UNICAST: IADE awards prize to the best podcasts by university students in the country

The UNICAST awards will honor the best works in categories such as interviews, entertainment, news reports, fictional narratives and awareness-raising. Entries are open until July 12, 2024. The winners will be announced on October 17 and 18, during IADE's Audio and Podcast Festival, UNICAST.

This is a pioneering initiative in the country that aims to promote podcasts and other sound narratives produced in the national university environment, revealing creative voices and consciences.

“UNICAST was born out of the ambition to continue innovating and to feed the creative industries in Portugal with the best communication and multimedia professionals. It's a nationwide festival, where all the voices and productions made by students fit in,” says Carlos Rosa, director of IADE.

Regarding the 1st Edition of the UNICAST Awards (2024), students regularly enrolled in higher education (university or polytechnic) in Portugal, in 1st, 2nd or 3rd cycle study cycles (i.e. bachelor's, master's or doctorate), or in non-degree programs (e.g. postgraduate), regardless of their scientific area, can apply. Each team can only enter the competition once. 

To be eligible, the content must have been developed during the academic year 2023/2024 in an academic context, as part of the initiatives of a higher education institution (university or polytechnic), either as part of a curricular unit in a cycle of studies, or as part of an extracurricular activity for which at least one teacher, advisor, coordinator or tutor is responsible. There are five categories in which candidates can compete: Interview / Conversation / Journalistic Report / Fictional Narrative / Entertainment (non-fiction) / Education / Dissemination / Awareness Raising.

The initiative has the support of RFM as a media partner, which during the festival, in October, will launch a challenge for the brave who risk making a podcast in 24 hours.

The program of IADE's Audio and Podcast Festival, UNICAST, will also include talks, with the presence of some of the experts in the field who will share their secrets for a successful performance in the audiovisual world, and workshops, to professionalize podcasts and the recording of live podcasts from IADE's spaces.