KUAF's "Ozarks at Large" Wins Best Politics and News Podcast at Inaugural ARKAST Awards

"This award really belongs to our dedicated listeners and the countless voices from across our region who have shared their stories with us over the years," said Kyle Kellams, who will mark his 35th year hosting Ozarks at Large in 2025. "We've always strived to bring depth and context to the news that matters most to our community."

The awards ceremony, organized by the Arkansas Podcast Collaborative (APC), celebrated excellence in 32 categories of podcasting across the state. Winners were selected through public nomination and voting.

"We were thrilled to see such a strong showing of support for Arkansas podcasters," said Ti King, Executive Director of the APC. "The ARKAST Awards are a testament to the incredible talent and creativity within our state's podcasting community."

Complete List of 2024 ARKAST Award Winners:

• Best Arts Podcast: Arts & Letters
• Best Business Podcast: Wellness Mamas
• Best Comedy Podcast: You Must Be Thinking of Another Podcast
• Best Community Podcast: From Prison to Purpose
• Best Culture Podcast: Should've Been a Podcast
• Best Documentary Podcast: Drunken Cryptids
• Best Education Podcast: Tiger Talk
• Best Entertainment Podcast: Should've Been a Podcast
• Best Female Hosted podcast: Unexplained Arkansas
• Best Fiction Podcast: Horror Hill
• Best Games and Hobbies Podcast: D+ D&D (Arkansas State University)
• Best Government Podcast: The Folding Chair
• Best Health Podcast: Wellness Mamas
• Best History Podcast: Tales of the True Grit Trail
• Best Kids and Family Podcast: Tiger Talk
• Best LGBTQ Podcast: Tomorrow's a New Day
• Best Male Hosted Podcast: Celtic Crossroads
• Best Music Podcast: The Music List
• Best Organization Podcast: I Didn't Sign Up for This
• Best Podcast Production Company: Kilt Studio at Lyon College
• Best Politics and News Podcast: Ozarks at Large
• Best Science Podcast: Arkansas Wildlife Podcast
• Best Spiritual Podcast: Honestly Though
• Best Sports Podcast: Inside the Huddle With Dalton Reid
• Best Travel Podcast: Unexplained Arkansas
• Best True Crime Podcast: United States of Murder
• Best TV and Film Podcast: Reel Talk Arkansas
• Young Podcaster of the Year: Gabby George
• Podcast Producer of the Year: Clanton Creative
• Podcasters of the Year: Danielle Keller and Danielle Schaum
• Rising Star Podcaster: Tiffany Alexander
• Social Impact Podcaster of the Year: Latonia Holmes
  

The event was sponsored by the Fayetteville Public Library and Experience Fayetteville. The Arkansas Podcast Collaborative is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and growing the podcasting community in Arkansas.

KUAF will host a panel discussion, "From Podcast to Public Radio: Creating Crossover Success," on Sunday at 1 p.m., the final day of ARKAST. The panel features Kellams, KUAF General Manager Clint Schaff, and Morning Edition host Daniel Carruth, discussing how podcasters can successfully transition their content to public radio.