The moment you've been waiting for: America's best student podcasts
NPR is preparing to announce the grand prize winners of its 2026 Student Podcast Challenge. The competition featured nearly 1,500 entries focusing on themes like American identity, technology, and memory.
Why it matters
The contest provides a platform for students to engage with complex societal questions and develop critical thinking through audio production.
NPR What do Americans really know about their country? What do we mean when we think of "home"? When a father dies, what lessons does he leave for his son? And, was Andy Warhol a woman named Patricia?
Student Podcast Challenge Announcing the NPR Student Podcast Challenge for 2026 — and a very special prize! These topics – from fifth graders in Hewlett, N.Y., a high school student in Ann Arbor, Mich., an 11th grader in Cicero, Ill., and a middle schooler in Brooklyn – make up just a few of the many questions that students around the country turned into audio stories and sent us this year. Their answers to those questions are among our 2026 honorees as the best student podcasts in America.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in