“HYSTERICAL” wins podcast of the years and Best reporting at the Podcast Academy's Fifth annual awards for excellence in Audio
Tonight, The Podcast Academy (TPA), the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced winners at its Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies®) from the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, which was hosted by multi-hyphenate comedian Tig Notaro. Additionally, Ira Glass was honored with the esteemed Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry; and Sam Sanders received the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.
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 highlighted 199 nominees across 28 categories with winners selected by every voting member of TPA. A full list of the 2025 nominees may be found here.
FIFTH ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO WINNERS:
Podcast of The Year
Hysterical
Wondery, Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios
Best Business Podcast
How I Built This Podcast with Guy Raz
Wondery, Built It Productions and NPR
Best Comedy Podcast
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
iHeartPodcasts, Big Money Players
Best DIY Podcast
abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast
All-American Ruins
Best Documentary Podcast
Tested
Bucket of Eels, CBC Podcasts and NPR's Embedded
Best Entertainment Podcast
The Wonder of Stevie
Audible, Higher Ground, and Pineapple Street Studios
Best Fiction Podcast
Tales of Fists & Fireballs
ADHx2
Best History Podcast
Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD
Wondery, Crooked Media
Best Indie Podcast
What Happened in Skinner
Mazama Entertainment
Best Indie Podcast Host or Hosts
Dallas Taylor
for Twenty Thousand Hertz
Defacto Sound
Best Interview Podcast
Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim
Headgum
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast
99% Invisible
SiriusXM
Best News Podcast
The Ten News
Small But Mighty Media, Next Chapter Podcasts
Best Original Score and Music Supervision
Dan Leone
for Ripple
Western Sound, APM Studios
Best Performance in Audio Fiction
Caitlin 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 Watching Goldhawk Productions
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast
10% Happier with Dan Harris
10% Media
Best Podcast for Kids
Wow in the World
Wondery, Tinkercast
Best Podcast Host or Hosts
Ronald Young Jr. for Weight For It ohitsBigRon studios LLC
Best Politics or Opinion Podcast
The NPR Politics Podcast
NPR
Best Production and Sound Design
Michelle Macklem for Girl v. Horse
ESPN Podcasts, 30 for 30 Podcasts
Best Reporting
Dan Taberski
for Hysterical
Wondery, Audacy's Pineapple Street Studios
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction
Anderson Cook and Sidney Butler for Academy
AT WILL MEDIA, Wondery
Best Scriptwriting, Non-Fiction
Ashley Cleek, Al Letson, Brett Myers for Reveal
Reveal, PRX
Best Society and Culture Podcast
Inheriting
LAist Studios
Best Spanish Language Narrative Podcast - Fiction or Nonfiction
HUMO: Murder and Silence in El Salvador
Sonoro
Best Sports Podcast
Broomgate: A Curling Scandal
Kelly&Kelly, CBC Podcasts, USG Audio, and Pacific Electric
Best True Crime Podcast
Beyond All Repair
WBUR, ZSP Media
Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast
Therapy for Black Girls
iHeartPodcasts
ABOUT THE PODCAST ACADEMY
Founded in February 2020, The Podcast Academy is a not-for-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, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Visit our donation page to support our mission.
Sponsor support for The Podcast Academy includes Wondery, The Hollywood Reporter, Audible, Dolby, Airwave, The Podcast Show, Castbox, Outfront Media, Twitch, and NPM/NPR.
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