Ambies

The Ambies (or the Awards for Excellence in Audio, more formally) are a series of awards given in the podcast industry. They are awarded by the Podcast Academy in two overall categories: Show Recognition and Talent Recognition. The winners, who receive a gold statue holding a microphone and wearing headphones, are selected by a vote from Podcast Academy members. The awards and the Podcast Academy were established in 2020 with the inaugural ceremony held on May 16, 2021, hosted by Cameron Esposito.

History

In February 2020, Hernan Lopez at Wondery announced that he and 10 peers had established a new non-profit group called the Podcast Academy. The Podcast Academy is a member-based professional organization for podcasters. It was modeled after other similar institutions in the entertainment industry with the intention of establishing an independent industry award for podcasting, initially called the Golden Mics. When the Podcast Academy announced plans to hold the first award ceremony amidst the awards season of other entertainment areas, the name was changed to the Awards for Excellence in Audio, nicknamed the Ambies, and award was revealed to be a gold statue holding a microphone and wearing headphones. The term Ambies was derived from ambient sound, which is frequently used in audio recordings, and it has a similar sound to other awards such as the Emmys and Grammys.

Selection process

Nominations are first recommended for consideration within a submission window, and then narrowed down to an official list of nominees for voting. A minimum of three episodes published in the award year are required to be eligible for consideration. From those recommendations, a panel of Podcast Academy members listen to podcasts for a period of time before selecting the nominees for voting in each category. Members of the Podcast Academy are organized into peer groups in order to vote on the winners from the selected nominees, which are announced at the live ceremony.

Awards

Show Recognition

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 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 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 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?

External links

• Official website