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NEW YORK — <\/span>The Golden Globes this year introduced a best podcast category and, predictably, the nominees announced Monday<\/a> will get people talking.<\/p>\n The six nominees for the inaugural best podcast award are \u201cArmchair Expert with Dax Shepard,\u201d \u201cCall Her Daddy,\u201d \u201cGood Hang with Amy Poehler,\u201d \u201cThe Mel Robbins Podcast,\u201d \u201cSmartLess\u201d<\/a> and \u201cUp First,\u201d from NPR. Representing a mix of news, advice and celebrity interviews, they were drawn from a shortlist of 25 programs the Globes had previously deemed eligible.<\/p>\n The nominations avoided politics or controversy by passing on popular podcasts from the shortlist, such as conservative-leaning programs \u201cThe Megyn Kelly Show,\u201d \u201cThe Tucker Carlson Show,\u201d \u201cThe Ben Shapiro Show,\u201d Candace Owen\u2019s \u201cCandace\u201d and, most notably, \u201cThe Joe Rogan Experience,\u201d which topped Spotify, Apple and YouTube’s list of weekly podcast charts this year. The left-leaning \u201cPod Save America\u201d also was snubbed, as were popular true crime podcasts like \u201cMorbid\u201d and \u201cRotten Mango.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben Bogardus, a professor and chair of the journalism department at Quinnipiac University, said it seemed that the Globes’ voting body \u2014 after years of scandal for the beleaguered awards show \u2014 wanted to avoid any controversy, like inviting a podcast host who might show up and say something contentious.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re trying to bill themselves as an award show that is for the masses and non-controversial, celebrating the best in entertainment. Having this political sideshow, I think they just wanted to avoid that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Reaction to the apparent snubbing of politics-related podcasts early Monday was light, with a handful of X users weighing in with criticism that high-ranking programs from personalities like Rogan and \u201cmanosphere\u201d podcaster Theo Von<\/a> had been left off the final cut. There was no direct reaction from the hosts themselves.<\/p>\n Shapiro had launched an all-out Golden Globes publicity campaign for his decade-old podcast, on which he\u2019s spoken with the likes of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the past year. In addition to making the rounds with industry publications, Shapiro also secured massive billboard space in New York City\u2019s Times Square.<\/p>\n The 25 potential candidates \u2014 including The New York Times’ \u201cThe Daily\u201d and Barstool Sports’ \u201cPardon My Take\u201d \u2014 mostly matched up with the most listened-to shows.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that\u2019s how you want to pick your \u2018best podcast,\u2019 that\u2019s certainly one starting point and one way to do it,\u201d says Karl Hughes, a 20-year podcasting veteran who is CEO of The Podcast Consultant.<\/a> \u201cI think it leaves a lot of stuff out. It leaves a lot of nuance out.\u201d<\/p>\n Eligible podcasts<\/a> must have original content and must have released at least six episodes between Jan. 1, 2025, and Sept. 30, 2025, with each episode having a minimum length of 30 minutes. The award, which will be handed out at the Nikki Glaser-hosted show Jan. 11, recognizes \u201cthe quality, creativity, audience engagement and impact\u201d of the podcast, per the Globes.<\/p>\n Many podcast experts were left scratching their heads since the Globes didn’t use any categories for its long list and was a bit murky about what constituted a best podcast. Quality of production? Consistency? The stories being told? Raw numbers?<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing for the industry to get more recognition and getting recognition in a major award ceremony is awesome,\u201d Hughes says. \u201cI think that\u2019s cool to see. But the way it\u2019s done, of course, is a very blunt instrument.\u201d<\/p>\n Controversy almost immediately ensued after the initial announcement when it was revealed that Luminate Data, an entertainment tracking and analytics company, would create the shortlist. Luminate belongs to Penske Media Corp., which owns the Globes. Then there\u2019s the accompanying costs associated with traditional ad campaigns for the award in the pages of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter \u2014 also owned by Penske. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n