NEW YORK — This year's Golden Globes introduced the Best Podcast category and, as expected, nominations announced Monday will get people talking.
Six nominees for the inaugural Best Podcast Award: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy, Have a Good Time with Amy Poehler, The Mel Robbins Podcast “No smart” and NPR's “Up First.” Featuring a mix of news, advice and celebrity interviews, they were selected from a short list of 25 programs that the Globes had previously deemed suitable.
The nominations avoided politics or controversy, omitting popular podcasts from the shortlist such as conservative programs “The Megyn Kelly Show,” “The Tucker Carlson Show,” “The Ben Shapiro Show,” Candace Owen's “Candace” and, most notably, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which topped Spotify, Apple and YouTube's list of weekly podcasts this year. The leftist “Pod Save America” was also rejected, as were popular true crime podcasts like “Morbid” and “Rotten Mango.”
Ben Bogardus, professor and chair of Quinnipiac University's journalism department, said it appeared the Globes voting body – after years of scandal at the beleaguered awards ceremony – wanted to avoid any controversy, such as inviting a podcast host who might appear and say something controversial.
“They're trying to brand themselves as a show for the masses and a non-controversial show that celebrates the best in entertainment. I think by doing this political show they just wanted to avoid that,” he said.
Reaction to the apparent snub of political podcasts early Monday morning was mild, with a handful of X users criticizing the high-profile programming of figures like Rogan and Manosphere Podcaster Theo Von was omitted from the final version. There was no direct reaction from the owners themselves.
Shapiro has launched a massive Golden Globes campaign for his decade-old podcast, in which he spoke with the likes of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky last year. In addition to talking to industry publications, Shapiro also secured huge billboard space in New York's Times Square.
The 25 potential candidates, including The New York Times' “The Daily” and Barstool Sports' “Pardon My Take,” largely matched the shows that were listened to the most.
“If this is how you want to choose your 'best podcast,' then this is definitely a starting point and one way to do it,” says Carl Hughes, a 20-year podcasting veteran and CEO of the company Podcast consultant. “I think it leaves out a lot of things. It leaves a lot of nuance.”
Suitable Podcasts must have original content and must have been released at least six episodes between January 1, 2025 and September 30, 2025, with a minimum length of 30 minutes per episode. The award, which will be presented on The Nikki Glaser Show on Jan. 11, recognizes the podcast's “quality, creativity, audience engagement and impact,” according to the Globes.
Many podcast experts were left scratching their heads because the Globes didn't use any categories for their long list and were a little unclear on what qualifies as a top podcast. Production quality? Subsequence? The stories being told? Raw numbers?
“It's good for the industry to get more recognition, and being recognized at a major awards ceremony is great,” says Hughes. “I think it's great to see. But the way it's done is of course a very blunt instrument.”
Controversy erupted almost immediately after the initial announcement when it was revealed that entertainment tracking and analytics company Luminate Data would be shortlisted. Luminate is owned by Penske Media Corp., which owns the Globes. Then there are the associated costs associated with the award's traditional advertising campaigns in the pages of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, also owned by Penske. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While more digitally focused awards show how Webby Awards, The Ambies, iHeartRadio and The Shorty Awards recognize podcasting, and the Globes' move marks the first time podcasts have been included in a major awards ceremony.
Hughes says it's a natural step as podcasting matures and begins to attract more corporate money. He hopes the Globes' attention will make podcasting accessible to more people.
“This will open the door to more people and more companies wanting to use this medium to tell interesting stories because it carries a little more respect, a little more credibility, a little more appeal,” he said.
Three of the six nominated games were produced by SiriusXM, with the others coming from Amazon, Spotify and NPR. Robbins, a nominee for her self-help podcast.the statement said she was grateful.
“Being nominated for this award is surreal. It's also proof of a simple truth: it's never too late to change your life. Your age, your past and your doubts do not determine what you can create next,” she said.
Bogardus marveled at how the podcast industry has grown over the past 25 years, expanding beyond its radio roots and giving hosts a freedom that content creators in other media don't have: “Being on an awards show now really shows that it has become its own type of communication that people consume that can be on par with TV, radio, streaming, online video and social media.”
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Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., contributed to this report.
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For more information on the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/golden-globe-awards.
