The three winning podcasts from Acast’s Amplifier programme in Ireland have been announced, with Blow-Ins, Queer as Fliuch, and I Think You Should Read taking the top spot.

After an fantastic response, with over 160 entries and a detailed judging process, Acast will now provide the three winning podcast ideas with a prize package worth up to €100,000, including funding, equipment, support and promotion to get their show off the ground.

Acast is the world’s largest independent podcast platform, hosting and monetising some of the biggest podcasts in Ireland including the Tommy, Hector & Laurita podcast, The Blindboy Podcast, Owning It, and the recently-launched Free State podcast. The Amplifier programme was created to support and assist new podcast hosts with ideas that haven’t gotten off the ground yet, and further cement podcasting in Ireland as the creative medium of the future.

The three winners were chosen by a select group of Irish podcast talent, including Jane Gogan (producer The Witness / The Stand), Fin Dwyer (Irish History Podcast), Kevin Twomey (I'm Grand Mam), Louise McSharry (Catch Up With Louise McSharry), Adrian Carty (producer Nothing Is Real) Síle Seogie (Ready To Be Real), and Rosemary McCabe (Not Without My Sister).

Blow-Ins

Kara Golden and Craig Hunter are well-seasoned millennials who moved to Ireland pre-pandemic, decided to stay through it all, and are unsure what to do. Their podcast, ‘Blow-Ins’, will explore the omnium-gatherum of Irish culture, history, and politics through their personal stories and perspectives as millennial outsiders navigating the subtleties of contemporary Ireland, each with their unique background. Kara and Craig: “Kara is more optimistic and driven to share personal stories about the human condition. Craig is more pessimistic and tends to tussle with the wider issues. Together, our half-full and half-empty glasses just about make a fresh pint.”

Queer as Fliuch

Hosted by comedian Sinead Walsh, ‘Queer as Fliuch’ will cast a lens on Irish Queer history. In their own words: “In a time where many pivotal figures in Irish Queer history are still here to tell their stories, it is so important, particularly given the current climate and the shifts away from tolerance and freedom globally, that we capture these stories from our little island. They will serve as an important reminder not only of our progress but also as a stark warning about the dangers of history repeating itself.” ‘Queer as Fliuch’ will aim to document the evolution of Irish Queer history in a way that is engaging, informative and representative of the spirit of our nation. 

I Think You Should Read

Hosted by Rachel O’Neill and Áine O'Connell, ‘I Think You Should Read’ is a podcast for book lovers everywhere. In each episode, Áine and Rachel interview a guest about a book they think everyone should read. It can be a book they’ve read once or hundreds of times, fiction, non-fiction, young adult, children, or cookbooks, there are no limits! Áine and Rachel will read the book and then talk about it with the guest to find out why they’ve chosen it and why they think everyone should read it. "We have spent years chatting to each other - and anyone else who will listen - about books, and we are so excited to bring that chat to a wider audience with I Think You Should Read" said Rachel and Áine.

Jennifer Dollard, Acast Creator Network Director, Ireland: “The three winners represent exactly what we were looking for in the Amplifier entries, both from a content perspective - originality, a strong sense of narrative and an idea we think podcast listeners will enjoy, and a commercial angle.  We were humbled by the number of entries we received and the level of detail people took with their response - judging and selecting the winners was no easy task. We are now working closely with the winners to plan their production and launches.”

The three winning podcasts will now work on the next steps of their podcast development with the Acast team. Release dates will be announced later in the year.