The Podcast Academy to celebrate two international awards at The Podcast Show London on May 20

The Podcast Academy (TPA), the leading professional organization dedicated to the podcasting community, announced today this year’s recipients of its international honors. The Rest Is History from Goalhanger will receive the International Governor’s Award, recognizing a podcast based or set outside of the United States for their compelling and long term influence on the industry, while Wisecrack from Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts will receive the International Impact Award, recognizing a podcast or individual based or set outside of the United States whose recent work has had a significant, positive impact on the global podcasting landscape.

The awards will be accepted on May 20th at The Podcast Show London by Senior Producer Callum Hill and Producers Tabby Syrett and Aaliyah Akude of The Rest Is History and the host of Wisecrack, Jodi Tovay, alongside the subject of the series, Edd Hedges. The awards will be presented by TPA Executive Director Ami Thakkar and a member of TPA Board of Governors, Arielle Nissenblatt with a special guest appearance by BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 Reporter, Krupa Padhy.

TPA’s Awards for Excellence in Audio, popularly known as The Ambies, celebrates outstanding achievement in audio and elevates awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling, and expression.

“The Rest Is History and Wisecrack are two shows that remind you why people fall in love with podcasts in the first place,” said Christy Mirabal, chairperson of TPA. “One makes history feel alive and genuinely fun to listen to, and the other takes on dark subject matter with humor, care, and a real point of view. Both have built global audiences by having distinct voices and backing that up with real craft. We’re thrilled to recognize their impact.”

The Rest Is History, co-hosted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, is the world’s most popular history podcast and was named Apple Podcasts’ Podcast of the Year in 2025. Known for its engaging, deeply researched storytelling, the show has brought history to a global audience, redefining how the genre can inform and entertain at scale.

Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, translator, and broadcaster. His most recent book, Pax, explores the height of the Roman Empire, and he has translated classical works for Penguin Classics. He is co-presenter of The Rest Is History and has written and presented numerous television documentaries. He serves as a trustee of both the British Library and the British Museum and holds several honorary academic and cultural positions.

Dominic Sandbrook is one of Britain’s most prominent historians and broadcasters and co-presenter of The Rest Is History. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he is the bestselling author of multiple acclaimed histories and has written and presented numerous BBC documentaries. He is also a longtime newspaper columnist and co-host of Goalhanger’s The Book Club.

Wisecrack, hosted by Jodi Tovay and based on the comedy set and firsthand experience of British comic Edd Hedges, has emerged as a truly international success, with the majority of its audience based outside of the United States. Blending comedy and true crime, the podcast explores deeper themes of mental health and systemic failures within the UK’s criminal justice and healthcare systems. The show has received widespread acclaim, including being named “Best Podcast of 2025” by The Guardian and one of the “Best Shows of 2025” by Apple Podcasts across multiple global markets.

Jodi Tovay is a five-time Ambie and iHeart Award–winning producer and host of Wisecrack. She is also a four-time Emmy®-nominated and Telly Award–winning producer with over two decades of experience in documentary storytelling. Based in Atlanta, she serves as a Principal at Starwipe Productions and Rainbow Heads Productions.

Edd Hedges is a UK-based stand-up comedian who gained recognition after winning the “So You Think You’re Funny?” competition at the Edinburgh Fringe at age 19. His storytelling inspired the creation of Wisecrack, for which he earned an Ambie for Best Scriptwriting - Nonfiction. He has performed internationally and continues to build a reputation for his distinctive narrative style.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNOR’S AWARD

Chosen by the Podcast Academy’s Board of Governors the International Governor’s Award was introduced in 2025 as an extension of the Awards for Excellence in Audio, better known as The Ambies. This honor recognizes an individual or podcast based or set outside of the United States for their compelling and long-term influence on the industry. The inaugural recipient of the International Governor’s Award was Steven Bartlett, creator and host of The Diary of a CEO, the second-biggest interview podcast in the world and the fastest-growing podcast globally.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL IMPACT AWARD

Introduced in 2025 alongside the International Governor’s Award, the International Impact Award continues the legacy of honoring impactful shows which the Ambies, the Awards for Excellence in Audio, has been doing since 2020. Recipient of the inaugural International Impact award was industry veteran and Podnews editor, James Cridland. Chosen by the Podcast Academy’s Board of Governors, this honor recognizes an individual or podcast based or set outside of the United States. This particular award identifies recent work that has had a significant positive impact on the global podcast community.