Apple Podcasts names its 2025 Show of the Year

Apple has announced that The Rest Is History is the winner of this year’s Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year.

The Rest is History, which is hosted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, became the first UK-based show to be named Show of the Year, according to Apple’s press release.

It has secured its position at the top of the charts worldwide with recaps of key historical moments, such as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the stories of Mary, Queen of Scots and Winston Churchill. The podcast is produced by Goalhanger, a major UK-based media company, which has also produced other popular podcasts, such as The Rest Is Politics.

“This is an incredible moment for Goalhanger and a richly deserved recognition for Tom and Dominic,” said Tony Pastor, Goalhanger’s co-founder. “From the very start, we knew The Rest Is History was something special. It is a master class in intelligent, witty, and deeply engaging storytelling that makes history accessible to millions.

“To be the first UK-based show named Apple Podcasts’ Show of the Year is a fantastic honor, and proof of the huge global appetite for long-form, high-quality content and the brilliant chemistry these two share.”

When talking about the success of the show, the hosts, Holland and Sandbrook, suggested that their approach is not to moralize, not to judge the past, but “enjoy it, to relish the madness, the bonkers-ness of people.”

Holland shared that the win is “the biggest thrill imaginable,” saying that being the first British podcast to be recognized in this way is a cause for patriotic pride.

“The Rest Is History does a phenomenal job in taking a subject as vast as human history and captivating a global audience,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Podcasts, Music, Sports, and Beats.

“Tom and Dominic have created something special that represents the very best of what’s possible with podcasting — it’s educational, it’s hilarious, and it has fostered a true sense of community. We’re thrilled to recognize it as the Apple Podcasts 2025 Show of the Year.”

In 2024, Hysterical was named the show of the year, which is a seven-part series that investigates a mysterious illness that affects a group of high-school girls in New York.