The Golden Globes are tuning the podcast boom.

To recognize the rapidly rising medium with faster transfer of media landscapes, the Globe announced the addition of the Podcast of the Year category at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards. The new honor marks the first major expansion of the world since launching the box office and film achievement categories in 2023 – it was aired by the podcast community with intense excitement, doubt and uncertainty.

“That’s what the industry needs – recognizing that podcasts are storytelling,” comedian Bert Kreischer, hosted by “Bertcast” and “2 Bears, 1 Cave”, co-hosted with his friend Tom Segura. "It's not just noise. It's a craft."

However, Craft is known to be difficult to define in a medium where a 90-minute scriptless conversation can rank first in a closely edited news profile or chart next to a crime documentary. According to preliminary guidelines, six finalists will be selected from the "Top 25" list of the most popular podcasts, although the exact compilation list is unclear.

"We are eager to know how this will work," Kreischer admitted.

Currently, there is no large ceremony to endorse the podcast. It's a huge deal, but it also raises a lot of questions.

As of May 2025, the "Top 25" includes a variety of formats and sounds: comedy films such as the Basement Yard, Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast; News pillars such as Daily and Above; Real Crime Official Crime Scammers and Sickness; Political Lightning Sticks like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly's Show; Cultural and Commentary Strikes, such as Joe Rogan's Experience and Calling Her Dad; and Celebrity-powered Entries, including No Intelligence and Good Hook to Amy Poehler. This breadth presents a challenge: How do you compare a show where two friends debate the best pop flavors with a show that dissects the latest political crisis—or, more difficult, have plans accused of spreading misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric?

“It’s a cool idea, but asks more questions than anything else,” said Frank Alvarez, co-host of the basement yard, one of the hottest comedy podcasts in the United States: “Comedy is subjective. News is structured. So, how do you judge them fairly?”

“To be precise,” added Joe Santagato, co-host of Alvarez and CEO of Santagato Studios. "We're just two friends, but for some, it's the way they've had a breakup or a bad week. It's the impact of culture - but it's different from investigating journalism."

The Globes organization said the category would respect “cultural and creative influences,” a wide network where some fears may tilt too far, rather than being a celebrity-driven or political performance. As the podcast ecosystem breaks down on Spotify, Apple, Apple, YouTube and standalone platforms, industry insiders urge the world to articulate how to weigh metrics – download, listener retention, content quality or touch?

"in the case of only What is the point about popularity? "Kreischer asked. I think he deserves it. But if you do value substance and information, you should vote on it. That's what makes it interesting."

Ideological minefields have been formed.

In Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Joe Rogan’s performances, some fear that the Earth’s group is criticized for Hollywood-centered, left-leaning voting agencies, no matter what direction the nomination takes.

"If the entire list ends up being just a left-leaning podcast, it will be the last year they'll receive this award," Krescher warned. "You have to be fair to it. If Megyn Kelly kills it, she should be there. So are no smart people, calling her dad or my favorite murder. You'd better shake this. Because podcasts are everywhere and they're going too far."

In the comedy world, this concern is with the creator’s concern, politically overwhelmed - and may be ignored.

“We are not trying to get feathers,” Alvarez said. "We are reliefs of comics. But if we end up being all celebrity podcasts, that proves bias."

For Santagato, the question is not just about politics, but about visits. "If some A-list celebrities were nominated for a podcast for years in eight months of airing? Yes, that's frustrating. But it's not the first time that's been won by Star Force."

Despite the problems, most podcasts agree that the recognition is overdue.

“Five years ago, no one respected YouTubers or Podcasters,” Santagato pointed out. "Now these worlds are blending. It's good for everyone."

The podcast hosted by Alex Cooper regularly outperforms TV talk shows in terms of coverage and influence, like calling her dad. However, the medium is ignored by the world's most outstanding rituals, such as the Emmys, Grammys and Oscars. Stepping into the Golden Globes may mark a critical point for institutional acceptance.

"There is no Apple-to-Apple comparison between a 90-minute video interview and a 20-minute NPR audio summary on YouTube," said a PR person representing various creators. "They need to explain their approach clearly."

"It's just another way to get the podcast to the mainstream," Kresh said. "They're great. They're like great books you listen to in the car. I learned more yesterday from three episodes about Martin Luther than my 18+ years in school."

In an era where influence is measured by Nelson ratings, with audience loyalty and digital virality higher, the new category may not only offer trophys. This may be an important barometer in entertainment right now - who can decide.

After all, more than 300 voters around the world voted on the globe. International voting agencies may have a unique taste and tolerance of something “controversial” than domestic audiences. Still, the podcasters are having fun and looking forward to the campaign season. If Kreischer goes his way, he will present the Best Podcast Award, which is how the podcast comes on stage: lo-fi, ready-made, unpopular and unfiltered.

"I'll do it with Zoom," he shared at his podcast studio in Los Angeles. "Three squares on the screen: one global, one for viewers, and one for me. Then, I'll read all and go into the nominees.

The crowd may laugh, advertisers may cheer on it, and the industry may just need to figure out how to judge the inseparable method.

variety The first prediction for the new category is as follows. More information on the rules and qualifications will be announced later.

Variety show company PMC owns Golden Globes maker Dick Clark Prods. In a joint venture with Eldridge.