Hollywood just gave the mic to podcasters, and the Golden Globes will never be the same. On January 11, 2026, Nikki Glaser will host the first-ever ceremony to award Best Podcast, honoring voices from among the 25 most-listened-to shows. The six contenders will be selected based on impact, innovation, and cultural reach.
We’re not just talking about downloads, but also about influence.
The Golden Globes’ move is a massive flex in recognizing how far the podcasting medium has come, from niche RSS feeds to full-blown cultural juggernauts. “We are excited to recognize new forms of storytelling,” said Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globe Awards, to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s also the latest sign that YouTube’s takeover of podcasting isn’t just changing the industry, it’s rewriting the rules. With that in mind, here’s our breakdown of podcasts (both audio-first and video-led) that could be in the running for the very first Golden Globes Award.
Golden Globes could learn from video-driven podcast giants
There’s no denying that the Globes will look to mega-platforms when shortlisting. So yes, Alex Cooper (Call Her Daddy), and Megyn Kelly (The Megyn Kelly Show) are likely frontrunners.
Each of them had reshaped political, pop culture, and mental health conversations with a virality that only video-driven pods can deliver.
Cooper’s pivot from raunchy sex talk to raw interviews with everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Hailey Bieber has made her show both buzzy and brand-safe. But don’t count out Club Shay Shay, especially after that Katt Williams interview detonated social feeds.
And if Timothée Chalamet’s late-2024 Theo Von moment had just premiered a week later, it would’ve been in the running. Mark our words, This Past Weekend will be a force by 2026.
Still, video isn’t everything.
Audio-first shows deserve their glory, too
Let’s talk about substance. If impact means making people cry, think, or donate, then What We Spend is a no-brainer. Courtney Harrell’s deeply human interviews on finance have become windows into class, trauma, and hope with journalistic precision.
Then there’s Odd Lots: a nerdy dreamscape for economic wonks, hosted by Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal, which became essential listening during the second Trump administration’s upheavals.
Want to understand how the housing market, airplane manufacturers, and chicken supply chains intersect with global politics? Odd Lots is your show.
Our dark horse? NPR’s Embedded. Specifically, the heart-wrenching “Alternate Realities” arc is about a son confronting his conspiracy-theorist dad. Meanwhile, Scam Inc. (The Economist) has depth and empathy for one of the year’s bleakest true crime arenas: scam compounds in Southeast Asia.
And don’t sleep on Coming Out via Radio Atlas, a moving 50-minute Lithuanian doc that won the Prix Europa and spotlighted a same-sex couple forced to hide in plain sight for decades. It’s exactly the kind of global storytelling the Golden Globes should uplift.
So, what will it be? Buzz or bravery, downloads or depth? We’ll be watching. But until January, let the podcast drama unfold.
