iHeartMedia Celebrates The Best in Podcasting During The Fourth Annual iHeartRadio Podcast Awards

Will Ferrell opens the 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards joined by two of his sons

Brian Baumgartner, host of “The Office Deep Dive,” entertained with comedic skits throughout the night

 “You’re Wrong About” takes home the highly coveted Podcast of the Year Award presented by surprise guest Dua Lipa

NEW YORK – February 4, 2022 – Last night, the fourth annual iHeartRadio Podcast Awards brought together the most influential names in podcasting to honor the most entertaining and innovative podcasts of 2021, celebrating the incredible talent and wide variety of leaders across the thriving podcasting industry. The virtual awards event was exclusively video streamed on iHeartRadio’s YouTube Channel and Facebook Page and broadcast across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App.

Renowned actor, comedian and producer Will Ferrell, joined by his sons Mattias and Magnus Ferrell, kicked off the 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards with a hilarious opening. The comical tone continued throughout the night with skits from Brian Baumgartner, host of "The Office Deep Dive.” His hilariously awkward appearances included wearing a facial mask and eating cheese puffs while presenting because, “the whole thing about podcasts is not being on camera.” Throughout the show, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers ("Las Culturistas"), and Miles Gray (“The Daily Zeitgeist”) also kept viewers laughing with original comedy skits and games such as "Name That Podcast Host.” The memorable night additionally featured a variety of appearances by award nominees, celebrity presenters, special guests and surprise appearances by Dua Lipa and Jamie Lee Curtis. Featured guests included Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett, Martha Stewart, Paris Hilton, Shonda Rhimes, Bethenny Frankel, Wilmer Valderrama, Roy Wood Jr., Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, Baratunde Thurston, Holly Frey and more.

The 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards event highlights include:

  • Dua Lipa’s surprise appearance to present the coveted Podcast of the Year award, a public-voted category, to "You're Wrong About.” Dua Lipa also shared with the audience the launch of her own podcast, “Dua Lipa: At Your Service.”
  • Will Ferrell kicked off the show with the help of his sons Mattias and Magnus Ferrell.
  • Shonda Rhimes named Laci Mosley, host of "Scam Goddess," as the winner of the Best Crime Podcast award. Mosley gave an emotional and heartfelt speech, stating, "As a Black woman especially, it is overwhelming to know that people hear me and care about what I have to say because that is something that is not very typical."
  • Roy Wood Jr. and Flame Monroe presented the Best Overall-Female Host to Nicole Byer. Flame Monroe also shared a good-humored conversation with Roy Wood Jr. by educating him on what a “He-She-We” is.
  • Fans, special guests and presenters played the game "If you could choose your perfect co-host, who would it be?" Participants included Paris Hilton, who picked the late Marilyn Monroe; Bethenny Frankel, who picked Charles Barkley; Baratunde Thurston, who picked Brian Williams, and a lucky fan who got to tell Martha Stewart just how amazing she is.
  • Martha Stewart teased fans with a few key details about her very own upcoming podcast.
  • Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey presented the winner of the Best Comedy Podcast to "SmartLess." The ladies waited in their driveway for the hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett to meet them in person and accept their award, but in a hilariously priceless moment, they never showed up.
  • Paris Hilton presented the winner of the Best Music Podcast to "Song Exploder," hosted/created by Hrishikesh Hirway.

Full list of category winners below:

Podcast of the Year

● “You’re Wrong About” (Sarah Marshall /Michael Hobbes)

 

Innovator Icon Award

Descript

 

Social Impact Icon Award

“Force Multiplier” (Salesforce.org)

 

Audible Audio Pioneer Icon Award

● “My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark” (Exactly Right)

 

 Best Overall Host -- Male

Sam Sanders (“It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders” - NPR)

 

Best Overall Host – Female

Nicole Byer (“Why Won’t You Date Me? with Nicole Byer” - Team Coco)

 

Best Comedy Podcast

“SmartLess” (Wondery/Amazon)

 

Best Crime Podcast

“Scam Goddess” (Earwolf/Team Coco/Laci Mosley)

 

Best History Podcast

“Throughline” (NPR)

 

Best Music Podcast

“Song Exploder” (Hrishikesh Hirway)

 

Best News Podcast

“The Daily” (The New York Times)

 

Best Fiction Podcast

“Bridgewater” (iHeartPodcasts/Grim & Mild)

 

Best Sports Podcast

“The Bill Simmons Podcast” (The Ringer/Bill Simmons)

 

Best Science Podcast

“Ologies with Alie Ward” (Alie Ward)

 

Best Political Podcast

“Pod Save America” (Crooked Media)

 

Best Pop Culture Podcast

“Keep It!” (Crooked Media)

 

Best Food Podcast

“Doughboys” (Headgum/Doughboys Media)

 

Best Kids & Family Podcast

“Story Pirates” (Gimlet)

 

Best Technology Podcast

“There Are No Girls On The Internet” (iHeartPodcasts)

 

Best Ad Read

“SmartLess” (Wondery/Amazon)

 

Best Wellness & Fitness Podcast

“Therapy For Black Girls” ​​(Joy Harden Bradford/iHeartPodcasts)

 

Best TV & Film Podcast

“How Did This Get Made?” (Earwolf/Paul Scheer/June Diane Raphael/Jason Mantzoukas)

 

Best Business & Finance Podcast

“How I Built This with Guy Raz” (NPR)

 

Best Spanish Language Podcast

“Radio Ambulante” (NPR)

 

Best Advice/Inspirational Podcast

“We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle” (Glennon Doyle/Cadence13)

 

Best Beauty & Fashion Podcast

“Forever 35” (Kate Spencer/Doree Shafrir)

 

Best Travel Podcast

“Women Who Travel” (Condé Nast Traveler)

 

Best Spirituality & Religion Podcast

“On Being with Krista Tippet” (On Being Studios)

 

Best Green Podcast

● “Living on Earth” (PRX)

 

Best Branded Podcast

“Inside Trader Joe’s” (Trader Joe’s)

 

Best Emerging Podcast

“Films To Be Buried With” (Brett Goldstein)

 

Best International Podcast

● “Morbidology” (Morbidology)

 

The 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards is part of iHeartMedia’s roster of incredibly successful, nationally-recognized events including the iHeartRadio Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, the nationwide iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Concert Tour, iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, iHeartCountry Festival, iHeartRadio ALTer Ego and iHeartRadio Wango Tango. Executive producers for the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards are John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Conal Byrne for iHeartMedia and Deviants Media Studio founder Ivan Dudynsky and show runner Jayson Belt. Proud sponsors of this year’s event include Audible, Long John Silver’s and Progressive® Insurance. More information can be found at iHeartPodcastAwards.com.

Editor’s Note:

To access show b-roll from the 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards please visit:

https://crazyduck.wetransfer.com/downloads/afb6f82b9cd5ff34f6b863eeeedc1b4b20220203215531/70cee53bdadb50a8a26e022e587260ce20220203215531/384282

To access photos from the virtual event please visit:
https://iheartradio.photoshelter.com/galleries/C0000CbmDJv18RuA/2022-Podcast-Awards

PW: iHRPodcast2022!

Access the 2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards logo HERE.

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.