NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The Golden Globes this year introduced a best podcast category and, predictably, the will get people talking.
The six nominees for the inaugural best podcast award are 鈥淎rmchair Expert with Dax Shepard,鈥� 鈥淐all Her Daddy,鈥� 鈥淕ood Hang with Amy Poehler,鈥� 鈥淭he Mel Robbins Podcast,鈥� and 鈥淯p First,鈥� from NPR. Representing a mix of news, advice and celebrity interviews, they were drawn from a shortlist of 25 programs the Globes had previously deemed eligible.
The nominations avoided politics or controversy by passing on popular podcasts from the shortlist, such as conservative-leaning programs 鈥淭he Megyn Kelly Show,鈥� 鈥淭he Tucker Carlson Show,鈥� 鈥淭he Ben Shapiro Show,鈥� Candace Owen鈥檚 鈥淐andace鈥� and, most notably, 鈥淭he Joe Rogan Experience,鈥� which topped Spotify, Apple and YouTube’s list of weekly podcast charts this year. The left-leaning 鈥淧od Save America鈥� also was snubbed, as were popular true crime podcasts like 鈥淢orbid鈥� and 鈥淩otten Mango.鈥�
Ben Bogardus, a professor and chair of the journalism department at Quinnipiac University, said it seemed that the Globes’ voting body 鈥� after years of scandal for the beleaguered awards show 鈥� wanted to avoid any controversy, like inviting a podcast host who might show up and say something contentious.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to bill themselves as an award show that is for the masses and non-controversial, celebrating the best in entertainment. Having this political sideshow, I think they just wanted to avoid that,鈥� he said.
Reaction to the apparent snubbing of politics-related podcasts early Monday was light, with a handful of X users weighing in with criticism that high-ranking programs from personalities like Rogan and had been left off the final cut. There was no direct reaction from the hosts themselves.
Shapiro had launched an all-out Golden Globes publicity campaign for his decade-old podcast, on which he鈥檚 spoken with the likes of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past year. In addition to making the rounds with industry publications, Shapiro also secured massive billboard space in New York City鈥檚 Times Square.
The 25 potential candidates 鈥� including The New York Times’ 鈥淭he Daily鈥� and Barstool Sports’ 鈥淧ardon My Take鈥� 鈥� mostly matched up with the most listened-to shows.
鈥淚f that鈥檚 how you want to pick your 鈥榖est podcast,鈥� that鈥檚 certainly one starting point and one way to do it,鈥� says Karl Hughes, a 20-year podcasting veteran who is CEO of 鈥淚 think it leaves a lot of stuff out. It leaves a lot of nuance out.鈥�
must have original content and must have released at least six episodes between Jan. 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2025, with each episode having a minimum length of 30 minutes. The award, which will be handed out at the Nikki Glaser-hosted show Jan. 11, recognizes 鈥渢he quality, creativity, audience engagement and impact鈥� of the podcast, per the Globes.
Many podcast experts were left scratching their heads since the Globes didn’t use any categories for its long list and was a bit murky about what constituted a best podcast. Quality of production? Consistency? The stories being told? Raw numbers?
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing for the industry to get more recognition and getting recognition in a major award ceremony is awesome,鈥� Hughes says. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 cool to see. But the way it鈥檚 done, of course, is a very blunt instrument.鈥�
Controversy almost immediately ensued after the initial announcement when it was revealed that Luminate Data, an entertainment tracking and analytics company, would create the shortlist. Luminate belongs to Penske Media Corp., which owns the Globes. Then there鈥檚 the accompanying costs associated with traditional ad campaigns for the award in the pages of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter 鈥� also owned by Penske. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While more digital-friendly awards shows like the Ambies, iHeartRadio and The Shorty Awards recognize podcasting, the Globes’ move marks the first time podcasts have been included by a major awards show.
Hughes says that’s a natural step as podcasting matures and starts attracting more corporate dollars. He hopes the Globes’ spotlight will make podcasting accessible to more people.
鈥淚t鈥檒l open up the door for more individuals and businesses that want to use the medium to tell interesting stories because it鈥檚 got a little more respect, a little more gravitas, a little more mainstream appeal,鈥� he said.
Three of the six nominated titles came from SiriusXM, with the others from Amazon, Spotify and NPR. , said in a statement that she was grateful.
鈥淭o be nominated for this award is surreal. It is also proof of a simple truth: It is never too late to change your life. Your age, your past, and your doubts do not determine what you can create next,鈥� she said.
Bogardus marveled at how the podcasting industry has grown up in the past 25 years, moving beyond its origins in radio and giving hosts freedom that content creators in other media don’t have: 鈥淕oing into an award show now really shows that it has come into its own as a type of communication that people consume, which can be on par with television, with radio, with streaming, with internet videos, with social media.鈥�
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Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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