I’m honoured to share that I’ve joined the Signal Awards Judging Academy for 2026, helping recognise the podcasts and audio stories shaping culture.

The Signal Awards celebrate excellence across podcasting, from complete shows and limited series to individual episodes and brand storytelling. As someone who has spent years hosting the JUST Branding Podcast, I’m excited to listen to the work being created across the industry and help recognise the people moving the medium forward.

My Signal Awards Judge Spotlight

To welcome me to the Judging Academy, the Signal Awards recently published a Judge Spotlight on finding your distinctive voice.

In the feature, I share more about my work across brand strategy, design, education, community and podcasting, along with what drew me to the Judging Academy.

Podcasting has become one of the most valuable ways to share ideas, tell stories and build trust. That is what excites me most about being involved. I get to help recognise creators who are pushing the medium forward through thoughtful storytelling, originality and meaningful audience impact.

What makes audio storytelling stand out?

One of the questions in my Spotlight was what separates good audio storytelling from great audio storytelling. (See our podcast on audio branding here)

My answer was simple:

Great audio storytelling makes the listener forget they’re listening.

We have a saying in the design industry that “good design is invisible”. I think there is some truth to that in audio storytelling too.

When the pacing, conversation, sound and structure work together, you stop noticing the production and become absorbed in the idea or story. That takes more than technical polish. It takes clarity, judgement and a strong understanding of the listener.

These are qualities I’ll be listening for throughout the judging process.

Distinctive voices matter more than ever Jacob Cass joins the 2026 Signal Awards Judging Academy.

 

AI is making podcast production faster and more accessible, but I believe that also raises the value of authentic conversations and original thinking.

As more content is created, polished production alone will not be enough. The podcasts that stand out will be the ones with a clear point of view, strong hosts and ideas worth sharing.

My advice to emerging creators is to focus less on growing an audience and more on creating something genuinely useful or memorable.

Consistency matters, but clarity of purpose matters even more.

Why are you here? What do you have to say that could not come from anyone else?

The creators who stand out are the ones who develop a distinctive voice instead of trying to sound like everyone else.

How the Signal Awards judging works

Members of the Signal Awards Judging Academy independently listen to and evaluate entries using the criteria for each category.

Entries are considered across several areas:

  • Quality of craft
  • Content
  • Creativity and innovation
  • The overall listening experience
  • Brand integration, where relevant

Each entry is reviewed by multiple judges and receives a cumulative score. Work can be recognised with Gold, Silver or Bronze honours, while finalists also become eligible for the Listener’s Choice public voting campaign.

Judges cannot participate in categories where they have a conflict of interest.

Read my full Signal Awards Judge Spotlight. 

Judging creative work across the industry

Joining the Signal Awards Judging Academy builds on my wider involvement in recognising strong creative work across branding, design and digital media.

I’ve also served as a judge for:

  • Designity Awards
  • LogoLounge Awards
  • Horizon Interactive Awards
  • Indigo Design Award
  • LogoWave
  • International Visual Identity Awards

Each programme celebrates a different form of creative excellence, but the responsibility is much the same: look beyond surface polish and recognise work with a strong idea, clear purpose and memorable execution.

Whether I’m assessing a visual identity, digital experience, logo or podcast, I’m always interested in the thinking behind the work. Craft matters, but the strongest work also has something distinctive to say.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to support creators across these disciplines and help bring deserving work to a wider audience.