WISECRACK WINS PODCAST OF THE YEAR AT
THE PODCAST ACADEMY’S 6TH ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO
Also Recognized for Best Production and Sound Design,
Best Scriptwriting (Non-Fiction), and Best Society and Culture Podcast
Pablo Torre Awarded Inaugural Vanguard Podcaster of the Year ;
Kara Swisher Presented with the Governors Award;
Reggie Ossé Was Posthumously Honored with the Impact Award
Red Carpet and Winners Photos here
NEW YORK, NY, FEBRUARY 24, 2026—Tonight, The Podcast Academy (TPA), the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced the winners of the 6th Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting while elevating the awareness and status of podcasts as a powerful, personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling, and expression. The podcast industry’s biggest night took place at the Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, as part of On Air Fest, and was hosted by Emmy and WGA Award–winning comedian, writer, and producer Wyatt Cenac, with Donwill serving as the evening’s official house DJ.
Christy Mirabal, Chair of The Podcast Academy, presented the Governors Award to Kara Swisher, recognizing her meaningful contributions to the growth of the podcasting industry.
“Kara Swisher has never just covered power. She’s confronted it. Don’t believe me? Google her interviews with Mark Zuckerberg and President Obama,” said Mirabal. She added, “Kara Swisher has proven you can hold power accountable, build a fiercely loyal audience, and talk about it all to the New York Times while wearing her iconic shades. She helped elevate podcasting from an emerging format to a central arena for cultural and political conversation.”
In her acceptance speech, Swisher shared some sage advice with the audience: “Be really useful to your listeners and have great respect for them. Whether it's figuring out something smart to say at work, or something with their spouse or partner or their kids. Be useful to them in life.” She went on to add, “Be unique that you can’t get it anywhere else.”
Angela Yee presented the late Reggie Ossé with the Impact Award for his significant and lasting effect on listeners. His wife, Akim Vann accepted the award on his behalf.
“Reggie didn’t just create a successful show—he shifted the culture of podcasting,” said Ye. “He helped define how hip-hop stories are told in audio, expanded space for Black creators, and built a legacy that continues to resonate across the industry.”
Touré announced the inaugural Vanguard Podcaster of the Year Award. He stated, “The Vanguard Podcaster of the Year is a new award that recognizes an individual who has made a remarkable and lasting impact on the podcasting industry within the past year. Pablo Torre was chosen by the first ever Vanguard Jury and we looked for people who were not just making successful podcasts, but expanding their influence way beyond audio, truly multidimensional talents whose achievements set new standards for what it means to be a podcaster.”
Additional presenters included B.A. Parker (co-host of Code Switch), Brittany Luse (It’s Been a Minute), Katy Hearne Church (Queen’s Podcast), Maria Hinojosa (founder of Futoro Media; In the Thick), Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder), and Sky Scraper (New York City FC’s mascot).
Additional highlights from the evening:
Host Wyatt Cenac opened the ceremony with a hilarious monologue saying, “Being a podcast host is an interesting kind of celebrity because a lot of people may not know your face, but they know your voice. I’ve often wondered if Ira Glass has to put on a fake British accent when he’s at a restaurant, so people aren’t like ‘oh shit, Ira Glass is at table seven. Let’s spit in his food.’”
Christy Mirabal, Chair of The Podcast Academy stated: “When The Podcast Academy created The Ambies, it wasn’t just to hand out trophies, it was to honor the medium and the people who move it forward; The storytellers, journalists, comedians, documentarians, producers, and teams who are shaping culture through audio.” She went on to add, “The Podcast Academy exists to support and advocate for the podcast community year-round and to create a professional home for this industry; A place where excellence is judged by peers who understand the craft, where we invest in mentorship and access, and where we work every day to level the playing field.”
6th Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) Winners and Honorees:
Governors Award Honoree
Kara Swisher
Impact Award Honoree
Reggie Ossé (posthumously), accepted by his wife, Akim Vann
Vanguard Podcaster of the Year
Pablo Torre
Podcast of The Year
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Ad Read
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
SiriusXM
Best Branded Podcast
Sesame Street: Cookie Monster Mysteries
Audible Studios,Sesame Workshop
Best Business Podcast
The Indicator from Planet Money
NPR
Best Comedy Podcast
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend
SiriusXM, Team Coco
Best DIY Podcast
Redacted History
Dr. Andre White, Airwave
Best Documentary Podcast
The Con: Kaitlyn's Baby
CBC, BBC World Service
Best Emerging Podcast
How Is This Better?
COURIER Newsroom
Best Entertainment Podcast
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Defacto Sound
Best Fiction Podcast
Red for Revolution
Meta Mana Media
Best History Podcast
Our Ancestors Were Messy
Coco Hill Productions
Best Indie Podcast
Our Ancestors Were Messy
Coco Hill Productions
Best Indie Podcast Host or Hosts
Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster
Debt Heads
Captain and the Fox
Best Interview Podcast
Death, Sex & Money
Slate
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast
Radiolab
New York Public Radio
Best News & Politics
Reveal
Reveal and PRX
Best Original Score and Music Supervision
Marcus Bagala and Sam Ewing
DC High Volume: Batman
DC Comics, Realm
Best Performance in Audio Fiction
Maulik Pancholy, Murray Bartlett, Poorna Jagannathan, Karan Soni, Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Conrad Ricamora, Iqbal Theba, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, Padma Lakshmi, et al.
Murder at the Patel Motel
Broadway Video, Audible
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast
Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NPR
Best Podcast for Kids
Terrestrials
WNYC Studios
Best Podcast Host or Hosts
Rachel Martin
Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NPR
Best Production and Sound Design
Alex Vespestad, Steven Perez, and Cooper Skinner
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Reporting
Robyn Semien
Question Everything
Placement Theory
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction
Jana Naomi Smith
Red for Revolution
Meta Mana Media
Best Scriptwriting, Non-Fiction
Charles Forbes and Edd Hedges
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Society and Culture Podcast
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Spanish Language Narrative Podcast - Fiction or Nonfiction
No Me Provoquen
Sonoro
Best Sports Podcast
Pablo Torre Finds Out
Meadowlark Media
Best True Crime Podcast
Sea of Lies
Produced by What’s the Story Sounds for CBC
Best Use of Video in a Podcast
Tales Unrolled
Sonoro
Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast
Embodied
WUNC
Podcast Advertiser Innovator Award
Charlie's Place
Atlas Obscura, Rococo Punch, Visit Myrtle Beach, Pushkin
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 visitwww.thepodcastacademy.com and follow/like/subscribe onInstagram,Twitter,Facebook,YouTube andLinkedin. Visit our donation page to support our mission.
Sponsor support forThe Podcast Academy’s Ambie Awards includes Dolby, Wondery, Airwave, Amazon Music, The Hollywood Reporter,Sounds Profitable, Outfront Media, The Podcast Show, CrimeCon, Etsy, Audible, and CNN.
ABOUT ON AIR FEST
On Air Fest is the Premier Creator Storytelling Festival taking place Feb 23-26 in Brooklyn. Centering media innovation, art and podcasts, On Air presents intimate talks, performances & exhibitions that uplift the storytellers, publishers and brands who are shaping culture today. Since 2018, our flagship festivals in Brooklyn and Los Angeles have brought together thousands of artists, storytellers and industry leaders to bring forward innovative ideas and launch new projects. We’ve been called the “Coachella of Podcasts” by Fast Company and “the Future of Podcasting” by Wired.
On Air Fest 2026 headliners include Wyclef Jean, Alec Baldwin, Roxane Gay, Malcolm Gladwell, Don Lemon, Hrishikesh Hirway (Song Exploder), The Telepathy Tapes, Chani Nicholas, Heavyweight, Code Switch, Vibe Check, Broken Record, and 100+ more storytellers and performers.
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Press Assets:
The Ambies logo: here; photo credit: The Podcast Academy
Red carpet and winners walk photos: https://shutterstock.stockpress.co/s/ambies2026
Photo credit: Stephen Lovekin/6TH Annual Ambie Awards Presented By The Podcast Academy
Red carpet and winners walk interviews here; Courtesy of The Podcast Academy
Ceremony footage here:
Press Contact: