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Welcome to the new HeadStuff Podcasts!

Welcome!

You’ve probably noticed some changes around here! We’re delighted to be launching a major update to the HeadStuff Podcasts website with major improvements across the board. 

Some key feature updates include:

⛔️ Ad-free listening for members in their app! This is something we’ve been looking to give to our members for some time, you can now find personal ad-free RSS feeds for each of your favourite shows – you will also find your updated Bonustown RSS feed in there too!

⭐️ A new membership platform which makes it easier to manage your subscription and offers new features including referral bonuses so you can share the love and save some cash,

📻 A new and improved podcast player if you like to listen though the website.

😻 You can now save your favourite shows to your account by clicking the heart icon next to an episode when you are logged in.

👂We’re all ears! Please reach out to us if you have any issues with the transition to the new site or new platform and bear with us while we deal with any bugs that might arise in the coming days.

🛍 We have a new merch store coming very soon too so check back for even more goodies from more of your favourite shows.

We have big plans to keep improving the site over the next few months and with the new platform we hope that will keep things moving so we can offer more to our members.

Head over to our dedicated New Site FAQ that should cover the main queries you might have.

If you have any issues or questions that you can’t find an answer for send us a message in the chat box between 9-5GMT Monday – Friday during the transition phase – the team are on hand to get you up and running!

Irish Podcast Awards

The Irish Podcast Award Nominations were announced this week and we were delighted to receive nods for shows on The HeadStuff Podcast Network and also shows produced for The Podcast Studios. The awards will take place in Liberty Hall.

Best Comedy Podcast

“Phoning It In”

Phoning It In is a hilarious improvised phone-in show. Each week, host Dave Coffey fields a collection of calls from a bunch of cranks, oddballs and weirdos. Dave is joined in studio by regular guests who will lend some ‘expert’ advice to the callers. This weekly podcast features some of Ireland’s best comedians and improvisers who have (literally) no idea what they’re getting themselves into – until their host introduces them on air.

Best Arts & Culture Podcast

“Words To That Effect”

Words To That Effect: Stories of the Fiction that Shapes Popular Culture. WTTE is a narrative storytelling show that explores the intriguing places where fiction, history, science, and popular culture intersect and inspire. From the Victorian past to utopian futures, dinosaurs to detectives, zombies to mummies, how does literature shape our understanding of popular culture.

Best Branded Content Podcast

“Mamia & Me”

Mamia & Me, hosted by Amy Huberman, is a place for parents to talk about the big crazy adventure that is parenthood. Amy will be chatting to mums and dads and special guests about everything from lockdown parenting to baby brain and surrogacy to home births. The whole parenting kit and kaboodle.

Best Fiction Podcast

The Bootsy Boys’ “Blackbird”

The Bootsy Boys got tired of waiting for Michael Flately to release his modern day masterpiece, action spy thriller, ‘Blackbird’, so they wrote their own version.

Starring Edwin Sammon, Finbar Doyle, Steve Bennett, Victor Bible, Fionn ‘Danger’ Cleary, Jordan Daniel, Brian Garvan, Niall Johnson, Kori Schagunn, Michael Sullivan, & Richard Zimmermann. Edited by Michael Sullivan and Directed by Mikey Fleming. The Bootsy Boys are a sketch group and part of MOB Theatre Dublin.

Best Health or Wellbeing Podcast

“Fad Camp”

Fad Camp is a comedy podcast about diet culture and the ridiculousness of fad diets. In each episode comedian Grace Mulvey and Conor Dowling tackle a new aspect of diet culture through funny and vulnerable personal experiences, interviews and much more.

Best Network or Publisher

“The HeadStuff Podcast Network”

Welcome Back Wiki!

The World According To Wikipedia has returned for another season. Hosted by Fionnuala Murphy and Rebecca O’Neill this show is a deep dive into the inner workings of Wikipedia and the people that keep it running.The show was launched on the Headstuff Podcast Network in November 2020 and is returning for season 3. Two bumper episodes have already dropped; including interviews with Carma Citrawati an Indonesian teacher, short story writer, and Wikimedian Newcomer of the Year 2021 and – The winner of the Wikimedian of the year 2021, “20th Year Honouree” award. Also there is a fascinating chat on the rules around the biographies of living people.You can find this brilliant show here and bonus content from past seasons is available to members of Headstuff+. Sign up to become a member and pledge support for The World According To Wikipedia.

100th Episode: Congratulations Phoning It In!

Phoning It In has reached the great podcasting mile-stone that is 100 episodes. They are celebrating with a special extended episode which features an all-star cast of 15 Phoning it in regulars Stephen Bradley, Ali Fox, Aoife Spratt, Tony Cantwell, Erin McGathy, Fionn Foley, Ronan Carey, Kelly Shatter, Laura O’Leary, Hannah Mamalis, Mark Cantan, Sophie Shanley, Kevin McGahern, Pearl O’Rourke and Luke Benson.

Phoning It In was launched in 2018 and is hosted by Dave Coffey who wrote and directed Dan & Becs for RTE.Phoning It In is an improvised phone-in show. Coffey acts as host while the callers are played by comedians, actors and improvisers who don’t know what they will be discussing until they are introduced on air.In 2020, Coffey produced and hosted a spin-off to Phoning It In called Talking It Out for RTÉ. The show is an improvised topical panel show. The regular guests are caricatures of typical panel show guests played by comedy performers Kevin McGahern, Pearl O’Rourke, Peter McGann and Sophie Shanley.

The show was released weekly as both a cartoon on the RTÉ Player and as a podcast with bonus content. To keep the show topical, Coffey and his team produced the cartoon version within 36 hours of recording using the live motion-capture animation software Adobe Character Animator.We’re looking forward to 100 more episodes. Big Congratulations to all of the Phoning In In crew!Phoning It In is released weekly, on Mondays and bonus material is available to subscribers to Headstuff+.

Spice Bags Win Irish Food Podcast 2021 Award

The Irish Food Writing Awards recently awarded The Headstuff Podcast Network’s very own Spice Bags Best Irish Food Podcast 2021. This is a novel award as it is the very first year for The Irish Food Writing Awards. We are extremely proud to be associated with this first in giving food podcasters, writers and journalists a chance to celebrate their achievements in the industry.

They said: We are so happy to win the Irish Food Writing Award for Best Food Podcast because it means that the stories we create about an increasingly diverse Ireland have struck a chord. Most importantly it showcases the dialogues that happen in multicultural teams.

“We are overwhelmed and so thankful for this great honour. We love creating this podcast, we feel that by connecting with people & communities through food storytelling, we are able to broadcast an inclusive voice of the modern Irish food landscape.

“We are nothing without the Headstuff Podcast Network family and so very grateful to them for their continued support and deeply honoured to have been nominated with two podcasts we admire GastroGays and That’s Bangin’. “Thanks to Nigel Barden who judges this category, to Safco Fine Foods who sponsored it, to Paul’s O’Connor & Suzanne Campbell for holding these important industry awards and for a fabulous night at Fallon & Byrne.”

You can listen to their most recent episode of both Spice Bags’ now!

‘Basically’ Nominated for two Awards Recognising Mental Health Coverage

Basically has been shortlisted in two categories for the 2021 Headline Mental Health Media Awards! These awards recognise excellence in the coverage of mental health issues, and so podcast host, Stefanie Preissner, has a lot to proud of. As do we, because Basically is part of the The Headstuff Podcast Network.

Stefanie said: “It’s really heartening to see the work we did on mental health this year being recognised. I know from the response from the audience that it brought people great relief and support during a really tough time.”

‘What’s the Story with Therapy, Mark?’ was nominated under the category of Mental Health Digital Content. The second category which Basically is nominated for is the Headline Impact Award. Basically is standing alongside submissions from Tommy Tiernan, Michelle Heffernan, Damian Cullen and Joe Finnegan.

In ‘What’s the Story with Therapy, Mark?’, Stefanie talks about Mental Health Month. She spoke to psychologist and outgoing president of the Psychology Society of Ireland, Mark Smyth, about mental health and therapy. There were questions about social media, life in 2020/2021, anxiety. What is therapy? What is a psychologist, a counsellor, a therapist, a psychoanalyst, a psychotherapist and who needs one? How to pick a therapist, how do you know the right fit and should you get to know your therapist?

The winners of each category will be announced on December 1st. The Headline Mental Health Media Awards were established over a decade ago and were relaunched in 2019. They reflect the challenges, lived experience and realities of people living with mental ill health.

You can listen to the most recent episode of Basically now!