National Public Radio has launched a nationwide competition seeking original podcast submissions from seniors, offering winners the opportunity to have their work broadcast on some of public radio's most prominent programs.
The 2026 NPR Senior Podcast Challenge accepts entries from United States residents aged 65 and older through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, November 30, 2026. The competition, which opened at midnight on Saturday, August 16, 2026, invites participants to submit audio recordings between three and eight minutes in length on topics of their choosing.
Eight finalists will be selected from the pool of eligible submissions, with seven receiving trophies and NPR-branded merchandise valued at approximately $150 each. One grand prize winner will receive a trip to NPR headquarters at 1111 North Capitol Street NE in Washington, D.C., where they will hear their winning submission broadcast live on either Morning Edition, All Things Considered, or Weekend Edition.
The grand prize package, valued at $2,300, includes roundtrip travel for the winner and one guest to Washington, D.C., with an approximate value of $1,700, plus hotel accommodations for two nights worth approximately $600. The winner's podcast will be featured in a news segment discussing their submission, potentially incorporating portions of the original recording or interview audio with the creator.
NPR has suggested several potential topics for participants, though submissions may address any subject matter. Recommended themes include adjusting to retirement or living on a fixed income, new adventures in travel or learning, health care challenges, dealing with the loss of a spouse or partner, interviews with grandchildren, family history reflections, connections to historical events, or original reporting on topics of personal interest.
Participants must upload their submissions to SoundCloud, Podbean, or Anchor with download capabilities enabled, then complete a submission form at https://npr.formstack.com/forms/senior_podcast_challenge. The form requires a 200-word explanation of the submission, contact information, and a link to the hosted audio file.
The competition imposes strict originality requirements. All submissions must be created specifically for the contest and cannot be generated in whole or material part by artificial intelligence tools. While incidental use of software features with AI-assisted functionality such as spell-check or audio cleanup is permitted, all creative concepts and expression must originate from the participant.
Music restrictions apply to protect intellectual property rights. Pre-recorded music is prohibited, though participants may include live performances of public domain songs or original compositions they have created, provided they note the authorship on their submission form. NPR advises entrants to exclude music entirely if uncertain about copyright status.
Judging will occur in two rounds beginning Monday, December 1, 2026, and concluding on or about Thursday, January 15, 2027. Preliminary judges, consisting primarily of members from NPR's Society & Culture Desk, will evaluate submissions based on three criteria: information and structure (40 percent), personality and creativity (40 percent), and production quality (20 percent).
The preliminary panel will select approximately eight finalists for review by a second panel of approximately ten judges, including NPR staff and industry experts, who will determine the grand prize winner using the same evaluation criteria.
Winners will be contacted via email on or about Thursday, February 1, 2027, and publicly announced on or about Tuesday, January 20, 2027. The grand prize winner's visit to NPR headquarters is scheduled for on or around Sunday, March 1, 2027.
Participants may submit entries individually or jointly with other eligible entrants. All participants must be at least 65 years of age at the time of entry. Employees, representatives, and immediate family members of NPR, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and member stations are ineligible to participate.
By entering, participants grant NPR and its member stations a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to use, copy, distribute, publicly perform, or create derivative works from their submissions in any media format. Winners must also agree to participate in recorded interviews with NPR or member station journalists if selected.
Complete official rules are available at npr.org/seniorpodcastchallenge. The contest is sponsored by National Public Radio, Inc., a District of Columbia nonprofit corporation, and is not affiliated with SoundCloud, Podbean, or Anchor.
