Hunting for great podcasts can be challenging in an audio landscape where there is so much on offer. But when a podcast makes the New York Festivals Radio Awards list, you know it’s got to be good. 

This year’s shortlist was determined by a Grand Jury of over 200 judges from around the world who sent 105 podcast entries to the next round. 

Shortlisted submissions included audio books, podcasts, dramas, documentaries, breaking news coverage, entertainment, and music specials from radio stations, networks, prominent production companies and independent producers.

Among the list of nominees from Australia were three entries submitted from Australian networks covering the Bali bombings including Australian Radio Network’s Bali Bombings 20 Years On, OPERATION ALLIANCE: 2002 Bali Bombings and Southern Cross Austereo’s SHOCKWAVES: The Bali Bombings.

ABC’s Pink Diamond Heist has been nominated for three coveted categories - History, Best Non-fiction Series, and Narrative/Documentary Podcast.

The ABC podcast explores a heist of grand proportions in the 1980s where millions of dollars worth of diamonds were smuggled out of Kimberley in Western Australia.

Nine Publications’ The Confession landed a spot in Documentary: Investigative Journalism. The story follows Katia Pyliotis who was accused of bludgeoning a man with a statue of the Virgin Mary. Four years of her life is spent behind bars until the truth emerges and the spotlight is shifted from Katia to her accusers - the police.

ABC audio Beauty Queens Who Want to Save the World produced by Regina Botros made the finals in Documentary: Best Nonfiction Series.

‘Felicite Rwemarika: The refugee who became a pioneer for women’s sport in Rwanda’ by Roberts O'Mahony Production also landed a spot in Sports Podcast.

The University of Melbourne had two items feature in the shortlist -The Yarn, and Uncurated under Student Documentary.