Cameron Esposito to Host The Ambies on May 16

The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that standup comic, actor and writer Cameron Esposito will host its inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) on May 16. Hank Azaria, Darren Criss, Whitney Cummings, Ashley Flowers, Este Haim, DeRay Mckesson, Jacquis Neal, Matt Schrader, Neil Strauss, Kenan Thompson, and Rainn Wilson to present; Chris Colbert and Merk Nguyen to serve as the voices of The Ambies. The ceremony will be streamed LIVE on YouTube and Twitch from Los Angeles, CA at 5PM PT/8PM ET, with a pre-show co-hosted by iHeartRadio hosts Miles Gray and Jack O’Brien starting at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET.

In addition to the slate of talent partaking at The Ambies, The Podcast Academy also announced that Teenager Therapy will receive the Audio Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive impact on its listeners. Emmy-nominated actor Asante Blackk will highlight the recipients with a special interview during the show. Teenager Therapy is a coming-of-age podcast hosted by five teens -- Gael, Isaac, Kayla, Mark, and Thomas -- sharing their stories and experiences in real time. It’s a culmination of mistakes and growth and a reminder that no one is alone. They cover a wide range of topics from mental health, to sexuality, and other subject matters that every teen can relate to, as well as invite special guests like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for teen-provoking interviews. Teenager Therapy joins previously announced Governors Award recipient, WTF with Marc Maron, with one of the night’s top honors.

“We are excited to have Cameron host our first-ever Awards for Excellence in Audio ceremony. Her energy, stage presence, and wit will surely make for a memorable evening,” said Chairman of The Podcast Academy, Donald Albright. “To add, the Governors are pleased to honor ‘Teenager Therapy’ with the Audio Impact Award for their work in the medium. We are thoroughly impressed by this group of independent young podcasters that have taken to the airwaves to share their personal stories and create an inclusive environment for their listeners.”

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 with additional support from IMDb (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.