"The Diary of a CEO," "The Tim Ferriss Show," and Others Win Big at Oxford Road's Indie PaC Awards at SXSW

Mar. 16, 2026

Today, Oxford Road, the world's largest podcast advertising agency, announces the winners of its inaugural Indie PaC Awards at SXSW 2026 – the first awards dedicated exclusively to honoring independent podcasters and creators.

In an unforgettable night hosted by Grammy-winning artist, entrepreneur, and advocate Killer Mike, Oxford and founding sponsor Libsyn (Liberated Syndication Inc.) recognized a range of podcasting’s household names and breakthrough voices – all fully embodying the spirit of fierce independence that has made podcasting an invaluable medium for listeners and advertisers.

Winners were selected through a rigorous process combining Oxford Road's proprietary ORBIT data with evaluation by an independent jury of leading creators, journalists, and brand executives – including Ashley Flowers, host and founder of Crime Junkie and Audiochuck; James Cridland, editor of Podnews; Hernan Lopez, founder of Wondery and The Podcast Academy; and Gladwell Mwangi, Paid Media Enablement Lead at Whole Foods.

Bryan Barletta, Partner at Sounds Profitable and President of Podcast Movement, said:

“Indie creators have always been, and continue to be, at the heart of podcasting. The Oxford team brought us that vision and their celebration during Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW reminded us all that it takes the entire industry: publishers, networks, creators, talent, and media buyers, showing up in full force to ensure the industry we love continues to thrive."

 

Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road, said:

"Last night was a beautiful celebration of the pioneering spirit that built this medium. There were moving moments where winners like Tim Ferriss and Steven Bartlett recognized the other creators in the room who had an impact on their journeys. Hala Taha shared vulnerable moments in her career when she believed in herself when nobody else would. That was a common theme throughout. There's a reason people trust creator media and podcasters far more than they do legacy media or other institutions, and last night we shined a spotlight on those reasons. A new tradition -- looking more closely at the overlooked people in this industry -- was born, and we're grateful to our partners at Libsyn for believing in this vision and championing independent voices for the last 22 years."

The Results

The Jury Awards Winners

• Best Independent Interview Show: The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett
• Best Independent Narrative/Storytelling: True Crime with Kendall Rae
• Best Independent Comedy: Kill Tony
• Best Independent Specialty Show: Any Austin
• Best Independent Business & Entrepreneurship: This Week in Startups
• Best Independent Health & Wellness: Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
• Best Independent Sports & Recreation: JxmyHighroller
• Best Independent News & Politics: The Philip DeFranco Show
• Breakthrough Independent: Crime, Conspiracy, Cults and Murder
• Independent Creator of the Year: The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett

The ORBIT Influence Awards Winners

• Highest Impact: Critical Role
• Highest Volume: The Tim Ferriss Show
• Breakout Performer: Crime, Conspiracy, Cults And Murder
• The Perfect Score: Young and Profiting with Hala Taha
• The Advertiser's Choice: The MeidasTouch Podcast

The Patron Awards Winners

• Patron of Independent Podcasts – Scale: BetterHelp
• Patron of Independent Podcasts – Commitment: Shopify

The Oxford Prize in Podcasting Winner

• The Tim Ferriss Show

For a full list of winners, methodology, and ceremony details, visit indiepac.com.