from here. That piece will include an extended conversation with Rob Greenlee alongside perspectives from others whose careers have intersected with the Hall of Fame over the years. Stay tuned.
The Bigger Picture
For anyone working in or adjacent to podcasting, the Podcast Hall of Fame ceremony is worth the ticket price and the trip. Finding the Eventbrite link required a bit of digging; the cost was $54.13, including ticket price and fees.
The industry needs more opportunities, venues, and broadcasting outlets, where industry folks can be recognized and celebrated. This is one of them. Henry James, the philosopher and novelist, remarked: “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” This ceremony allows us to show our high regard and appreciation for those who have impacted our industry.
The author attended the 2026 Podcast Hall of Fame ceremony on January 16, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. Rob Greenlee responded to questions via written correspondence following the event.
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