MAIN STAGE JUDGES 2026 More to be announced, watch this space... Robert Abel Head of Audio Business & Strategy, Guardian News and Media Alex Anderson Director, Tandem Productions Steve Austins Creative Director, Bengo Media Kieron Banerji Founder, Palm Tree Island Jennie Becker Host and Founder of Sliding Doors, Sliding Doors Karen Bevan Senior Producer, Audioboom Paul Boross MBE Founder and CEO, Big Sky/Humourology Helen Bowman Head of Partnerships and Lead Producer of The Lens UK Responsible Business Podcast, Business in the Community Hannah Brankin Chief Operations Officer, Rusty Quill James Chandler Chief Strategy Officer, IAB UK Jeremy Chapman Senior Producer, Your Voice Here Jenna Clarke Content Director, Sleepiest Bobbie Coyle Global Partner Manager, FlightStory Lucy Critchley Founder, Untold Creative Callum Dougherty Chief Commercial Officer, Rusty Quill Ltd. Bea Duncan Executive Producer, Intelligence Squared Craig Eastwood Vice President of International, Audioboom Jamie East Head of Podcasts, DMG Beth Edwards-Harris Head of Audience Insights and Strategy, We Are Cowshed Gareth Evans Founder / Director, 18Sixty Paul Fernley Business Development Director, Audio Always Sandra Ferrari Head of Production - Video & Audio podcast Consultant, Hera Ross Field Research Lead, Message Heard Kevin Field Communication and Media Specialist, Kevin Field Ben Firth Creative Director, Factory Originals Fiona Fraser Director, POW PR Silas Gray Executive Producer, Reduced Listening Michaela Hallam Content Director, Fresh Air Mike Hanson Director, Pod People Productions Jessica Harding Producer & Co-Host, The HIV Podcast Marvyn Harrison Founder of Dope Black Dads, BELOVD Agency Mark Heads Podcast and Brand Execution Lead, Deloitte Sophie Herdman Global Creator Partnerships Director, Acast David Howard Director, Bespoken Media Kirsty Hunter Co-founder, Hera Media Oluwamayowa Idowu Editor in Chief, The Culture Custodian Dr Lauren Ingram Founder, Next Big Thing Nicole Jackson Global Head of Multimedia, The Guardian Taylor James Founder and Podcast Host, Twentytwo Productions Pieter Johnson Consultant Director, XTPMedia Dan Johnston Senior Content Producer, Podcast Labs Aled Jones Director, Y Pod Cyf. Jonny Kanagasooriam Managing Editor - Podcast Strategy, BBC Sounds Georgia Keating Producer, BBC Studios Audio Katharine Kerr Managing Director, Podcast Pioneers Niall Killeney Taylor Head of Production, Cue Productions Becky Lamb-Pritchard Head of Podcast Growth & Partnerships, This Is Distorted Steve Lanham Head of Podcasts, History Hit Guy Larsen Director, Penny4 David Levene Director, Full House Media Lucy Loveridge Talent Manager Kate Mander Director, Just Add Joy Charlotte Mason Head Of Production, Insanity Studios Phil Maynard Global Head of Podcasts, The Guardian Ant McGinley Chief Development Officer, Podomedy Khaliq Meer Commissioning Executive, BBC Sounds Simon Monk Executive Editor, BBC Radio Leeds Dani Murphy Director of Creative, FlightStory Hannah Murray Founder, Seed Wellbeing UK Mike Newman VP, Content & Partnerships, Audioboom Aoife O'Brien Founder and Podcast Host, Happier at Work Christina Okorocha Director of Entertainment, VAMP India Opie Meres Partnerships Lead, BBC Studios Sangeeta Pillai Founder & CEO, Soul Sutras David Prever Head of Podcasts, SASSY + Steve Randall Founder & Creative Director, Communication Generation Kellie Redmond Head of Development, Biscuit Jim Hannah Rose Senior Programme Executive, BBC James Rowe Head of Podcasts, News UK Camilo Salazar Morley Radio and Studios Manager, Morley Radio/Morley College London Janine Smith Head of Content & Culture, Channel 4 David Smith Director, Small Wardour Brett Spencer Senior Lecturer and Director, Centre for Podcasting, City University Damien St John CEO, Podomedy Alexandra Steinacker Founder, All About Art Podcast and NXT GEN: AWITA x All About Art Chris Stone Executive Producer, The New Statesman Craig Strachan CEO, JamPot Productions Joe Sykes Co-Founder, Samizdat Audio Lucy Taylor Co-Founder, Smoke Trail Productions Limited Vic Elizabeth Turnbull CEO & Founder, MIC media Joby Waldman Managing Director, Reduced Listening Hana Walker-Brown Producer/Director, Get Birding with Sean Beam David Walker Executive Producer, Goalhanger Podcasts Jake Warren CEO & Founder, Message Heard Matt White Global Director of Content & Production, Podimo Mike Wooller Head of Strategy & Platforms, Podcasts, DMG Media
