Frequently Asked Questions, Part 2
We've received some great questions recently about the Iowa Podcast Awards, so here's another round of FAQ's!
1. Why do you charge for award submissions?
It's a super fair question, especially in a world where there are a lot of award shows that can feel like "cash grabs" or have "pay to win" structures.
We charge $25 per submission. The main reason for this is because it helps us cover our costs, including trophies, venue expenses, judging, marketing, staffing and support, etc. We chose this amount because our hope was to cover our expenses for this exciting new event while also keeping it significantly more affordable than other comparable podcast award shows.
For example, we require that we have 3 shows submitted for consideration for a specific award before we officially will give that award out. The trophy for that award costs about $80, so the minimum 3 submissions gets us close to covering our cost for that.
We're also aware that $25 is not an insignificant amount in today's world, so we're committed to continue exploring ways to make the event more affordable and accessible to everyone. Our first step this year was to create the Honor Awards, a free category of awards that anyone could submit to.
Finally, just a reminder that all submissions will be judged based on their content and quality by a diverse panel of judges, and quantitative factors such as number of nominations, sponsorship/partnership, and viewership/listenership numbers will not be taken into consideration. We will do everything we can to avoid "pay to win" models and maintain the ethical nature of the awards. You can read more about our policies on our website.
2. Wait, what is the deal with this 3 nomination minimum thing for award categories?
So in order for a specific award to be given out (Best Comedy Podcast, for example), we need at least 3 shows to be submitted for consideration in order for that award to be given out. That's partially because of cost maintenance, but also fairness. It doesn't necessarily feel great (or fun, for that matter!) to automatically give an award out if we only have one show submit. And the truth is that, because this is a first-time event, we weren't necessarily sure how many different types of podcasts were out there in Iowa!
This does NOT mean that you need to submit your show to 3 different categories. You can submit to as few or as many different award categories as you would like. It is only a minimum number of shows to be considered for an award before we will give that award out.
3. Do I need to buy a ticket to the event if my show is nominated?
Everyone needs a ticket to attend the Iowa Podcast Awards, including the workshops, live podcasts, networking events, and the award show itself. HOWEVER, all podcasts that receive at least one nomination will get two free tickets to the event. Any additional tickets for friends, family, or additional team members would need to be purchased.
We'd also like to invite podcasters, aspiring podcasters, and potential podcast sponsors to attend even if you do NOT have a nominated show this year. Not only do we believe you'll get a TON of value from the workshops, live podcasts, and connecting with Iowa's podcasting community, but you'll also have a great time celebrating some of the best podcasts Iowa has to offer!
Tickets are on sale now. The standard price is $50, but you can get an early-bird discount of $35/ticket for a limited time.
Note: If you buy tickets and then find out your show is nominated later, we will refund up to two tickets for you.
We're so excited to celebrate Iowa podcasting with you all! As always, you can learn more and get involved at www.IowaPodcastAwards.com
