Shure Elevates Women and Non-Binary Voices by Supporting International Women's Podcast Awards 2022

LONDON, 5th October 2022— Shure empowers podcasters and content creators not only by providing great gear but also endorsing different initiatives that elevate their work. Continuing with this effort, Shure proudly supported the second edition of the International Women’s Podcast Awards on 29th September and sponsored the category “Changing the World One Moment at a Time” for the second straight year. The category was won by American podcaster Willow Belden.

“We are excited to once again support the International Women’s Podcast Awards. We firmly believe that the podcast industry can only grow through diversity and inclusivity, and by participating in these initiatives we know we can make a real impact,” said Paul Crognale, Associate Director, Global Musician and Consumer Audio Marketing, at Shure. “The talent at these awards proves that by giving access and elevating women and non-binary voices, the podcast industry and their audience are the real winners,” he added. 

The International Women’s Podcast Awards (IWPA) is organised by The Skylark Collective, a network that aims to give visibility and support to women and non-binary podcasters around the world by showcasing their narratives and elevating their voices. The IWPA mark the first-ever awards to recognise the work of women and non-binary people in podcasting, behind the mic and behind the scenes, celebrating those who share untold stories and producing incredible, intimate moments of podcasting brilliance, wherever they are in the world.

Participation at this year’s edition tripled from last year, and the short list of podcast categories included: Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance, Moment of Calm Unflappability, Moment of Comedy Gold, Moment of Dramatic Tension, Moment of Entrepreneurial Inspiration, Moment of Insight from a Role Model, Moment of Raw Emotion, Moment of Touching Honesty, Moment of Visionary Leadership.

The winner of the category sponsored by Shure and the host of the podcast Out There received a gold-plated SM7B Vocal Microphone. “Out There has received many awards over the years, but this one stands out. If there’s one thing we hope to accomplish with this podcast, it’s making the world a better place”, said Willow Belden, host of Out There podcast. “We believe audio storytelling has the power to change minds and win hearts, and we’re constantly working to amplify marginalised voices and offer new ways of understanding one another. I can’t think of a greater honour than this — being recognised for changing the world one story at a time.” The other winners also received an MV7 podcast microphone. 

The awards were celebrated and livestreamed from an in-person event at The Conduit in London, with exceptional audio thanks to the Shure Microflex® Wireless System and Shure SM7B microphones set up for interviews recorded during the evening. The ceremony started with an opening comedy set from Sadia Azmat and was hosted by Deborah Frances-White from The Guilty Feminist. 

Shure is committed to supporting creators of all kinds with innovative tools and professional technology through important initiatives like IWPA. To learn more about Shure products, visit shure.com. To learn more about Shure diversity and inclusion culture, visit:https://www.shure.com/en-US/about-us/diversity-inclusion