2021 Ambies Winners and Nominees – The Podcast Academy Awards

Here is a breakdown of the winners and nominees of The Podcast Academy’s 1st annual podcast awards, known as The Ambies, which were held on May 16th, 2021.

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What are The Ambies?

The Ambies are an annual awards show run by The Podcast Academy to celebrate “excellence in audio.” Any podcast can be entered for consideration which requires an entry fee. Seven nominees are chosen for each award category by a group of “blue ribbon judges”. Once the nominees are announced, the members of The Podcast Academy voted to pick a winner. To become a member of The Podcast Academy, you need to work in podcasting in some way. Here’s more details about how to join The Podcast Academy.

The 2021 Ambies Podcast Award Categories

In 2021, there were 23 awards handed out. Here are the categories:

• Podcast of the Year
• Best Documentary Podcast
• Best Interview Podcast
• Best Comedy Podcast
• Best News Podcast
• Best Sports Podcast
• Best True Crime Podcast
• Best Business Podcast
• Best Fiction Podcast
• Best History Podcast
• Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast
• Best Society and Culture Podcast
• Best Politics or Opinion Podcast
• Best Entertainment Podcast
• Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast
• Best Wellness or Relationships Podcast
• Best Podcast Host
• Best Reporting
• Best Scriptwriting, Fiction
• Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction
• Best Production and Sound Design
• Best Original Score and Music Supervision
• Best Performer in Audio Fiction

Recap of The 2021 Ambies Podcast Awards

Winners of The Ambies 2021

Altogether twenty podcasts went home with a trophy at the 2021 Ambies. Here’s a Podchaser list of the 2021 Ambies Winners.

Podcast of the Year

The Ambies defines the Podcast of the Year category as: “The podcast that set the high-water mark for the industry, as determined by Academy voters. This award recognizes a title with high-quality content and production values that stands as a benchmark of excellence for the industry. As a listener, this is the podcast you would recommend to someone who has never listened before as well as a podcast aficionado.”

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Podcast of the Year category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of Podcast of the Year

The award for 2021’s Podcast of the Year went to Dying for Sex.

Nominees for Podcast of the Year

The nominees for 2021’s Podcast of the Year were:

• Blockbuster
• Bunga Bunga
• Chasing Cosby
• Detours
• Dirty Diana
• For Life: The Podcast
• Forgotten: Women of Juárez
• Say Their Name
• The Hapiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Best Documentary Podcast

The Ambies defines the Best Documentary Podcast category as: “A non-fiction podcast that follows the style and structure of a documentary film.”

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Documentary podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Documentary Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Documentary Podcast went to I’m Not a Monster.

Nominees for Best Documentary Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Documentary Podcast were:

• California City
• Conviction Season 2: American Panic
• For LIfe: The Podcast
• Louder Than A Riot
• Painkiller: America’s Fentanyl Crisis
• The Edge

Best Interview Podcast

The Ambies defines the Best Interview Podcast category as: “A podcast primarily characterized by a single interview per episode between one or more hosts and one or more guests.”

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Interview podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Interview Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Interview Podcast went to Death, Sex, & Money.

Nominees for Best Interview Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Interview Podcast were:

• 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 Comedy Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Comedy podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Comedy Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Comedy Podcast went to Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.

Nominees for Best Comedy Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Comedy Podcast were:

• Culture Kings
• Don’t Ask Tig
• Groceries
• How Did This Get Made?
• The Breakfast Club
• Threedom

Best News Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best News podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best News Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best News Podcast went to Today, Explained.

Nominees for Best News Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best News Podcast were:

• Do No Harm
• Post Reports
• Suspicious Activity: Inside The FinCEN Files
• The Journal
• What Next
• Vice News Reports

Best Sports Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Sports podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Sport Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Sport Podcast went to Whistleblower.

Nominees for Best Sport Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Sport Podcast were:

• 17 Weeks
• Drafted
• Sports Uncovered
• The Ringer NFL Show
• The Edge
• The Lead

Best True Crime Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best True Crime podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best True Crime Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best True Crime Podcast went to Dr. Death Season 2: Dr. Fata

Nominees for Best True Crime Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best True Crime Podcast were:

• Brainwashed
• Chasing Cosby
• I’m Not A Monster
• Somebody
• Supernatural With Ashley Flowers
• The Messenger

Best Business Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Business podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Business Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Business Podcast went to The Heist.

Nominees for Best Business Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Business Podcast were:

• An Arm And A Leg
• Brought To You By
• Go For Broke
• Masters Of Scale
• Teamistry
• Women At Work

Best Fiction Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Fiction podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Fiction Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Fiction Podcast went to Blood Ties – Season 2

Nominees for Best Fiction Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Fiction Podcast were:

• Asking For It
• Dem Times
• Dirty Diana
• Frozen Frights: Auror Borealis “Vacant”
• The Left Right Game
• The Two Princes

Best History Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best History Podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best History Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best History Podcast went to Driving The Green Book

Nominees for Best History Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best History Podcast were:

• American History Tellers
• American Scandal
• Detours
• Slow Burn
• Unfinished: Deep South
• Very Presidential With Ashley Flowers

Best Knowledge, Science, or Tech Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Knowledge, Science, or Tech podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Knowledge, Science, Or Tech Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Knowledge, Science, Or Tech Podcast went to Short Wave

Nominees for Best Knowledge, Science, Or Tech Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Knowledge, Science, Or Tech Podcast were:

• American Innovations
• Brave New Planet
• How to Save A Planet
• In Machines We Trust
• Tai Asks Why
• Unlocking Bryson’s Brain

Best Society and Culture Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Society and Culture podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Society And Culture Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Society And Culture Podcast went to Code Switch

Nominees for Best Society And Culture Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Society And Culture Podcast were:

• Ear Hustle
• Heavyweight
• Into America
• Latino USA
• Resistance
• You And Me Both With Hillary Clinton

Best Politics and Opinion Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Politics and Opinion podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Politics And Opinion Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Politics And Opinion Podcast went to Gaining Ground: The New Georgia

Nominees for Best Politics And Opinion Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Politics And Opinion Podcast were:

• Burn The Boats
• Our Nation Of Immigrants
• Politically Re-Active
• The Dan Bongino Show
• The NPR Politics Podcast
• Winning Wisconsin

Best Entertainment Podcast

The Ambies defines the Entertainment category as: “A podcast about movies, books, television, podcasts, radio, theater, audiobooks, video games and other media-entertainment.”

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Entertainment podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Entertainment Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Entertainment Podcast went to Even The Rich

Nominees for Best Entertainment Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Entertainment Podcast were:

• Dissect
• For Life: The Podcast
• Office Ladies
• Prime Video Presents
• The First One
• The Plot Thickens

Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Personal Growth / Spirituality podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast went to On Being With Krista Tippett

Nominees for Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast were:

• Borne The Battle
• Dear Therapists
• Hey Spirit!
• Meditative Story
• Raising To Rise
• Stay Calm With Bob Roth

Best Wellness or Relationship Podcast

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Wellness or Relationship podcast category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Wellness or Relationship Podcast

The award for 2021’s Best Wellness or Relationship Podcast went to Therapy for Black Girls

Nominees for Best Wellness or Relationship Podcast

The nominees for 2021’s Best Wellness or Relationship Podcast were:

• Adult ISH
• Dying For Sex
• Last Day
• The Happiness Lab With Dr. Laurie Santos
• We Got You
• Where Should We Begin? With Esther Perel

Best Podcast Host

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Podcast Host category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Podcast Host

The award for 2021’s Best Podcast Host went to Patrick Radden Keefe for Wind of Change

Nominees for Best Podcast Host

The nominees for 2021’s Best Podcast Host were:

• Dahlia Lithwick for Amicus Presents: The Class of RBG
• Josh Gwynn and Tracy Clayton for Back Issues
• Whitney Cummings for Bunga Bunga
• Mo Rocca for Mobituaries
• Malcolm Gladwell for Revisionist History
• Wendy Zukerman for Science vs.

Best Reporting

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Reporting category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Reporting

The Ambies defines the Best Reporting: “For excellence in journalistic reporting.”

The award for 2021’s Best Reporting went to Patrick Radden Keefe for Wind of Change

Nominees for Best Reporting

The nominees for 2021’s Best Reporting were:

• Leon Neyfakh for Fiasco: Iran-Contra
• Josh Baker for I’m Not A Monster
• Sarah Gonzalez, Kenny Malone, Jacob Goldstein, Robert Smith, Amanda Aronczyk, Karen Duffin, Mary Childs For Planet Money
• Shoshana Walter, Laura Starecheski, Ike Srikandarajah for Reveal
• Malika Bilal, Stefanie Dekker, Safwat Al Kahlout for The Take
• Sarah Ventre, Ash Sanders for Unfinished

Best Scriptwriting, Fiction

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Scriptwriting Fiction category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Scriptwriting, Fiction

The award for 2021’s Best Scriptwriting, Fiction went to Shana Feste and Jen Besser for Dirty Diana

Nominees for Best Scriptwriting, Fiction

The nominees for 2021’s Best Scriptwriting Fiction were:

• Sharon Mashihi for Appearances
• Rhys Reed-Johnson and Jacob Roberts-Mensah for Dem Times
• Amy Aniobi, Chris Sanford, and Kindsey Young for Looking for Latoya
• David Hudgins and Brooks Hudgins for Make It Up As We Go
• Kenny Curtis, Jillian Hughes, Emily Everhart for Greeking Out
• Jack Anderson for The Left Right Game

Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction

The award for 2021’s Best Scriptwriting went to Patrick Radden Keefe for Wind of Change

Nominees for Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction

The nominees for 2021’s Best Scriptwriting, Nonfiction were:

• Robin Linn for And Nothing Less
• Jonathan Goldstein, Kalila Holt, Stevie Lane for Heavyweight
• Waitwhat Team, Adam Skuse, Katie Clark Gray for Masters of Scale
• Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. for Resistance
• Jonathan Menjivar, Jenelle Pifer, Joel Lovell for Suspicious Activity
• Tim Livingston, Doug Matejka, Cole Locascio for Whistleblower

Best Production and Sound Design

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Production and Sound Design category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Production and Sound Design

The award for 2021’s Best Production and Sound Design went to Ryan Walsh, Matt Yocum, Will Files, Ryan Sullivan for The Left Right Game

Nominees for Best Production and Sound Design

The nominees for 2021’s Best Production and Sound Design were:

• Bishop Sand for Canary: The Washington Post Investigates
• Matthew Boll for Conviction: American Panic
• Millie Latrou, Ryan Walsh, Katie Halliday, Justin Davey, Matt Yocum & Ben Milchev, Nelly Oeftering for Dirty Diana
• John Delore for Unfinished
• Mark Horgan and Ciaran Cassidy for Where is George Gibney
• Henry Molofsky for Wind of Change

Best Original Score and Music Supervision

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Original Score and Music Supervision category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Original Score and Music Supervision

The award for 2021’s Best Original Score and Music Supervision went to Jacked

Nominees for Best Original Score and Music Supervision

The nominees for 2021’s Best Original Score and Music Supervision were:

• Bunga Bunga
• Dead and Gone
• Revisionist History
• Throughline
• Treasure Island 2020
• The Two Princes

Best Performer in Audio Fiction

Here’s a Podchaser list of the winner and nominees for the Best Performer in Audio Fiction category from the 2021 Ambies.

Winner of the Best Performer in Audio Fiction

The award for 2021’s Best Performer in Audio Fiction went to Tessa Thompson for The Left Right Game

Nominees for Best Performer in Audio Fiction

The nominees for 2021’s Best Performer in Audio Fiction were:

• Corey Hawkins for Dust, Season 3: Chrysalis
• Mathew McConaughey for Hank the Cowdog
• Aly Trasher for Light House
• Kenny Curtis and Tori Kerr for Greeking Out
• The Entire Cast of The Two Princes
• Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg for We Are Not Alone