Fire Survivor's Grassroots Podcast #L.A. Rising Wins National Award, Named Finalist in International Signal Awards

Show launched on a $5,000 grant after the 2025 L.A. Fires Invites Listeners to vote for Signal's Listener's Choice Award by Oct. 15

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- #L.A. Rising -- Stories of Healing, Help & Hope, a nonprofit podcast created by a Los Angeles fire survivor, has been named a Finalist in the 5th Annual Signal Awards, one of the podcast industry's leading international honors, in the Mental Health category. The news follows the show's national 2026 Best of the Year Award in Tech & Media, from a program created by former Hearst Magazines senior editors.

The Signal Awards are "mission-focused on uplifting the podcast medium by recognizing the most potent, meaningful and unprecedented audio projects being made today." Its judges – ranging from author Jay Shetty to content executives at Ted Talks, NPR and YouTube -- are described as "the architects, instigators and trailblazers of the medium."

The finalist episode, "Writing to Surprise Ourselves: Fire Survivor Kathleen Katims' Saved by a Story," is also in the running for the Signal Listener's Choice Award, a global public vote that drew more than 385,000 votes in 2025. Fans can vote through Oct. 15 at vote.signalaward.com. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners will be announced Oct. 20.

The recognition is remarkable given how the show began. Two weeks after the January 2025 "fire hurricane" devastated two Los Angeles communities, veteran podcast host Kim Marshall -- who escaped the Palisades Fire on foot with a small suitcase and two dogs -- launched #L.A. Rising with no network behind it, just a $5,000 small business grant from L.A. County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath's office and a pro bono production partner. Her goal: a trusted place for survivors' stories of resilience, and for expert resources and wellness tools, long after national media moved on.

"What stood out most to me was the raw authenticity: a survivor host sharing survivor stories, without the distance much disaster coverage carries," said one Best of the Year judge.

With Emmy-winning broadcaster Giselle Fernandez as Advising Producer, #L.A. Rising has expanded to disasters worldwide, from flooding in Brazil and Texas Hill Country to Category 5 Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. Its premise: lessons learned from one disaster can be a catalyst of hope and inspiration for the next. Wellness Lift segments pair each story with coping strategies like deep breathing, contrast bathing, meditation and understanding grief.

International podcast agency NOVA helps produce the show. "This wasn't just a local story — it was a global moment," said NOVA CEO Hayden Lyon. "When Kim came to us with #L.A. Rising, launching it pro bono was an easy decision."

Since early 2026, Marshall and NOVA also help produce After the Fire USA's "How to Disaster" podcast on megafire recovery. 

About #L.A. Rising
A nonprofit podcast about resilience in a warming world, hosted by Kim Marshall, in fiscal partnership with the Creative Visions Foundation, featuring survivors, community leaders and experts on disaster recovery. Learn more at larisingstories.org or on Instagram @larisingpodcast.

Media Contact:
Kim Marshall, 3104873554, [email protected] 

SOURCE #L.A. Rising