After adding Cinematic and Box Office Achievement and Best Stand-Up Comedian on Television categories for last year’s ceremony, the Golden Globes have announced another new addition for next year’s awards: Best Podcast.
This is the first major award show to recognize achievement in podcasting. (There are plenty of smaller honors like the Webby Awards and the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, but this is the first time a long-established film and TV institution like the Globes has expanded to include the medium.) It remains to seen exactly how the nominees for Best Podcast will be selected; all we know so far is that the “top 25 podcasts” will be eligible for consideration, and six nominees will be chosen from that field of 25.
“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 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.”
On the one hand, it’s easy for skeptics to claim that this is just another attempt by the Globes to invite as many famous people to their fancy party as possible. There’s no word yet on what metric will be used to determine the “top 25” podcasts, but if it’s strictly based on popularity rather than the actual content of the podcasts, it might inspire a backlash similar to the one drawn by the introduction of the Box Office Achievement category — the argument being that awards shouldn’t simply be popularity contests and the work should speak for itself.
But ultimately, what Hoehne said is true. Podcasts aren’t going anywhere, and it’s refreshing to see an organization like the Globes recognize the new ways that people are telling stories these days. A well-produced podcast can be just as impressive and meaningful as a great TV show or movie. Why not show a little love to the people responsible for making them?
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