The Podcast Academy to honor 'WTF with Marc Marcon' with inaugural Governors Award

The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that its Board of Governors will bestow WTF with Marc Maron with the Governors Award which recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling impact they’ve had on the industry. WTF’s Marc Maron and Brendan McDonald will accept the top accolade at inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) on May 16. The ceremony will be streamed LIVE on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms from Los Angeles, CA at 5PM PT/8PM ET, with a pre-show starting at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET.

“‘WTF with Marc Maron’ has been a trailblazer for the medium since its inception and represents what’s unique about the industry,” said Chairman of the Podcast Academy, Donald Albright. “As co-creators, producers and owners of WTF, Marc and Brendan have served as global pioneers for podcasters big and small, both in front of and behind the mic. The Podcast Academy is humbled to honor WTF with the first-ever Governors Award.”

Maron and McDonald added: “It’s a genuine honor to be recognized by our peers as a major influence on the podcast medium. The show has evolved into what it is now through our persistence, creativity, discipline and curiosity. We’re grateful for this recognition and the freedom that podcasting affords us.”

WTF with Marc Maron, which is an independently-produced podcast, changed the landscape when it premiered in September 2009. With more than 600 million downloads since then, the podcast helped define the medium and continues to reach millions of listeners twice-a-week. The show’s landmark episode with President Barack Obama broke podcast records and garnered worldwide acclaim when it was released in 2015.

Marc has welcomed comedians, actors, directors, writers, authors, musicians and folks from all walks of life to WTF. His probing, comprehensive interview style allows guests to express themselves in ways listeners have never heard. WTF has featured amazingly revealing interviews with some of the world’s biggest personalities including Stacey Abrams, Mel Brooks, Anna Kendrick, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, John Legend, David Letterman, Sir Paul McCartney, Eddie Murphy, Amy Poehler, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Bruce Springsteen, Dick Van Dyke and Kate Winslet to name just a few of the more than 1,200 guests who have appeared on the show.

The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. This year, the ceremony will highlight 164 nominees across 23 categories and is sponsored by Amazon Music (Gold sponsor), PRX (Silver sponsor), Tenderfoot TV (Silver sponsor) and Wondery (Silver sponsor). The official pre-show is sponsored by Adobe. The full list of 2021 nominees may be found here.

ABOUT THE PODCAST ACADEMY

Founded in February 2020, The Podcast Academy is a not-for-profit professional membership organization that celebrates excellence in podcasting and elevates awareness of podcasts as an indispensable medium for entertainment, information, and creative expression. It values individual and organizational creators alike, of all backgrounds and means, and defines achievement through the values of quality, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and impact. The Podcast Academy provides community, professional development, and industry connections through inclusive, dynamic programming. For more information about The Podcast Academy, please visit www.thepodcastacademy.com and follow/like/subscribe on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin.

ABOUT MARC MARON

For over thirty years, Marc Maron has been writing and performing comedy for print, stage, radio, online and television. With his landmark podcast WTF with Marc Maron, he’s interviewed icons such as Robin Williams, Keith Richards and former US president Barack Obama. Maron starred in the Netflix series Glow and his scripted series, Maron, aired for four seasons on IFC. He’s had recent roles in Joker, Spencer Confidential, Sword of Trust and Stardust, and stars in the forthcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, alongside Jennifer Hudson. He also recently wrapped filming on the feature To Leslie, starring Andrea Riseborough and Allison Janney. Maron’s stand-up special More Later (2015) aired on Epix and his specials Thinky Pain (2013), Marc Maron: Too Real (2017) and 2020’s End Times Fun, which was nominated for a 2021 Critics’ Choice Award, are currently streaming on Netflix.

ABOUT BRENDAN MCDONALD

Brendan McDonald is the co-creator and executive producer of WTF with Marc Maron. He is an Emmy Award-winning producer with extensive credits in television, radio and digital media. McDonald began working with comedian Marc Maron in 2004, a partnership that included two radio shows and a daily streaming video broadcast. In 2009, they created the podcast WTF with Marc Maron, which quickly became one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world. McDonald manages all business aspects of the podcast and serves as the show’s sole producer and editor. He also produces podcasts for MSNBC. He previously served as a Senior Producer for the network. Other production experience includes roles at Sirius XM, WNYC Radio, and WFUV-FM, where he got his start in broadcasting as an undergraduate at Fordham University.