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The MLK Tapes, Insecuritea, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, The Laverne Cox Show, Masters of Scale, The Things About Helen And Olga, Pivot, Making Gay History Overheard at National Geographic, Stacey Abrams, Pod Save America and The Official Hacks Podcast Among Inaugural Group of Signal Awards Winners
Winners will be celebrated at the Signal Awards Party in New York City on January 23rd, 2023
Over 135,00 Votes Cast During Public Voting Period for Listener’s Choice Awards
See all the winners at: www.SignalAwards.com
NEW YORK, January 5th , 2023 – Signal Awards – celebrating the world’s best Podcasts – announced winners of the inaugural honors today including: Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Masters of Scale, Stacey Abrams: How To Harness Risk, Making Gay History, and The Official Hacks Podcast as well as some of the world’s most influential, entertaining and informative voices including, Jon Stewart, Stacey Abrahams, Damon John, Eva Longoria, J.J. Abrams, Issa Rae, Jalen Rose, Laverne Cox, Reid Hoffman, Kara Swisher, and Trevor Noah
“The Signal Awards were created to lift up and showcase the podcast industry’s diversity and depth, while also helping the community of listeners and fans find new shows and celebrate the existing ones they love,” said managing director Deondric Royster. “We congratulate the winners on their success and also thank the podcast-listening public for enthusiastically engaging in the very first year of our awards. ”
Signal Award Winners were selected by the Signal Academy and Podcast listeners globally. Signal Academy included Founding Jurors Jody Avirgan (Host, This Day in Esoteric Behavior); Ray Chao (GM of Audio, Vox Media); Rachael King (CEO and Co-Founder, Pod People; Maya Watson (Head of Global Marketing, Clubhouse); Michael Gluckstadt (Director of Podcasts, HBO & HBO MAX); Anna Hossnieh (Executive Producer, iHeartRadio Comedy); Jenny Kaplan (Co-Founder and CEO, Wonder Media Network); Deray McKesson (Host, Pod Save the People / Co-founder & Executive Chair, Campaign Zero); and Nikki Silva (Co-Host, The Kitchen Sisters Present from PRX).
During the public voting stage, over 135,000 podcast fans cast their votes in the Signal Listeners Choice award. The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, The Fantasy Footballers, Mother Country Radicals, and Stay Tuned with Preet were among the podcasts receiving the most public votes.
Podcast submissions far exceeded organizers’ expectations with domestic entries coming in from twenty-five states and global entries from four different continents. With nearly 1700 entries received in its first year, Signal Awards is already one of the largest honors for Podcasts in the world. Organizers also noted the diversity of companies creating and entering great Podcasts, including global media heavyweights like Apple, Audible, HBO Max, iHeartmedia National Geographic, Netflix, Paramount, SXM Media, and to pioneering companies Campside, Cadence 13, Crooked Media, Lemonada Media, Pineapple Street, Qcode, Realm, Tenderfoot TV, Vox Media Podcast Network, and WaitWhat..
Hosting continues to be a critical part of the Podcasting industry, with more and more notable voices taking to the medium every day. Conan O’Brien and Jonathan Santos Silva were both honored with Gold Signal Awards for Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend and Teach for America’s Changing Course Podcast, respectively, and Stacy Jane was recognized with the Signal Listener’s Choice for hosting the wildly popular true crime Podcast, A Heavy Weight.
Reflecting the medium’s reputation for authenticity and a place where important conversations take place, five Shows were honored with Signal Awards for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, including: The Laverne Cox Show by iHeart Media, Immigrantly Podcast, Being Trans by Lemonada Media, Course Correction, Halmoni’s Kimchee by Queens Memory Project, Media Storm by Spontaneity Shop and Conversations with Coleman by This is 42.
Showcasing the increasing popularity of entertainment and fiction Podcasts, American Hostage by Criminal Content, We Stay Looking by HBO Max, Brooklyn Santa by JDC Films, Mix Experience White by Milo Starr Johnson received Gold Signal Awards for Scripted Fiction, while Moriarity: The Devil’s Game by Treefort Media received the Signal Listener’s Choice Award.
To see the full list of Signal Winners please visit www.SignalAwards.com.
About The Signal Awards
A new, comprehensive award initiative for podcasts, the inaugural Signal Awards will recognize the breadth of Podcast and Digital Audio work from around the globe by honoring the organizations, brands, and professionals creating and shaping the industry. The hope is that by honoring and championing this work, The Signal Awards can help set a standard of excellence and play a significant role in supporting the future of the podcast industry.
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Signal Awards Gold Winners (Highlights)
Individual Episodes
Access & Opportunity “Building Black Generational Wealth– Best Conversation Starter- Morgan Stanley
Improving Human Dignity w / Promise CEO Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins – Self-Improvement – WaitWhat
Jalen Rose Talks with Magic Johnson – Interview or Talk Show – New York Post
Overheard at National Geographic: Amelia Earhart – Interview or Talk Show – National Geographic
Shattering Gleam: A Podcast About Music and Gender – LGBTQ+ – SiriusXM
Skip Intro – Interview or Talk Show – Netflix
Stacey Abrams: How to harness Risk – Business – WaitWhat
The Official Winning Time Podcast – Best Guest – HBO Max
The Official Hacks Podcast – HBO Max
Torched: Greg Lougainis’ Infamous Dive – Sports – FilmNation Entertainment
Turn Crisis Into Art: Choreographer Bill T. Jones.. on “Afterwardsness,” his pandemic masterpiece – Best Guest – WaitWhat
Limited Series & Specials
Hit Job – Comedy – Audible
Metaverse Marketing – Best Editing – Adweek
My New Favorite Olympian: Timothy LeDuc – LGBTQ+ – NBCLX
The Bering – Best Editing – Campside Media
The Thing About Helen and Olga – True Crime – Dateline NBC
To Live and Die in LA – Best Writing – Tenderfoot TV
Want a Job? The AI will see you now – Science & Education – MIT Technology Review
When the Earth Started to Sing – Most Innovative Audio Experience – Emergence Magazine
Shows
Back Issue – Best Co-Host Team – Pineapple Street Studios
30 Bach – Independent Podcaster – Best Stan Podcast
70 over 70 – Interview or Talk Show – Pineapple Street Media
Collapse: Disaster in Surfside – Best Exclusive Content + Experiences -Tree Fort Media
Command Line Content – Best Show Art Work – Pacific Content
Dark Dice – Best Sound Design – Fool & Scholar Productions
Food Network Obsessed – Food & Drink – Discovery, Inc.
Insecuritea – Best Co-Host Team – HBO Max
Last Day – Best Conversation Starter – Lemonada Media
Masters of Scale – Best Commute Podcast – WaitWhat
TCM’s The Plot Thickens – Best Editing- Turner Classic Movies
Time to Walk – Most Innovative Audio Experiences – Apple
Today Explained – Daily Shows – Vox Media Podcast Network
The Atlas Obscura – Best Editing – SXM MEdia
Well Read Black Girl – Arts & Culture – Pushkin Industries
Branded Shows & Advertising
The Big Steal – Documentary – Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Fresh Air Production
The Official Ladies with Buick – Television & Film – SXM Media
What Happens Next – Documentary – Monash University
Yahoo! + Ford: Electric Generation – Technology – Yahoo! Inc.