Apple has released its best-of podcasts list for 2021 and the company has named "A Slight Change of Plans" the best show. It also gave lots of other shows shoutouts for the quality entertainment they bring to the table.
The winning podcast features Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist who founded the White House Behavioral Science Team and served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. It's all about dealing with changes through a blend of storytelling and the science of human behavior.
"It's easy for us to feel overwhelmed by any given change. I've often found myself thinking, 'I've never gone through this particular change before --- what do I do?'" Shankar said. "But while our changes may appear different on the surface, cognitive science teaches us that the strategies we use to navigate those changes can be quite similar. Which is heartening to realize! It means we can learn from changes that don't look like ours."
Apple also acknowledged a newer podcast called "Anything for Selena" with Maria Garcia as the Newcomer of the Year.
The company also gave out a bunch of awards for shows and episodes that it thought stood out from the crowd. Some of the "Shows of the Year" include "A Kids Book About: The Podcast," "Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain," "Pantsuit Politics," and plenty of others.
For "Episodes of the Year," Apple shouted out "A Friendly Ghost Story," "Bubba Wallace," "The Body Mass Index," and others.
Finally, Apple released charts featuring some of the top shows, including the top paid subscriptions. The number one individual show based on subscriptions is "Bad Blood: The Final Chapter" with John Carreyrou.
Make sure to check out Apple's full list of podcasts, as you might just find something new to enjoy.