Los Angeles CA, USA—The Podcast Academy, a not-for-profit membership organization founded by several leaders in the industry, today announced the first Awards For Excellence in Audio, The Ambies. The Academy’s mission is to celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling, and expression.

Winners will be announced on March 28 in Los Angeles (location TBD).

The Ambies—a reference to ambient sound, which is a feature of craftsmanship in audio recording.

Nominations will be accepted October 19 through December 15 at Ambies.com.

The Podcast Academy is overseen by a Board of Governors including many of the leading voices of the podcasting industry. So far more than 500 podcast professionals have joined, each with voting rights for The Ambies, as well as opportunities for professional development, industry connections, and other benefits.

The Podcast Academy values individual and organizational creators alike, of all backgrounds and means, and defines achievement through the values of quality, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and impact.

For the initial debut of The Ambies, there will be a total of 23 categories —and a Governor’s Award granted to an especially talented individual, company, or podcast whose specific accomplishments The Podcast Academy wishes to highlight.

There are 16 show awards such as Best Documentary Podcast; Best Interview Podcast; Comedy; News; Sports; True Crime; Business, and others. The Podcast of the Year Award will set a high bar for the industry as determined by voting membership. This crucial award recognizes the highest-quality content and production values and will serve as a hallmark for excellence in podcasting.

The remaining 7 categories are talent awards which will recognize contributing elements of shows. These include Best Podcast Host; Best Reporting; Best Scriptwriting, Fiction; Best Scriptwriting, Non-Fiction, Best Original Score & Music Supervision, and others.

Anyone can enter, but only members can vote. For a full list of Awards, entry fees, and qualifications, visit The Ambies website.

“The Board of Governors welcomes the chance to celebrate excellence throughout podcasting,” explained Michele Cobb, Executive Director of The Podcast Academy. “This is an opportunity to recognize our peers and particularly those who have excelled at the top of their game. We are excited to begin this journey.”

PRESS RELEASE — October 14, 2020

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