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.
"People are very funny. And we're not afraid of that," Holland noted. "When it emerges, we enjoy it, and I think that people who listen to the podcast enjoy it as well."
The award comes with significant promotional benefits across Apple's ecosystem. Fans can now access curated collections of the hosts' favorite history books in Apple Books, their classical music picks on Apple Music Classical, and an extended interview on Apple News In Conversation.
This cross-platform integration demonstrates how Apple leverages its services ecosystem to amplify winning content - something competitors like Spotify struggle to match with their more limited service offerings.
The timing couldn't be better for British podcast exports. As streaming wars intensify globally, UK-produced content is finding new audiences hungry for alternatives to American-centric programming. The Rest Is History's win could signal broader opportunities for British podcasters to break into international markets.
"It's the biggest thrill imaginable," Holland said of the recognition. "We're the first British podcast to win it, so that's a cause for patriotic pride."
The success story also highlights changing listener preferences in the post-pandemic era. Rather than seeking escapist entertainment, audiences increasingly want content that engages their minds while remaining accessible. The Rest Is History's ability to make complex historical subjects compelling without dumbing them down represents exactly what modern podcast consumers are seeking.
Apple's choice to crown The Rest Is History as 2025 Show of the Year represents more than just a content award - it signals the platform's commitment to quality over celebrity buzz and intellectual engagement over quick consumption. As the podcast industry continues evolving, this recognition suggests audiences are hungry for substantial content that respects their intelligence while remaining entertaining. For British content creators, it opens new doors to global recognition on one of the world's most influential audio platforms.
