THE PODCAST ACADEMY ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR
SECOND ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO
THE AMBIES TO STREAM LIVE EXCLUSIVELY ON TWITCH
TUESDAY, MARCH 22 AT 6PM PT / 9PM ET
LOS ANGELES, CA, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 — The Podcast Academy, the preeminent
professional podcast organization, has announced the nominees for its second annual Awards
for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). The Ambies, which will stream LIVE exclusively on
Twitch at 6PM PT/9PM ET, will be co-hosted by Ross Mathews and Nikki Boyer (2021
Podcast of the Year Ambies-winner; Dying for Sex) on March 22 from The Mayan Theater in
Los Angeles. This year’s Ambies are presented by Wondery with additional support from
Audible, Audacy, PRX, Tenderfoot TV, The Hollywood Reporter, Apollo, Loeb & Loeb and
IMDb.
The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts
as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling, and expression.
The ceremony will highlight 178 nominees across 25 categories with winners selected by every
voting member of The Podcast Academy — in addition to a Governor’s Award that will be
announced at a later date.
Donald Albright, Chairman of the Podcast Academy and President & Co-Founder of Tenderfoot
TV stated: “The Podcast Academy is proud to share that it received a 34% increase in
submissions compared to its inaugural awards last year. As the medium continues to grow, we
have decided to introduce two new categories: Best Indie Podcast and Best Podcast for Kids.
The inclusion of these categories is a testament to our mission of supporting independent
creators and recognizing areas of our expanding industry. Congratulations to all of our well-
deserved nominees.”
Nominee Highlights for the 2022 Awards for Excellence in Audio:
- The Washington Post’s Post Reports earned four nominations, the most for any
podcast, while 9/12 (Amazon Music, Pineapple Street Studios, and Wondery), Believe
Her (Lemonada & Spiegel & Grau), Billie Was a Black Woman (Paramount
Audio/Spoke Media/Audible Originals), Have You Heard George's Podcast? (George
the Poet for BBC Sounds) garnered three nominations each. - The Podcast Academy introduced two new categories: Best Indie Podcast and Best
Podcast for Kids. - There was a 34% increase in submissions year-over-year.
- 57% of Best Podcast Host nominees are women.
- Best Performer in Audio Fiction nominees include Parvesh Cheena and Jessica
McKenna (Melon’s House Party), Marisa Grant (Date With Daddy), David Harbour
(Aftershock), Rosamund Pike (Edith!), Kelly Marie Tran (Passenger List), Rainn
Wilson (Radio Rental), and the cast of We Stay Looking (Terri J. Vaughn, Karrueche
Tran, Marsai Martin, Kandi Burruss, Amin Joseph, Desi Banks, Kyla Pratt, Jason
Weaver, Kev On Stage, Kway, Karlous Miller, Tristen Winger, Max Greenfield).
THE AMBIES 2022 FULL LIST OF NOMINEES:
Podcast of The Year (Sponsored by Audacy):
9/12
A Slight Change of Plans
Alligator Candy
Believe Her
Bill Simmons Podcast
Earth Eclipsed
False Idol
Have You Heard George's Podcast?
Hooked
The Imperfection
Best Business Podcast:
An Arm and a Leg
Business Wars
Masters of Scale
Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin
Planet Money
The Indicator from Planet Money
The McKinsey Podcast
Best Comedy Podcast:
Best Friends
How Did This Get Made?
Nosy Neighbors
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Ears Edition
The Sarah Silverman Podcast
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
Why Won't You Date Me with Nicole Byer
Best Documentary Podcast:
AMERICAN VETERAN: Unforgettable Stories
CBC Podcasts: Life Jolt
Embedded
Fiasco: Benghazi
On Our Watch
Post Reports
Stay Away From Matthew MaGill
Best Entertainment Podcast:
Back Issue
Even the Rich
New Rory & MAL
Song Exploder
The Boys: The Official Podcast
The Friendship Onion
The Plot Thickens
Best Fiction Podcast (Sponsored by Apollo):
Black Box
Orphan Black: The Next Chapter
Princess of South Beach
Tejana
The Miseducation of John Mark
The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles
Treat
Best History Podcast:
Black Cowboys
Human Resources
Making Gay History — The Podcast | Season 9: “Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis”
Mogul
Slow Burn: The L.A. Riots
Telling Our Twisted Histories
Throughline
Best Indie Podcast (Sponsored by TenderfootTV):
AFTERSHOCK
An Arm and a Leg
Because I Said So!
Earth Eclipsed
FOR BLOOD OR JUSTICE
Walzon Prime
What Happened in Skinner
Best Interview Podcast:
70 over 70
Billie Was a Black Woman
I WEIGH
Jemele Hill is Unbothered
Profoundly Pointless
The Problem with Jon Stewart
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast:
Dope Labs
Music Blocks
Overheard at National Geographic
Road to Resilience
Ted Radio Hour
The Extortion Economy
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Best News Podcast:
60 Minutes
Consider This
Post Reports
Start Here
The Journal
The Times
Up First
Best Original Score and Music Supervision:
Have You Heard George's Podcast?
The Duolingo French Podcast
Operation Midnight Climax
Carcerem
Great Grief
Gravity
9/12
Best Performer in Audio Fiction (Sponsored by Audible):
Aftershock – David Harbour
Date With Daddy – Marisa Grant
Edith! – Rosamund Pike
Melon’s House Party – Parvesh Cheena & Jessica McKenna
Passenger List – Kelly Marie Tran
Radio Rental – Rainn Wilson
We Stay Looking – Full Cast Including: Terri J. Vaughn, Karrueche Tran, Marsai Martin, Kandi
Burruss, Amin Joseph, Desi Banks, Kyla Pratt, Jason Weaver, Kev On Stage, Kway, Karlous
Miller, Tristen Winger, Max Greenfield and more.
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast:
Great Grief
Life Kit
Making Space with Hoda Kotb
Meditative Story
Money Moves with Toni Tone
SOL Affirmations with Karega with Felicia
The Happiness Lab
Best Podcast for Kids:
African Folktales with Miss Jo Jo
Imagine This
Music Blocks
Nice to Meet You
Operation Ouch! The Podcast of Everything
The Big Fib
The Vivo Songbook
Best Podcast Host:
Crime Show – Emma Courtland
Human Resources – Moya Lothian-McLean
It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders – Sam Sanders
Jemele Hill Is Unbothered – Jemele Hill
King of The World: An American Muslim Story – Shahjehan Khan
Revisionist History – Malcolm Gladwell
Why Won't You Date Me with Nicole Byer – Nicole Byer
Best Politics or Opinion Podcast:
Billie Was a Black Woman
Can He Do That?
Pod Save the World
Post Reports
Skullduggery
Stay Tuned with Preet
The Messenger
Best Production and Sound Design (Sponsored by PRX):
Iowa Chapman and the Last Dog
King of The World: An American Muslim Story
Not Past It
The 11th: Time Machine — The Score
The Bering
The Turning: The Sisters Who Left
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Best Reporting:
Stolen: The Search for Jermain
Un(re)solved
The Turning: The Sisters Who Left
544 Days
Believe Her
Post Reports
9/12
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction:
Edith! – Gonzalo Cordova, Travis Helwig
Hit Job – Broadway Video
Soft Voice – James Bloor
The Burned Photo – Nicole Exposito, Jeremy Novick, Kwynn Perry
The Imperfection – Alexander Kemp
The Lamb – Tad Safran
We Stay Looking – Kindsey Young, Chris Sanford, Phylicia Mpasi
Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction:
Death At the Wing – Brian Steele, Adam Mckay, Raghu Manavalan, Jody Avigan
Have You Heard George's Podcast? – George the Poet
HiberNation – Mallika Rao
Radiotopia Presents: S***hole Country – Afia Kaakyire
Southlake – Antonia Hylton, Mike Hixenbaugh, Frannie Kelley, Reid Cherlin, Julie Shapiro,
Michelle Garcia
Storytime with Seth Rogen – Seth Rogen, Richard Parks III, Frida Perez
Throughline – Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, Julie Caine, Laine Kaplan-Levenson
Best Society and Culture Podcast:
Billie Was a Black Woman
Cheat!
Ear Hustle
Heavyweight
Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay
Into America
Storytime with Seth Rogen
Best Sports Podcast:
Crushed
False Idol
Goats: On the Bump by Ross Stripling
Spinsters
The Greatness with Kareem Maddox
The Lead
The Long Game
Best True Crime Podcast (Sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter):
Believe Her
Confronting: Columbine
Criminal
Do You Know Mordechai?
Firebug
Over My Dead Body: Fox Lake
Suspect
Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast:
Call Your Grandmother
Lovers and Friends with Shan Boodram
Making Space with Hoda Kotb
My Body, My Podcast
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Really Good Shares
We Can Do Hard Things
ABOUT THE PODCAST ACADEMY
Founded in February 2020, The Podcast Academy is a non-profit professional membership
organization that celebrates excellence in podcasting and elevates awareness of podcasts as
an indispensable medium for entertainment, information, and creative expression. It values
individual and organizational creators alike, of all backgrounds and means, and defines
achievement through the values of quality, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and impact. The
Podcast Academy provides community, professional development, and industry connections
through inclusive, dynamic programming. For more information about The Podcast Academy,
please visit www.thepodcastacademy.com and follow/like/subscribe on Instagram, Twitter,
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