The winner in the Indie Category at this year’s Asia Podcast Awards is ZYRUP Media’s “Political Prude: The Podcast,” a leading politics and current affairs podcast that makes complex topics less intimidating and easier to consume for Gen Z and millennials in Singapore.
It is hosted by Joel Lim, whose approachable style and genuine curiosity make even the most intricate political discussions engaging. The usual length of each episode runs between 30 to 60 minutes.
Rather than advocating for any particular party or politician, the podcast prioritises thoughtful discourse, allowing audiences to engage critically with varying viewpoints. This steadfast neutrality has cemented its credibility among listeners and made it a trusted space for political dialogue. It was the only podcast to successfully secure interviews with all four interested parties at the outset of the 2023 Presidential Election, underscoring its role as a key forum for balanced political conversations.
Over the past year, the show has featured politicians, policymakers, experts, and commentators as guests. This includes Minister Chan Chun Sing and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, offering direct perspectives from the ruling party, and significant voices from the opposition, including Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Chairman Dr. Paul Tambyah.
The podcast’s credibility is further demonstrated by the fact that both new media and mainstream media co-opted the Political Prude brand during the 2025 General Election, leading to appearances on The Straits Times’ Polling Night Live and MoneyFM 89.3, and podcasts like The Daily Ketchup, Just Saying, The Usual Place and Inconvenient Questions. Beyond its digital presence, the podcast actively fosters in-person community building, as exemplified by the successful in-person Political Prude GE2025 launch party and GE2025 Polling Day Watch Party, which saw hundreds of listeners turn up in person to engage with the brand. During the 2025 General Election, to accommodate the demand for interview requests, a shorter 15-minute interview series was introduced alongside full-length interviews
The winner in the Major Category, Mediacorp’s “A Letter to Myself” – is a daily podcast programme that runs for about 30 minutes on average, in which host Joel Chua speaks with people from all walks of life – ranging from business owners to thought leaders to music artists to teachers.
But the main aim is not to learn about just their achievements – rather, it is to dig deeper and get to the heart of the person behind the achievement (i.e. their early years, the challenges they faced in their growing years, the most valuable lessons they have learned through life).
Some notable episodes include, a conversation with the co-creator of popular Singapore comic character Mr Kiasu on leaving a stable military career to pursue one in comics, content creator Syafiqah Noor from well-known humour online channel SGAG on the hard work that goes into creating comedic material, the Godmother of Singlish Toh Paik Choo on being the first to codify Singapore’s unique language, and veteran actor Suhaimi Yusof on overcoming stroke.
See the complete list of winners of this year’s Awards here.