Impact Award

Each year, the Governors of The Podcast Academy will select the winner of that year’s Impact Award.
The award recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners. 

Recipient of the 2026 Impact Award

Reginald Joseph “Combat Jack” Ossé (1964–2017) was a pioneering hip-hop journalist, entertainment attorney, and podcast trailblazer whose work helped shape both the business and storytelling of modern hip-hop culture. Born in Brooklyn to Haitian immigrant parents, he earned degrees from Cornell University and Georgetown University Law Center and went on to represent influential artists including Jay-Z and Damon Dash, co-founding one of the first Black-owned hip-hop law firms. He later transitioned into journalism as a managing editor at The Source before reinventing himself in 2010 as the creator and host of The Combat Jack Show, one of the most influential early hip-hop podcasts, known for its candid, long-form interviews. He also co-founded the Loud Speakers Network, helping establish podcasting as a vital platform for cultural dialogue and paving the way for a new generation of creators. Ossé passed away in 2017 after a battle with colon cancer, leaving a lasting legacy as a bridge between hip-hop’s foundational era and its digital future. He is survived by his wife, Akim Vann, owner of The Bakery on Bergen, and their children, Chuma an entrepreneur, New York City Councilmember Chi, model and tastemaker Kai, and first year college student Kara Sky also continue to honor his legacy.

Sam Sanders - Photo by Stephanie Noritz

Sam Sanders is an award-winning reporter, radio host and podcaster. He currently co-hosts Vibe Check from Stitcher Podcasts, with Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, and The Sam Sanders Show, produced in partnership with KCRW, and distributed nationally through PRX. In 2022, The New York Times named Vibe Check one of the 10 best podcasts of the year and the show was awarded with a Signal Award in 2022 for best pop culture podcast. Previously, Sanders launched and hosted the NPR radio show and podcast It’s Been A Minute, interviewing luminaries ranging from JLo to Maya Rudolph to Beto O’Rourke to Malcolm Gladwell. Sanders was also a founding host of the NPR Politics Podcast while covering Election 2016 for NPR. He founded the pop culture podcast Into It at Vulture and New York Magazine, and it was named a best podcast of the year in 2022 by both Spotify and VOGUE. Sanders has been named best podcast host by both the Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards, and his work has been honored by the LA Press Club, the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. His written work has appeared in New York Magazine, Politico Magazine, The Washington Post, and the Columbia Journalism Review. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of the Incarnate Word and a Master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and has taught radio at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Recipient of the 2025 Impact Award

Recipient of the 2024 Impact Award

Ira Madison III is a cultural critic, TV writer, and host of the Crooked Media award-winning podcast “Keep It.” His work has been featured in GQ, Vulture, The Cut, and MTV News. As a television writer, he’s written for “Uncoupled,” “Q-Force,” “Nikki Fre$h,” and “Daybreak.” His debut essay collection Pure Innocent Fun will be published by Random House in early 2025.