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Hollywood is brushing shoulders with the business of podcasting. On Wednesday, the Golden Globes announced plans to present the inaugural Best Podcast award in 2026. Nominees for the new category will be narrowed down to six candidates from a larger pool of the 25 most popular podcast series.
“As the world of entertainment continues to evolve, we are excited to recognize new forms of storytelling,” Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said in a statement. “Podcasts have emerged as a profound medium for sharing narratives and building communities across global borders and generations.”
Specific requirements and guidelines regarding eligibility will be revealed leading up to the start of the nominations process. The 2026 Golden Globes will air on Jan. 11, on CBS and Paramount+ with returning host Nikki Glaser. Nominations will be announced on Dec. 8, 2025.
Best Podcast is the first category to be added to the Golden Globes slate since Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement – Motion Picture, and Best Stand-Up Comedy Performance – Television were first presented in 2024. “By celebrating achievements in both audio and visual podcasts, we aim to honor our heritage categories while making room for new voices and formats to be heard,” Hoehne said.
By including podcasts alongside film and television, the Golden Globes hopes to reflect “today’s audiences and consumption behavior around the world,” citing a Luminate data point that estimates global podcast audiences to exceed 600 million within the next year.
On Spotify, the top five podcasts include The Joe Rogan Experience, This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von, The Diary of a CEO With Steven Bartlett, The Daily, and Crime Junkie. On Apple Podcasts, the top five shows include The Mel Robbins Podcast, Good Hang With Amy Poehler, The Joe Rogan Experience, The Daily, and Crime Junkie. On iHeart, the top podcasts currently include Intentionally Disturbing, Dateline NBC, Crime Junkie, The Joe Rogan Experience, and Post Run High.
