Wyatt Cenac to host 6th annual Ambie Awards presented by The Podcast Academy

The Podcast Academy (TPA), the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced that Emmy and WGA award-winning comedian, writer, and producer, Wyatt Cenac, will host the 6th Annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). Cenac will be joined by Donwill, who will serve as the evening’s official house DJ, providing musical moments throughout the night. The Ambies will be presented as part of On Air Fest, on Monday, February 23 at the Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY.

“Wyatt Cenac brings sharp wit, cultural intelligence, and a deep respect for the craft of podcasting,” said Christy Mirabal, Chair of The Podcast Academy. “Paired with Donwill’s impeccable musical instincts and effortless ability to read a room, this year’s Ambies will feel alive, electric, and unmistakably Brooklyn. Together, they’re setting the tone for a ceremony that’s as dynamic and inventive as the podcasting community itself.” 

“Podcasting has become one of the most exciting places for ideas and storytelling,” said Cenac. “I’m looking forward to honoring the creators, keeping the energy up, and helping make the night feel as vibey and engaging as the podcasts themselves. Plus, as a New Yorker, doing this in Brooklyn just makes it hit different.”

Additionally, TPA has unveiled its inaugural Vanguard Jury, a collective of industry leaders and emerging voices dedicated to shaping and elevating the podcasting medium. This committee selected the 2026 Vanguard Podcaster of the Year, honoring an individual who has had a standout year in podcasting, with the winner to be announced at the ceremony. The committee includes Camila Victoriano (Co-Founder/CCO, Sonoro), Emily Rasekh (SVP, Global Podcast Strategy & Operations, Sony Music Entertainment), Dan Taberski (Documentary Podcaster; 9/12, 2022 Ambies Podcast of the Year), Davy Gardner (Head of Podcasts, The Tribeca Festival), Dollie S. Bishop (President, The Black Effect), Evan Ross Katz (Shut Up Evan), Gilbert King (Pulitzer prize-winning author; host of Bone Valley), Gretta Cohn (CEO, Pushkin Industries), Hernan Lopez (Founder, Owl & Co), Jenna Weiss-Berman (Head of Paper Kite; producer of Good Hang with Amy Poehler), Marshall Lewy (Head of Audible Content, North America), Marshall Williams (Founder and Former CEO, Ad Results Media), Max Balegde (The Useless Hotline; content creator), Nikki Boyer (Dying for Sex, 2021 Podcast of the Year), Preeti Varathan (Head of 30 for 30 Podcasts), Roxane Gay (New York Times bestseller), Scott Newman (Founder/Director, On Air Presents), Steve Wilson (Chief Strategy Officer, Daylight Media), and Touré Neblett (Writer, Music Journalist, Podcaster).

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting while elevating the awareness and status of podcasts as a powerful, personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling, and expression. The ceremony will honor 227 nominees across 33 categories, including six new categories: Podcast Advertiser Innovator Award, Best Ad Read, Best Branded Podcast, Best Emerging Podcast, Best Use of Video in a Podcast, and Vanguard Podcaster of the Year. Winners in 32 categories are selected by the full voting membership of TPA. 

Wyatt Cenac is an Emmy and WGA Award winning comedian, writer, and producer based in New York. Cenac created, hosted, and executive produced his own late-night show for HBO, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, where he explored America’s most pressing issues. Prior to that, he was a correspondent and writer for The Daily Show for four seasons and a writer on King of the Hill. Cenac has starred in Greg Daniel’s TBS comedy series People of Earth, and in Barry Jenkins’s first feature, Medicine for Melancholy. Other credits include the film I Do…Until I Don’t directed by Lake Bell and the series Night Train With Wyatt Cenac on which he starred, wrote and produced. 

Donwill is a multidimensional creative whose work spans music, podcasting, and television. As a rapper with his group Tanya Morgan, he helped create the underground classic Brooklynati. His Okayplayer-produced podcast The Almanac of Rap earned two Webby Awards for Best Music Podcast in 2023 and Experimental Innovation in 2025. Behind the scenes, Donwill’s music production work has earned him credits on everything from Michelle Buteau’s A Buteau-ful Mind (Netflix) to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO). He has also produced theme music for award winning podcasts like Slow Burn (Slate), Another Round (Buzzfeed), #Adulting (WNYC), and served as Music Supervisor for Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO).