“Las Culturistas” hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers and “Saturday Night Live’s” Ego Nwodim were among the winners of the fifth annual Ambies, the kudos handed out by The Podcast Academy to recognize audio entertainment.
Wondery, Audible, iHeart Media, Audacy, NPR, the CBC, Pineapple Street Studios, Higher Ground Productions and Crooked Media led the platforms and production banners that were honored across 28 categories. The awards were presented Monday evening at Chicago’s McCormick Convention Center as part of the annual Podcast Movement conference.
Podcast of the year honors went to “Hysterical,” the investigative story of a mystery ailment that spread through teenage girls in LeRoy, N.Y., a small town about 30 miles east of Rochester. The seven-part series hails from Wondery, Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios. “Hysterical” also won the laurel for best reporting for the work of host and producer Dan Taberski. “Las Culturistas” (iHeart/Big Money Players) starring “SNL” trouper Yang and actor-comedian Rogers, was recognized for comedy podcast. Yang’s “SNL” castmate won the category of interview podcast for “Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim.”
Higher Ground, the banner headed by Barack and Michelle Obama, took the trophy for entertainment podcast for “The Wonder of Stevie,” examining the work of Stevie Wonder (Audible, Higher Ground, Pineapple Street Studios). Wondery and Crooked Media claimed the prize for history podcast for “Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD,” a deeply researched dive into the unvarnished history of the New York Police Department.
NPR’s “How I Built This Podcast with Guy Raz” (Wondery, Built It Productions, NPR) got the nod for business podcast. NPR also won in the politics or opinion category for “The NPR Politics Podcast.”
Actor-comedian and podcaster Tig Notaro hosted the Ambies, which also bestowed honorary kudos on Ira Glass (Governors Award) and Sam Sanders (Impact Award).
Here is the full list of winners of the fifth annual Ambies:
Podcast of The YearHystericalWondery, Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios
Best Business PodcastHow I Built This Podcast with Guy RazWondery, Built It Productions and NPR
Best Comedy PodcastLas Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen YangiHeartPodcasts, Big Money Players
Best DIY PodcastAbandoned: The All-American Ruins PodcastAll-American Ruins
Best Documentary PodcastTestedBucket of Eels, CBC Podcasts and NPR’s Embedded
Best Entertainment PodcastThe Wonder of StevieAudible, Higher Ground, and Pineapple Street Studios
Best Fiction PodcastTales of Fists & FireballsADHx2
Best History PodcastEmpire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPDWondery, Crooked Media
Best Indie PodcastWhat Happened in SkinnerMazama Entertainment
Best Indie Podcast Host or HostsDallas Taylorfor Twenty Thousand Hertz Defacto Sound
Best Interview PodcastThanks Dad with Ego NwodimHeadgum
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast99% InvisibleSiriusXM
Best News PodcastThe Ten NewsSmall But Mighty Media, Next Chapter Podcasts
Best Original Score and Music SupervisionDan Leonefor RippleWestern Sound, APM Studios
Best Performance in Audio FictionCaitlin Stasey, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, David Yow, Caroline Morahan, Guinevere Turner, Elizabeth Halpern, Travis Harmon, Brad Griffith, James Bacon, Jameson Cush, Jonathan Shockley, Ayla Glass and Chris Goodwin for The Skies Are WatchingGoldhawk Productions
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast10% Happier with Dan Harris10% Media
Best Podcast for KidsWow in the WorldWondery, Tinkercast
Best Podcast Host or HostsRonald Young Jr.for Weight For It ohitsBigRon studios LLC
Best Politics or Opinion PodcastThe NPR Politics Podcast
Best Production and Sound DesignMichelle Macklemfor Girl v. HorseESPN Podcasts, 30 for 30 Podcasts
Best ReportingDan Taberskifor HystericalWondery, Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios
Best Scriptwriting, FictionAnderson Cook and Sidney Butler for AcademyAT WILL MEDIA, Wondery
Best Scriptwriting, Non-FictionAshley Cleek, Al Letson, Brett Myers for RevealReveal, PRX
Best Society and Culture PodcastInheritingLAist Studios
Best Spanish Language Narrative Podcast – Fiction or NonfictionHUMO: Murder and Silence in El SalvadorSonoro
Best Sports PodcastBroomgate: A Curling ScandalKelly&Kelly, CBC Podcasts, USG Audio, and Pacific Electric
Best True Crime PodcastBeyond All RepairWBUR, ZSP Media
Best Wellness or Relationships PodcastTherapy for Black GirlsiHeartPodcasts
(Pictured: Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, hosts of “Las Culturistas”)
