Apple Podcasts named The Rest Is History its 2025 Show of the Year, making it the first UK-based podcast to win the tech giant's top content award. The history podcast, hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, beat global competition to claim the recognition that honors shows demonstrating exceptional quality and cultural impact.
Apple Podcasts just made history by crowning its first-ever British winner. The Rest Is History, hosted by acclaimed historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, claimed the platform's prestigious 2025 Show of the Year award - a recognition that celebrates podcasts demonstrating exceptional quality and cultural impact.
The announcement comes as Apple continues doubling down on premium podcast content, positioning itself against rivals like Spotify in the rapidly growing audio market. For Goalhanger, the show's production company, the win represents a major breakthrough in cracking Apple's typically US-dominated awards.
"The Rest Is History does a phenomenal job in taking a subject as vast as human history and captivating a global audience," Apple's vice president of Podcasts Oliver Schusser told reporters. "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."
The podcast's success reflects a broader shift toward long-form, intellectually engaging content that's reshaping the audio landscape. Unlike typical bite-sized content dominating social platforms, The Rest Is History delivers deep dives into everything from the Roman Empire's collapse to the Titanic's sinking, blending rigorous historical research with unexpected humor.
"We don't moralize, we don't judge the past, and we approach it in a spirit of real enthusiasm," co-host Dominic Sandbrook explained in Apple Podcasts for Creators. "We don't look down on people in the past. We just try to enjoy it, to relish the madness, the bonkers-ness of people."
That approach has clearly resonated globally. The show consistently ranks at the top of podcast charts worldwide, proving there's massive appetite for content that treats audiences as intellectually curious rather than seeking quick entertainment fixes.
Tony Pastor, Goalhanger's co-founder, called the recognition "proof of the huge global appetite for long-form, high-quality content." The win also validates the company's bet on premium historical storytelling over trendy topics or celebrity interviews.
For Apple, the choice signals strategic positioning in podcast curation. While competitors focus on exclusive deals with big-name personalities, Apple's betting on recognizing quality content that builds genuine community engagement. The Rest Is History has done exactly that, creating what Holland describes as listeners who "enjoy" the show's willingness to find humor in historical figures.
