Slate’s ‘Sluggish Burn’ is the winner of Apple’s first podcast award • TechCrunch

Apple debuted its first podcast award in the present day with Slate’s “Sluggish Burn” as a winner for this yr. The corporate mentioned that the award is to rejoice the “excellent high quality, innovation, and impression” of the present.

“Sluggish Burn” first launched in 2017, and its newest season about Roe v. Wade was launched on June 1, 2022 — a month after the draft choice of the reversal leaked. The season, hosted by Slate government editor Susan Matthews had 4 episodes that debate historic occasions main as much as the 1973 choice by the Supreme Courtroom dominated that structure grants a proper to abortion.

Apple mentioned that “Sluggish Burn” is likely one of the all-time in style podcasts on the platform clocking greater than 100 million downloads. Whereas the present is free, Slate affords bonus content material from its catalog via its Slate Plus subscription obtainable for $9.99 monthly. The corporate can be providing a $99.99 per yr annual subscription for a restricted time.

The corporate mentioned that the showmakers are releasing six “Sluggish Burn” further episodes at no cost that comprise private tales and prolonged follow-up interviews with individuals featured within the collection.

Apple’s podcast award comes almost three years after the corporate first launched its Music Awards. In August, the corporate launched two new charts — High Subscriber Exhibits and High Subscriber Channels — for paid podcasts.

The Cupertino-based tech big mentioned that subsequent month, its editors from 100 international locations will publish a podcast listing referred to as “reveals we beloved” together with year-end charts for in style podcasts.

Apple additionally introduced a listing of App Retailer Awards winners earlier in the present day with social networking app BeReal snagging the iPhone app of the yr title.