Dying for Sex was named podcast of the year Sunday night during the Podcast Academy’s inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio, also known as the Ambies.
In addition, Wind of Change was the night’s top winner, taking home three awards, including best host, best reporting and best nonfiction scriptwriting. In all, awards were handed out in 23 categories.
Also during the ceremony, WTF With Marc Maron was honored with the Governors Award, which “recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling impact they’ve had on the industry.” Teenager Therapy received the Audio Impact Award, which “recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive impact on its listeners.”
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The ceremony was streamed live from Los Angeles and hosted by stand-up comic, actor and writer Cameron Esposito. Presenters included Hank Azaria, Darren Criss, Whitney Cummings, Este Haim, Kenan Thompson and Rainn Wilson. The show kicked off with a comedic animated short titled My Brother Has a Podcast.
The Podcast Academy formed in early 2020 with the goal of creating an awards show for podcasts voted on using a system similar to the Oscars and Emmys.
A complete list of winners follows.
Podcast of The Year
Dying for Sex (WINNER)
Blockbuster: The Story of James Cameron
Bunga Bunga
Chasing Cosby
DETOURS
Dirty Diana
For Life: The Podcast
Forgotten: Women of Juarez
Say Their Name
The Happiness Lab
Best Business Podcast
The Heist (WINNER)
An Arm and a Leg
Brought to you by …
Go for Broke
Masters of Scale
Teamistry
Women at Work
Best Comedy Podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend (WINNER)
Culture Kings
Don’t Ask Tig
Groceries
How Did This Get Made?
The Breakfast Club
Threedom
Best Documentary Podcast
I’m Not a Monster (WINNER)
California City
Conviction Season 2: American Panic
For Life: The Podcast
Louder Than a Riot
Painkiller: America’s Fentanyl Crisis
The Edge: Houston Astros
Best Entertainment Podcast
Even the Rich (WINNER)
Dissect
For Life: The Podcast
Office Ladies
Prime Video Presents
The First One
The Plot Thickens
Best Fiction Podcast
Blood Ties – Season 2 (WINNER)
Asking for It
DEM TIMES
Dirty Diana
Frozen Frights: Aurora Borealis “Vacant”
The Left Right Game
Two Princes
Best History Podcast
Driving the Green Book (WINNER)
American History Tellers
American Scandal
DETOURS
Slow Burn
Unfinished: Deep South
Very Presidential With Ashley Flowers
Best Interview Podcast
Death, Sex & Money (WINNER)
A Winning Mindset: Lessons From the Paralympics
Asian Enough
Back From Broken
More With Anna Maria Tremonti
The FRONTLINE Dispatch
Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast
Short Wave (WINNER)
American Innovations
Brave New Planet
How to Save a Planet
In Machines We Trust
Tai Asks Why
Unlocking Bryson’s Brain
Best News Podcast
Today, Explained (WINNER)
Do No Harm
Post Reports
Suspicious Activity: Inside the FinCEN Files
The Journal
VICE News Reports
What Next
Best Original Score and Music Supervision
Jacked: Rise of New Jack Sound — Marcelino Villalpando (WINNER)
Bunga Bunga — Scott Velasquez, Jeff Schmidt
Dead and Gone — Makeup and Vanity Set
Revisionist History — Luis Guerra
Throughline — Ramtin Arablouei, Drop Electric, Hania Rani
Treasure Island 2020 — Chris Tarry, Jennifer Rowekamp
Two Princes — Score: Greg Laswell; Theme and additional scoring by Bobby Lord; Music Supervision: Jonathon Roberts
Best Performer in Audio Fiction
The Left Right Game — Tessa Thompson (WINNER)
DUST, Season 3: CHRYSALIS — Corey Hawkins
Hank the Cowdog — Matthew McConaughey
Light House — Aly Trasher
National Geographic Kids Greeking Out — Kenny Curtis, Tori Kerr
Two Princes — Noah Galvin, Ari’el Stachel, Samira Wiley, Gideon Glick, Wesley Taylor, Alfredo Narciso, Mandi Masden, CJ Wilson, Michelle Gomez
We Are Not Alone — Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast
On Being With Krista Tippett (WINNER)
Borne the Battle
Dare to Lead With Brené Brown
Dear Therapists
Hey Spirit!
Meditative Story
Stay Calm With Bob Roth
Best Podcast Host
Wind of Change — Patrick Radden Keefe (WINNER)
Amicus Presents: The Class of RBG — Dahlia Lithwick
Back Issue — Josh Gwynn, Tracy Clayton
Bunga Bunga — Whitney Cummings
MOBITUARIES: Anna May Wong (Death of a Trailblazer) — Mo Rocca
Revisionist History — Malcolm Gladwell
Science Vs — Wendy Zukerman
Best Politics or Opinion Podcast
Gaining Ground: The New Georgia (WINNER)
Burn the Boats
Our Nation of Immigrants
Politically Re-Active
The Dan Bongino Show
The NPR Politics Podcast
Winning Wisconsin
Best Production and Sound Design
The Left Right Game — Ryan Walsh, Matt Yocum, Will Files, Ryan Sullivan (WINNER)
Canary: The Washington Post Investigates — Bishop Sand
Conviction: American Panic — Matthew Boll
Dirty Diana — Millie Iatrou, Ryan Walsh, Katie Halliday, Justin Davey, Matt Yocum & Ben Michev, Neely Oeftering
Unfinished: Short Creek — John DeLore
Where is George Gibney? — Ger McDonnell
Wind of Change — Henry Molofsky
Best Reporting
Wind of Change — Patrick Radden Keefe (WINNER)
Fiasco: Iran-Contra — Leon Neyfakh
I’m Not a Monster — Josh Baker
Planet Money — Sarah Gonzalez, Kenny Malone, Jacob Goldstein, Robert Smith, Amanda Aroncyzk, Karen Duffin, Mary Childs
Reveal — Shoshana Walter, Laura Starecheski, Ike Srikandarajah
The Take — Malika Bilal, Stefanie Dekker, Safwat al-Kahlout
Unfinished: Short Creek — Sarah Ventre, Ash Sanders
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction
Dirty Diana— Shana Feste (WINNER)
Appearances — Sharon Mashihi
DEM TIMES — Rhys Reed-Johnson, Jacob Roberts-Mensah
Looking for Latoya — Amy Aniobi, Chris Sanford, Kindsey Young
Make It Up as We Go — David Hudgins, Brooks Hudgins
National Geographic Kids Greeking Out — Kenny Curtis, Jillian Hughes, Emily Everhart
The Left Right Game — Jack Anderson
Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction
Wind of Change — Patrick Radden Keefe (WINNER)
And Nothing Less — Robin Linn
Heavyweight — Jonathan Goldstein, Kalila Holt, Stevie Lane
Masters of Scale — WaitWhat Team, Adam Skuse, Katie Clark Gray
Resistance — Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr.
Suspicious Activity: Inside the FinCEN Files — Jonathan Menjivar, Jenelle Pifer, Joel Lovell
Whistleblower — Tim Livingston
Best Society and Culture Podcast
Code Switch (WINNER)
Ear Hustle
Heavyweight
Into America
Latino USA
Resistance
You and Me Both With Hillary Clinton
Best Sports Podcast
Whistleblower (WINNER)
17 Weeks
Drafted
Sports Uncovered
The Cam Chronicles
The Edge: Houston Astros
The Lead
Best True Crime Podcast
Dr. Death Season 2: Dr. Fata (WINNER)
Brainwashed/Uncover
Chasing Cosby
I’m Not a Monster
Somebody
Supernatural With Ashley Flowers
The Messenger
Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast
Therapy for Black Girls (WINNER)
Adult ISH
Dying for Sex
Last Day Season 2
The Happiness Lab
We Got You
Where Should We Begin?
