Golden Globes enter the world of podcasts and tread carefully, avoiding controversy

NEW YORK — The Golden Globes this year introduced a best podcast category and, predictably, the nominees announced Monday will get people talking.

The six nominees for the inaugural best podcast award are ''Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard,'' ''Call Her Daddy,'' ''Good Hang with Amy Poehler,'' ''The Mel Robbins Podcast,'' ''SmartLess'' and ''Up First,'' from NPR. Representing a mix of news, advice and celebrity interviews, they were drawn from a shortlist of 25 programs the Globes had previously deemed eligible.

The nominations avoided politics or controversy by passing on popular podcasts from the shortlist, such as conservative-leaning programs ''The Megyn Kelly Show,'' ''The Tucker Carlson Show,'' ''The Ben Shapiro Show,'' Candace Owen's ''Candace'' and, most notably, ''The Joe Rogan Experience,'' which topped Spotify, Apple and YouTube's list of weekly podcast charts this year. The left-leaning ''Pod Save America'' also was snubbed, as were popular true crime podcasts like ''Morbid'' and ''Rotten Mango.''

Ben Bogardus, a professor and chair of the journalism department at Quinnipiac University, said it seemed that the Globes' voting body — after years of scandal for the beleaguered awards show — wanted to avoid any controversy, like inviting a podcast host who might show up and say something contentious.

''They're trying to bill themselves as an award show that is for the masses and non-controversial, celebrating the best in entertainment. Having this political sideshow, I think they just wanted to avoid that,'' he said.

Reaction to the apparent snubbing of politics-related podcasts early Monday was light, with a handful of X users weighing in with criticism that high-ranking programs from personalities like Rogan and ''manosphere'' podcaster Theo Von had been left off the final cut. There was no direct reaction from the hosts themselves.

Shapiro had launched an all-out Golden Globes publicity campaign for his decade-old podcast, on which he's spoken with the likes of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past year. In addition to making the rounds with industry publications, Shapiro also secured massive billboard space in New York City's Times Square.

''If that's how you want to pick your ‘best podcast,' that's certainly one starting point and one way to do it,'' says Karl Hughes, a 20-year podcasting veteran who is CEO of The Podcast Consultant. ''I think it leaves a lot of stuff out. It leaves a lot of nuance out.''

Eligible podcasts must have original content and must have released at least six episodes between Jan. 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2025, with each episode having a minimum length of 30 minutes. The award, which will be handed out at the Nikki Glaser-hosted show Jan. 11, recognizes ''the quality, creativity, audience engagement and impact'' of the podcast, per the Globes.

Many podcast experts were left scratching their heads since the Globes didn't use any categories for its long list and was a bit murky about what constituted a best podcast. Quality of production? Consistency? The stories being told? Raw numbers?

''It's a good thing for the industry to get more recognition and getting recognition in a major award ceremony is awesome,'' Hughes says. ''I think that's cool to see. But the way it's done, of course, is a very blunt instrument.''

Controversy almost immediately ensued after the initial announcement when it was revealed that Luminate Data, an entertainment tracking and analytics company, would create the shortlist. Luminate belongs to Penske Media Corp., which owns the Globes. Then there's the accompanying costs associated with traditional ad campaigns for the award in the pages of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter — also owned by Penske. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hughes says that's a natural step as podcasting matures and starts attracting more corporate dollars. He hopes the Globes' spotlight will make podcasting accessible to more people.

''It'll open up the door for more individuals and businesses that want to use the medium to tell interesting stories because it's got a little more respect, a little more gravitas, a little more mainstream appeal,'' he said.

Bogardus marveled at how the podcasting industry has grown up in the past 25 years, moving beyond its origins in radio and giving hosts freedom that content creators in other media don't have: ''Going into an award show now really shows that it has come into its own as a type of communication that people consume, which can be on par with television, with radio, with streaming, with internet videos, with social media.''

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Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.