ADWEEK: Lava for Good is 2024 Podcast Network of the Year

ADWEEK announced today that Lava for Good is the recipient of two prestigious honors from the 2024 ADWEEK Audio Awards. Lava was chosen as Podcast Network of the Year, while the network’s The War on Drugs series won the award for Best Audience Growth Strategy. The ADWEEK Audio Awards celebrate the best in the podcasting industry, honoring outstanding podcasts and the hard work, innovation and creativity of podcast professionals.

The recognition as Podcast Network of the Year underscores Lava for Good’s dedication to producing high-quality, socially conscious content that sparks meaningful change. “Lava for Good has grown from a single chat show series in 2018 to an original media powerhouse with podcasts and live events,” writes ADWEEK’s Kennyatta Collins. The network’s influential lineup includes the top-charting series Bone Valley, Wrongful Conviction, Earwitness, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands, and The War on Drugs, which have amassed over 65 million downloads.

Lava for Good co-founder and CEO Jason Flom, who has hosted the award-winning Wrongful Conviction series since 2016, expressed his gratitude for the awards: "As a small, independent company, we are honored to join the ranks of past recipients of ADWEEK’s Podcast Network of the Year Award, including tremendous innovators like last year’s recipient, Spotify, which is an important platform for our own shows. This recognition is a testament to the incredible work of our team of talented journalists, researchers, hosts, and creators who use the awesome power of storytelling to draw in, engage and inspire our dedicated and growing audiences and thereby bring about lasting change.”

Lava’s The War on Drugs series was awarded Best Audience Growth Strategy, recognizing Lava’s innovative approach to building an engaged audience and bringing the important and complex topic of American drug policy to life through a thoughtful balance of history, insight and entertainment. Co-hosted by comedian Clayton English and criminal justice expert Greg Glod, the podcast, sponsored by Stand Together Music, exposes the devastating impacts of America’s so-called War on Drugs, which English poignantly reframed as “a war on people.”

The show engaged a diverse range of policy experts and authoring award-winning marketing campaigns, including social media content collaborations with entertainers and out-of-home placements leveraging the series’ bold artwork. “If a state was considering a change in legislation around an existing drug policy,” Collins writes, “Lava for Good’s The War on Drugs podcast had a billboard there.” The War on Drugs grew a wide audience and garnered a Webby nomination and an Anthem Award win.

Jeff Kempler, co-founder and COO of Lava for Good, highlighted the team’s achievements and what the Awards mean for Lava’s future: "This recognition from ADWEEK’s judging panel is gratifying and validates our mission and belief that a small, dedicated team can make compelling content that is inspiring, impactful and entertaining. The War on Drugs co-hosts Clayton and Greg have done an exceptional job in making complex and often overlooked issues around the history and impact of American drug policy accessible and engaging. We look forward to hearing more from them and special guests from the worlds of music, acting, and sports in the upcoming second season. Fellow Lava for Good hosts Maggie Freleng, Gilbert King, Kelsey Decker, and Lauren Bright Pacheco bring their own unique styles to their work, while sharing a particular gift for empathic and insightful narratives, and we are excited to be launching new seasons from them in the year ahead.”

The ADWEEK awards add to Lava for Good’s impressive list of accolades, including honors from The Podcast Academy’s Ambie Awards, the Anthem Awards, iHeartPodcast Awards, the Webby Awards, and the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.

In the coming year, listeners can expect new series from Lava for Good, including a second season of The War on Drugs focusing on promising developments and opportunities for a better way, Season 2 of the hit series Bone Valley, and a special multi-season docuseries about the private businesses driving the increased militarization of policing practices. Television adaptations are underway for a number of Lava projects, including a premium scripted series inspired by Bone Valley.

About Lava for Good

Lava for Good creates standout original content, podcasts, and experiences that deliver unparalleled access and insights into the heart of social justice in America, and inspire action towards a more informed, empathic, and just society.

Co-founded and led by renowned music executive, children’s book author, and philanthropist Jason Flom with Lava Media COO Jeff Kempler, Lava for Good’s #1-charting lineup of podcasts, produced and promoted in association with Signal Co. No1, has been downloaded over 65 million times and is credited with influencing exonerations, clemencies, pardons, legislation and reforms nationwide. The lineup currently includes Bone Valley, Earwitness, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Conviction with Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng, The War on Drugs, False Confessions, Junk Science, and more, and is available on all popular podcast platforms.