THE AMBIES TO STREAM LIVE ON YOUTUBE AND TWITCH ON SUNDAY, MAY 16, 2021 AT 5PM PT / 8PM ET
PODCAST ACADEMY UNVEILS NOMINEES FOR INAUGURAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO
LOS ANGELES, CA, MARCH 4, 2021 -- The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, has unveiled the nominees for its inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). 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 be streamed LIVE on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms on Sunday, May 16, 2021 from Los Angeles, CA at 5PM PT/8PM ET, with a pre-show starting at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET.
The Ambies will highlight 164 nominees across 23 categories — with winners to be selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy — in addition to a Governor’s Award. Eligible new members will be able to vote to determine this year’s winners if registered by March 26. More information about becoming a member may be found here.
“The Podcast Academy was founded a year ago with the mission to foster inclusivity, elevate awareness and build excitement for podcasts through initiatives, programming and our annual awards,” said Chairman of the Podcast Academy, Donald Albright, President & Co-Founder of Tenderfoot TV. “Today, we celebrate the community with the announcement of our first-ever Ambies nominees. They are just as diverse as the creators, both in front of and behind the mic, and are reflective of the far reaching medium. On behalf of the membership, we congratulate all of the nominees.”
Dirty Diana, The Left Right Game and Wind of Change earned four nominations each, the most for any program.
A variety of podcasts from independent and nonprofit media entities also earned nominations including Adult ISH (YR Media), Borne the Battle (US Department of Veterans Affairs), DEM TIMES(Our Day), DETOURS (WGBH/PRX), On Being with Krista Tippett (On Being Studios), among others.
This year’s slate of inaugural nominees feature activists, award-winners, bestselling authors, luminaries and renowned journalists including:Hillary Rodham Clinton; Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey; NAACP Image Awards-winnerTessa Thompson; Order of Canada recipient Malcolm Gladwell; Back Issue’s multidisciplinary artist Josh Gwynn and Netflix’s Strong Black Legends Tracy Clayton; New York Times bestselling author Patrick Radden Keefe;Forgotten: Women of Juarez’s Peabody Award-winning journalist Oz Woloshyn and public radio journalist Mónica Ortiz Uribe; The Heist’s Pulitzer-winning reporter Mei Fong and award-winning radio journalist Sally Herships; as well as Pulitzer finalist Ear Hustle, co-hosted by Earlonne Woods, a former inmate at San Quentin, and Rahsaan “New York” Thomas, a current inmate. Full list of nominees below.
THE AMBIES 2021 FULL LIST OF NOMINEES:
Podcast of The Year:
Blockbuster: The Story of James Cameron (Miniseries)
Bunga Bunga
Chasing Cosby
DETOURS
Dirty Diana
Dying for Sex
For Life: The Podcast
Forgotten: Women of Juarez
Say Their Name
The Happiness Lab
Best Business Podcast:
An Arm and a Leg
Brought to you by...
Go For Broke
Masters of Scale
Teamistry
The Heist
Women at Work
Best Comedy Podcast:
Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Culture Kings
Don't Ask Tig
Groceries
How Did This Get Made?
The Breakfast Club
Threedom
Best Documentary Podcast:
California City
Conviction Season 2: American Panic
For Life: The Podcast
I'm Not A Monster
Louder Than a Riot
Painkiller: America’s Fentanyl Crisis
The Edge: Houston Astros
Best Entertainment Podcast:
Dissect
Even the Rich
For Life: The Podcast
Office Ladies
Prime Video Presents
The First One
The Plot Thickens
Best Fiction Podcast:
Asking For It
Blood Ties - Season 2
DEM TIMES
Dirty Diana
Frozen Frights: Aurora Borealis "Vacant"
The Left Right Game
Two Princes
Best History Podcast:
American History Tellers
American Scandal
DETOURS
Driving the Green Book
Slow Burn
Unfinished: Deep South
Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers
Best Interview Podcast:
A Winning Mindset: Lessons From The Paralympics
Asian Enough
Back from Broken
Death, Sex & Money
More With Anna Maria Tremonti
The FRONTLINE Dispatch
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast:
American Innovations
Brave New Planet
How to Save a Planet
In Machines We Trust
Short Wave
Tai Asks Why
Unlocking Bryson’s Brain
Best News Podcast:
Do No Harm
Post Reports
Suspicious Activity: Inside the FinCEN Files
The Journal
Today, Explained
VICE News Reports
What Next
Best Original Score and Music Supervision:
Bunga Bunga - Scott Velasquez, Jeff Schmidt
Dead and Gone - Makeup And Vanity Set
Jacked: Rise of New Jack Sound - Marcelino Villalpando
Revisionist History - Luis Guerra
Throughline - Ramtin Arablouei, Drop Electric, Hania Rani
Treasure Island 2020 - Chris Tarry, Jennifer Rowekamp
Two Princes - Score: Greg Laswell; Theme and additional scoring by Bobby Lord; Music Supervision: Jonathon Roberts
Best Performer in Audio Fiction:
DUST, Season 3: CHRYSALIS - Corey Hawkins
Hank the Cowdog - Matthew McConaughey
Light House - Aly Trasher
National Geographic Kids Greeking Out - Kenny Curtis, Tori Kerr
The Left Right Game - Tessa Thompson
Two Princes - Noah Galvin, Ari'el Stachel, Samira Wiley, Gideon Glick, Wesley Taylor, Alfredo Narciso, Mandi Masden, CJ Wilson, Michelle Gomez
We Are Not Alone - Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast:
Borne the Battle
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown
Dear Therapists
Hey Spirit!
Meditative Story
On Being with Krista Tippett
Stay Calm with Bob Roth
Best Podcast Host:
Amicus Presents: The Class of RBG - Dahlia Lithwick
Back Issue - Josh Gwynn, Tracy Clayton
Bunga Bunga - Whitney Cummings
MOBITUARIES: Anna May Wong (Death of a Trailblazer) - Mo Rocca
Revisionist History - Malcolm Gladwell
Science Vs - Wendy Zukerman
Wind of Change - Patrick Radden Keefe
Best Politics or Opinion Podcast:
Burn the Boats
Gaining Ground: The New Georgia
Our Nation of Immigrants
Politically Re-Active
The Dan Bongino Show
The NPR Politics Podcast
Winning Wisconsin
Best Production and Sound Design:
Canary: The Washington Post Investigates - Bishop Sand
Conviction: American Panic - Matthew Boll
Dirty Diana - Millie Iatrou, Ryan Walsh, Katie Halliday, Justin Davey, Matt Yocum & Ben Michev, Neely Oeftering
The Left Right Game - Ryan Walsh, Matt Yocum, Will Files, Ryan Sullivan
Unfinished: Short Creek - John DeLore
Where is George Gibney? - Ger McDonnell
Wind of Change - Henry Molofsky
Best Reporting:
Fiasco: Iran-Contra - Leon Neyfakh
I'm Not A Monster - Josh Baker
Planet Money - Sarah Gonzalez, Kenny Malone, Jacob Goldstein, Robert Smith, Amanda Aroncyzk, Karen Duffin, Mary Childs
Reveal - Shoshana Walter, Laura Starecheski, Ike Srikandarajah
The Take - Malika Bilal, Stefanie Dekker, Safwat al-Kahlout
Unfinished: Short Creek - Sarah Ventre, Ash Sanders
Wind of Change - Patrick Radden Keefe
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction:
Appearances - Sharon Mashihi
DEM TIMES - Rhys Reed-Johnson, Jacob Roberts-Mensah
Dirty Diana - Shana Feste
Looking For Latoya - Amy Aniobi, Chris Sanford, Kindsey Young
Make It Up As We Go - David Hudgins, Brooks Hudgins
National Geographic Kids Greeking Out - Kenny Curtis, Jillian Hughes, Emily Everhart
The Left Right Game - Jack Anderson
Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction:
And Nothing Less - Robin Linn
Heavyweight - Jonathan Goldstein, Kalila Holt, Stevie Lane
Masters of Scale - WaitWhat Team, Adam Skuse, Katie Clark Gray
Resistance - Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr.
Suspicious Activity: Inside the FinCEN Files - Jonathan Menjivar, Jenelle Pifer, Joel Lovell
Whistleblower - Tim Livingston
Wind of Change - Patrick Radden Keefe
Best Society and Culture Podcast:
Code Switch
Ear Hustle
Heavyweight
Into America
Latino USA
Resistance
You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton
Best Sports Podcast:
17 Weeks
Drafted
Sports Uncovered
The Cam Chronicles
The Edge: Houston Astros
The Lead
Whistleblower
Best True Crime Podcast:
Brainwashed/Uncover
Chasing Cosby
Dr. Death Season 2: Dr. Fata
I'm Not A Monster
Somebody
Supernatural with Ashley Flowers
The Messenger
Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast:
Adult ISH
Dying for Sex
Last Day Season 2
The Happiness Lab
Therapy for Black Girls
We Got You
Where Should We Begin?
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 visitwww.thepodcastacademy.com and follow/like/subscribe on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook,YouTube and Linkedin.
NOMINATIONS BREAKDOWN BY SHOW
Dirty Diana - 4
The Left Right Game - 4
Wind of Change - 4
Bunga Bunga - 3
For Life: The Podcast - 3
I'm Not A Monster - from BBC Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS - 3
Two Princes - 3
Chasing Cosby - 2
Conviction Season 2: American Panic - 2
DEM TIMES - 2
DETOURS - 2
Dying for Sex - 2
Heavyweight - 2
Masters of Scale - 2
National Geographic Kids Greeking Out - 2
Resistance - 2
Revisionist History - 2
Suspicious Activity: Inside the FinCEN Files - 2
The Edge: Houston Astros - 2
The Happiness Lab - 2
Unfinished: Short Creek - 2
Whistleblower - 2
17 Weeks - 1
A Winning Mindset: Lessons From The Paralympics - 1
Adult ISH - 1
American History Tellers - 1
American Innovations - 1
American Scandal - 1
Amicus Presents: The Class of RBG - 1
An Arm and a Leg - 1
And Nothing Less - 1
Appearances -1
Asian Enough -1
Asking For It -1
Back from Broken -1
Back Issue - 1
Blockbuster: The Story of James Cameron (Miniseries) - 1
Blood Ties - Season 2 - 1
Borne the Battle - 1
Brainwashed/Uncover -1
Brave New Planet - 1
Brought to you by… - 1
Burn the Boats - 1
California City - 1
Canary: The Washington Post Investigates - 1
Code Switch - 1
Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend - 1
Culture Kings - 1
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown - 1
Dead and Gone - 1
Dear Therapists - 1
Death, Sex & Money -1
Dissect - 1
Do No Harm - 1
Don't Ask Tig - 1
Dr. Death Season 2: Dr. Fata - 1
Drafted - 1
Driving the Green Book - 1
DUST, Season 3: CHRYSALIS - 1
Ear Hustle - 1
Even the Rich - 1
Fiasco: Iran-Contra - 1
Forgotten: Women of Juarez - 1
Frozen Frights: Aurora Borealis "Vacant" - 1
Gaining Ground: The New Georgia - 1
Go For Broke - 1
Groceries - 1
Hank the Cowdog - 1
Hey Spirit! - 1
How Did This Get Made? - 1
How to Save a Planet - 1
In Machines We Trust - 1
Into America - 1
Jacked: Rise of New Jack Sound - 1
Last Day Season 2 - 1
Latino USA - 1
Light House - 1
Looking For Latoya - 1
Louder Than a Riot - 1
Make It Up As We Go - 1
Meditative Story - 1
MOBITUARIES: Anna May Wong (Death of a Trailblazer) - 1
More With Anna Maria Tremonti - 1
Office Ladies - 1
On Being with Krista Tippett - 1
Our Nation of Immigrants - 1
Painkiller: America’s Fentanyl Crisis - 1
Planet Money - 1
Politically Re-Active - 1
Post Reports - 1
Prime Video Presents - 1
Reveal - 1
Say Their Name - 1
Science Vs - 1
Short Wave - 1
Slow Burn - 1
Somebody - 1
Sports Uncovered - 1
Stay Calm with Bob Roth - 1
Supernatural with Ashley Flowers - 1
Tai Asks Why - 1
Teamistry - 1
The Breakfast Club - 1
The Cam Chronicles - 1
The Dan Bongino Show - 1
The First One - 1
The FRONTLINE Dispatch - 1
The Heist - 1
The Journal - 1
The Lead - 1
The Messenger - 1
The NPR Politics Podcast - 1
The Plot Thickens - 1
The Take - 1
Therapy for Black Girls - 1
Threedom - 1
Throughline - 1
Today, Explained - 1
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller - 1
Treasure Island 2020 - 1
Unfinished: Deep South - 1
Unlocking Bryson’s Brain - 1
Very Presidential with Ashley Flowers - 1
VICE News Reports - 1
We Are Not Alone - 1
We Got You - 1
What Next - 1
Where is George Gibney? - 1
Where Should We Begin? - 1
Winning Wisconsin - 1
Women at Work - 1
You and Me Both with Hillary Clinton - 1
BREAKDOWN BY DISTRIBUTOR(S)
Al Jazeera English Online, Al Jazeera Digital - 1
Amazon Studios / At Will Media / Tim Kash - 1
APM - 1
Atlassian / Pacific Content - 1
Audiation (Sandy Smallens) - 1
Audio Up Media - 1
BBC Sounds / Panorama / FRONTLINE PBS - 3
The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard / Pushkin Industries / The Boston Globe - 1
Business Insider - 1
Cadence13 / Ben Reiter / Prologue Projects - 2
CBC Podcasts - 3
CBC Podcasts / Mermaid Palace - 1
CBC Podcasts / TRAX from PRX - 1
CBS News Sunday Morning - 1
Center for Public Integrity - 1
Colorado Public Radio - 1
DCP Entertainment - 1
Earwolf / Stitcher - 5
Epicleff Originals / Cadence13 - 1
Evergreen Podcasts - 1
FRONTLINE PBS - 1
Futuro Media / PRX - 1
Gen-Z Media / BYU Radio - 1
Gunpowder & Sky - 1
Harvard Business Review - 1
HBO / Tenderfoot TV / Raedio - 1
Icebox Radio Theater - 1
iHeartRadio - 6
iHeartRadio / Bamfer Productions - 1
LAist Studios - 1
Lemonada Media - 1
Livewire Sport / International Paralympic Committee - 1
Los Angeles Times - 1
Los Angeles Times / Herzog & Company - 2
Luminary / Prologue Projects - 1
Macmillan Podcasts - 1
Mermaid Palace / Radiotopia - 1
MIT Technology Review - 1
MSNBC - 1
National Geographic / Muck Media - 1
National Geographic Kids - 2
NBC Sports - 1
NPR - 6
On Being Studios - 1
Our Day - 2
Pineapple Street Studios - 1
Pineapple Street Studios / Buzzfeed - 2
Pineapple Street Studios / Crooked Media / Spotify - 4
PRX - 1
PRX's Radiotopia - 1
Public Roads Productions - 1
Pushkin Industries - 4
QCode - 9
Second Captains for BBC Sounds - 1
Slate - 3
Sonic Union / TRAX from PRX - 1
Sony Pictures Television - 3
Soundwalk Collective - 1
Spotify Studios - 2
Spotify / Gimlet - 13
Spotify / Parcast - 3
Spotify / The Ringer - 1
Stitcher - 1
Team Coco & Earwolf - 1
Tenderfoot TV / Crooked Media - 1
Tenderfoot TV / Double Elvis - 1
Tenderfoot TV / Whistleblower Media - 2
The Brookings Institution - 1
The Center for Investigative Reporting / PRX - 1
The SpringHill Company - 1
The Washington Post - 2
Topic Studios - 1
Topic Studios / Chalk & Blade / Audible - 1
Topic Studios / The Intercept / Invisible Institute / iHeartRadio, in association with Tenderfoot TV - 1
Treefort Media - 1
Turner Classic Movies - 1
UNINTERRUPTED / SiriusXM - 1
US Department of Veterans Affairs - 1
VICE News / iHeartRadio - 1
Vox Media Podcast Network - 1
Vox Media Podcast Network / Epic Magazine - 1
WaitWhat - 3
Westwood One - 1
WGBH / PRX - 2
Witness Docs (from Stitcher) / Critical Frequency - 2
WNYC Studios - 1
Wonder Media Network - 1
Wondery - 11
Wondery / The Athletic - 1
Wondery / Universal Music Group - 1
Wondery / NBC News - 1
YR Media - 1
