The Podcast Academy has tapped Larry Wilmore, Emmy-winning producer, writer, comedian, actor and podcast host, to host its third annual Awards for Excellence in Audio — a.ka. “The Ambies,” positioned as the Oscars of the podcast space.
The March 7 ceremony will be livestreamed on Twitch from the International Theater in Las Vegas from 6-7:30 p.m. PT. Additionally, Twitch will host a live preshow from 4:30-6 p.m. PT.
“As a podcaster myself, one of the beautiful things about the medium is getting the opportunity to have insightful long-form conversations,” Wilmore said in a statement. “That and not always having to wear pants. But for my peers, I plan to wear my fanciest pants as I serve as the host of the Podcast Academy’s Awards for Excellence in Audio on March 7.”
Donald Albright, chair of the Podcast Academy and CEO of Tenderfoot TV, commented: “Larry’s prolific body of work and unique humor spans the stage, screen, and podcasting. To say that we are lucky to have him host this year’s Ambies is an understatement. He’s an icon in his own right. We cannot wait to see — and hear — what he will bring to the ceremony.”
The 2023 Ambies will highlight 185 nominees across 26 categories with winners to be selected by voting members of the Podcast Academy, in addition to a Governor’s Award. Nominees are slated to be announced later this month. Eligible new members will be able to vote to determine this year’s winners if they submit applications by Feb. 1; more info is available on the organization’s website at this link.
At the 2022 Ambies, Pineapple Street Studios’ “9/12” was named Podcast of the Year; Sam Sanders won the award for Best Podcast Host; “Suspect” from Wondery and Campside Media was honored as Best True Crime Podcast; and Rosamund Pike won Best Performer in Audio Fiction for her work on QCode and Crooked’s “Edith!” (See the full list of winner and nominees at this link.)
Wilmore is perhaps best known for his role as host of Comedy Central’s “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore,” which debuted in January 2015 and ran for nearly two years.
Wilmore currently be heard as host of “Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air” on Spotify’s Ringer Podcast Network. The show features Wilmore weighing in on the issues of the week and interviews guests in the worlds of politics, entertainment, culture, sports and beyond. He can also be seen in the Paramount+ film “Jerry and Margo Go Large,” alongside Bryan Cranston and Annette Benning. He also serves as executive producer alongside Kerry Washington for Hulu legal drama “Reasonable Doubt” for Hulu’s onyx Collective.
Founded in February 2020, the Podcast Academy is a not-for-profit professional membership organization. Originally, it planned to call its awards “The Golden Mics.”
