Amy Poehler wins first Golden Globe in controversial podcast category

Seemingly, everyone has a podcast now.

So it's about time that major awards shows caught up, right? This year, the Golden Globes waded into previously uncharted territory with the introduction of an award for podcast of the year, which seeks to honor the medium's most "extraordinary and diverse talents," according to the organization.

Comedian Amy Poehler took home the inaugural trophy Sunday night, beating out competitors like Alex Cooper of "Call Her Daddy" and self-help guru Mel Robbins of "Let Them Fame." With her fireside chat-style show "Good Hang," Poehler has rapidly warmed her way into the hearts of podcast listeners, combining that signature "SNL" humor with deeper questions for guests like Ina Garten and Tina Fey.

Why did the Golden Globes add a podcast category?

Last spring, the Golden Globes announced the show would add a podcast category for 2026 because of the medium’s "seismic growth," reflecting "today's audiences and consumption behavior." According to data tracker Luminate, the global audience for podcasts is expected to surpass 600 million people this year.

“As the world of entertainment continues to evolve, we are excited to recognize new forms of storytelling,” Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said in a statement last May. “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.”    

What is the controversy around the Golden Globes podcast category?

The new podcast category drummed up minor controversy with the revelation that Luminate would narrow down the list of eligible podcasts to 25. Penske Media owns the Golden Globes, Luminate and major entertainment publications that cover podcasts such as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. In response, a Los Angeles Times story accused the new category of being both unethical and "a money grab."

The list of 25 qualifying podcasts also included contentious right-wing shows withhosts like Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro, the latter of whom campaigned heavily for a nomination. Shapiro did "for your consideration" interviews leading up to voting, and his conservative media company, The Daily Wire, went so far as to buy "The Ben Shapiro Show" billboards in Times Square.

The 25 podcasts that were eligible for the award:

• "20/20" (ABC News)
• "48 Hours" (CBS News)
• "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard"
• "Call Her Daddy"
• "Candace"
• "Crime Junkie"
• "Dateline NBC"
• "Good Hang With Amy Poehler"
• "Morbid"
• "MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories"
• "Pardon My Take"
• "Pod Save America"
• "Rotten Mango"
• "Shawn Ryan Show"
• "SmartLess"
• "Stuff You Should Know"
• "The Ben Shapiro Show"
• "The Bill Simmons Podcast"
• "The Daily" (The New York Times)
• "The Joe Rogan Experience"
• "The Megyn Kelly Show"
• "The Mel Robbins Podcast"
• "The Tucker Carlson Show"
• "This Past Weekend With Theo Von"
• "Up First" from NPR

But ultimately, the voting body opted for down-the-middle, entertainment-focused shows.

Who was nominated for podcast of the year at the Golden Globe Awards?

The nominees for the inaugural podcast category were:

• “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard”
• “Call Her Daddy”
• “Good Hang With Amy Poehler”
• “The Mel Robbins Podcast”
• “SmartLess”
• “Up First”

Poehler was a heavy favorite entering the night, and for good reason. The "Parks and Recreation" star has a goofy warmth and ability to riff that is well-suited to the podcast format, where she manages to get A-list guests such as Ariana Grande and Gwyneth Paltrow to open up in ways they rarely do in interviews. More importantly, Poehler has a genuine curiosity and sensitivity, and knows when to just sit back and listen to her subjects.

Frankly, you couldn’t ask for a better hang.