Wisecrack, a six-part series that combines true-crime and comedy, has been named podcast of the year at the 2026 Ambie Awards.
The show, from Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts, centers on UK comedian Edd Hedges, who tells a story about a real hometown murder in his standup act, and journalist Jodi Tovay ,as she investigates the story. The podcast beat out other contenders including Call Her Daddy, Crime Junkie, SmartLess and Pod Save America.
Wisecrack led the nominations list with five nods, and ultimately took home four, including best society and culture podcast. Pablo Torre, host of Pablo Torre Finds Out, was named the Vanguard Podcaster of the Year.
Other winners included Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend for best comedy podcast, Death, Sex & Money for best interview podcast, and The Indicator from Planet Money for best business podcast.
The ceremony took place Tuesday night (after being rescheduled from Monday due to the blizzard) at the Arlo Williamsburg in Brooklyn as part of On Air Fest. Comedian and writer Wyatt Cenac hosted the event. The 6th Annual Awards For Excellence In Audio were presented by the Podcast Academy.
In addition to the competitive awards, Kara Swisher, host of Pivot and On with Kara Swisher, received the Governors Awards for her contributions to the growth of the podcasting industry.
Angela Yee presented the late Reggie Ossé, host of The Combat Jack Show and founding partner of the Loud Speakers Network, with the Impact Award for his lasting impact on listeners. His wife, Akim Vann accepted the award on his behalf.
Presenters included B.A. Parker (co-host of Code Switch), Brittany Luse (It’s Been a Minute), Katy Hearne Church (Queen’s Podcast), Maria Hinojosa (founder of Futoro Media; In the Thick), Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder), Sky Scraper (New York City FC’s mascot) and Touré (Why Did They Break Up Tracy Clayton).
Full wInners list:
Governors Award Honoree
Kara Swisher
Impact Award Honoree
Reggie Ossé (posthumously), accepted by his wife, Akim Vann
Vanguard Podcaster of the Year
Pablo Torre
Podcast of The Year
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Ad Read
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
SiriusXM
Best Branded Podcast
Sesame Street: Cookie Monster Mysteries
Audible Studios,Sesame Workshop
Best Business Podcast
The Indicator from Planet Money
NPR
Best Comedy Podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
SiriusXM, Team Coco
Best DIY Podcast
Redacted History
Dr. Andre White, Airwave
Best Documentary Podcast
The Con: Kaitlyn’s Baby
CBC, BBC World Service
Best Emerging Podcast
How Is This Better?
COURIER Newsroom
Best Entertainment Podcast
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Defacto Sound
Best Fiction Podcast
Red for Revolution
Meta Mana Media
Best History Podcast
Our Ancestors Were Messy
Coco Hill Productions
Best Indie Podcast
Our Ancestors Were Messy
Coco Hill Productions
Best Indie Podcast Host or Hosts
Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster
Debt Heads
Captain and the Fox
Best Interview Podcast
Death, Sex & Money
Slate
Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast
Radiolab
New York Public Radio
Best News & Politics
Reveal
Reveal and PRX
Best Original Score and Music Supervision
Marcus Bagala and Sam Ewing
DC High Volume: Batman
DC Comics, Realm
Best Performance in Audio Fiction
Maulik Pancholy, Murray Bartlett, Poorna Jagannathan, Karan Soni, Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Conrad Ricamora, Iqbal Theba, Julian Shapiro- Barnum, Padma Lakshmi, et al.
Murder at the Patel Motel
Broadway Video, Audible
Best Personal Growth / Spirituality Podcast
Wild Card with Rachel Martin
NPR
Best Podcast for Kids
Terrestrials
WNYC Studios
Best Podcast Host or Hosts
Rachel Martin
Wild Card with Rachel Martin NPR
Best Production and Sound Design
Alex Vespestad, Steven Perez, and Cooper Skinner
Wisecrack
Tenderfoot TV , iHeartPodcasts
Best Reporting
Robyn Semien
Question Everything
Placement Theory
Best Scriptwriting, Fiction
Jana Naomi Smith
Red for Revolution
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