“As the world of entertainment continues to evolve, we are excited to recognize new forms of storytelling,” said Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne in a press release. “Podcasts have emerged as a profound medium for sharing narratives and building communities across global borders and generations. By celebrating achievements in both audio and visual podcasts, we aim to honor our heritage categories while making room for new voices and formats to be heard.”
The Golden Globes are the first major awards body to welcome podcasters into the fold, whereas they’ve so far been celebrated at more unassuming events like The Webby Awards, The Ambies, and the iHeartPodcast Awards. And it does make a certain amount of sense. These days popular podcasts are hosted by Globes-friendly entertainers like Amy Poehler, Jason Bateman, Trevor Noah, and Conan O’Brien. Hell, even Michelle Obama has a podcast, and she would be a pretty good get for the Golden Globes. But we’re also coming off an election where the influence of podcasters (and the so-called “manosphere”) was a major topic of conversation. Spotify’s podcast charts look almost like the seating chart at President Donald Trump’s election with the likes of Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Tucker Carlson in the top 10. So will the Globes play it safe with SmartLess or court conservatives like Candice Owens and Megyn Kelly? (Let’s be honest, the whole thing is probably a ploy to nominate New Heights‘ Travis Kelce and get Taylor Swift back in the building.)
If only this news had come before this season of The Studio (“I remember when the red carpet of the Golden Globes actually stood for something,” Seth Rogen’s character laments while pushing through influencers on the Apple TV+ comedy’s latest episode). Alas, we’ll have to wait for the next Nikki Glaser-hosted ceremony to see how all this plays out. According to the press release, “The top 25 podcasts will qualify for the award with a total of 6 final nominations for the category.” How the top 25 podcasts are decided remains to be seen (“Comprehensive eligibility criteria and additional details about Best Podcast will be announced in the coming weeks”), but if it’s a reflection of the most-listened podcasts, traditionally liberal Hollywood may have a conservative invasion on its hands.
