Overview
- The six nominees are Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy, Good Hang With Amy Poehler, The Mel Robbins Podcast, SmartLess and NPR’s Up First.
- The Joe Rogan Experience and all overtly political and true‑crime titles were left out; three nominees are from SiriusXM, with Amazon/Wondery, Spotify and NPR rounding out the field.
- Luminate, owned by Penske Media, built the 25‑show shortlist from listener data, drawing scrutiny over the methodology and ownership ties.
- Awards-season promotion featured Penske-run FYC offerings and visible campaigning; Ben Shapiro advertised in Times Square but did not secure a nomination.
- The category recognizes original podcasts with at least six 30‑minute episodes released Jan. 1–Sept. 30, 2025, with the winner to be announced Jan. 11, 2026.