The Podcast Academy has released the list of 164 nominees across 23 categories that are up for its inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio, otherwise known as The Ambies. The Podcast Academy’s award show geared to increase awareness of the medium and celebrate excellence in podcasting will be held Sunday, May 16 in Los Angeles. Winners will be voted on by Podcast Academy members.
The podcasts Dirty Diana and The Left Right Game – both from QCode – and Wind of Change from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify each earned four nominations, the most for any podcast.
Spotify/Gimlet leads with 13 nominations, followed by Wondery with 11, QCode (9), iHeartRadio (6), NPR (6), and Earwolf/Sticher (5). But most companies scored just a single nomination.
Tenderfoot TV President Donald Albright, who chairs The Podcast Academy, said the list of nominees are “just as diverse as the creators, both in front of and behind the mic, and are reflective of the far reaching medium.”
But just as notable is which shows were not chosen by the blue ribbon panel including some of the medium’s most listened-to series such as Crime Junkie were snubbed. Other popular shows such as such as The Joe Rogan Experience and The Daily apparently were not submitted for consideration.
The Ambies winners will be selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy in addition to a Governor’s Award given to an especially talented individual, company or podcast whose specific accomplishments The Podcast Academy wants to highlight. Eligible new members will be able to vote to determine this year’s winners if registered by March 26.
The Ambies ceremony will be streamed live on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms on Sunday, May 16 beginning at 8pm ET/5pm PT with a pre-show starting a half hour earlier. The Podcast Academy has not announced a venue or whether because of the pandemic the show will be entirely virtual.
Here is the complete list of The Ambies 2020 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?