Audible Original Podcasts Lead the Nominations for the 2023 Ambie Awards

Audible Original Podcasts Lead the Nominations for the 2023 Ambie Awards | Audible.com

The Podcast Academy Awards has announced the nominees for its third annual Ambie Awards, celebrating excellence in podcasting. A whopping 12 Audible Original podcasts were nominated for 18 awards across 12 categories, led by scripted series Moriarty, breakout hit Direct Deposit, and investigative documentary Fiasco with three nominations each, including Podcast of the Year.

Check out our selection of nominees below, then tune in on March 7 for the winners. The awards ceremony, held at Las Vegas's International Theater from 6 to 7:30 p.m. PST, will be streamed live on the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch. View the full list of nominations here. Congratulations to all of the honorees!

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Direct Deposit

Chad Sanders

Nominated for: Podcast of the Year, Best Interview Podcast, Best Podcast Host

Chad Sanders was a struggling writer sleeping on a mattress on the floor just before his Hollywood screenwriting career took off. While the money and connections brought new comforts, they also came with challenges that nagged at Sanders's sense of self. In this fascinating and honest series, Sanders documents his career journey and invites celebrities such as Issa Rae, Charles King, Soledad O'Brien, and Gabrielle Union to weigh in on the personal ramifications of becoming wealthy.

Chad Sanders on money, identity, and freedom.

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Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis

Leon Neyfakh, Andrew Parsons, Sam Graham-Felsen, Madeline Kaplan, Ula Kulpa, Prologue Projects

Nominated for: Podcast of the Year, Best History Podcast, Best Society & Culture Podcast

From the co-creators of Slow Burn, Fiasco is a narrative podcast that transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of America’s most pivotal historical events. Using original interviews with dozens of key players, host Leon Neyfakh brings to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present day. Over eight episodes, Fiasco goes deep on the AIDS epidemic in America, investigating the mystery and missteps around identifying and treating a new, contagious disease, and what it took to get the public—and the government—to care.

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Moriarty

Charles Kindinger

Nominated for: Podcast of the Year, Best Fiction Podcast, Best Performer in Audio Fiction

This bold new addition to the Sherlock Holmes universe dares to ask: What if Holmes’s most villainous nemesis was actually an innocent man? Featuring Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings, Lost) in a riveting lead performance, Moriarty turns one of literature’s most famous rivalries on its head, recasting Moriarty as a desperate fugitive framed for murder—and hunted by dark forces who will stop at nothing to exploit his brilliance.

Go behind the scenes of Moriarty with Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd.

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Funny My Way

AYR Media, Team Coco

Nominated for: Best Podcast Host

Deep dive into the lives of trailblazing Black comics with the most winning new host in podcasting, Curb Your Enthusiasm's JB Smoove. Funny My Way explores how six fearless heroes of comedy broke barriers and challenged racism while making audiences roar with laughter. Produced by Team Coco, AYR Media and Toni Judkins, each episode presents a comedy legend—Paul Mooney, Flip Wilson, Moms Mabley, Dick Gregory, Rudy Ray Moore, and Redd Foxx—alongside incisive commentary from contemporary greats including Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, RuPaul, and Margaret Cho.

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Finding Tamika

Erika Alexander, Kevin Hart, Charlamagne Tha God, Ben Arnon, Rebkah Howard, David Person, James T. Green, SBH Productions, Color Farm Media

Nominated for: Best Documentary Podcast

Kevin Hart and Charlamagne Tha God’s SBH productions present their debut Audible Original, Finding Tamika. Join actress and activist Erika Alexander in a neo-noir documentary as she searches for Tamika Huston, a 24-year-old Black woman from Spartanburg, SC who went missing in 2004. Her case became a rallying cry for other missing Black women in America and led to a growing demand to expose a system that ignores missing girls and women of color. A masterful soundtrack and riveting narration propel this true crime podcast into an unforgettable call to action.

Erika Alexander on Finding Tamika.

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The Greatest Menace

Patrick Abboud, Simon Cunich

Nominated for: Best Documentary Podcast

Tucked away amongst snow-covered mountains is a tiny Australian town with a dark secret. Journalist Patrick Abboud hears whispers that it was once home to the world’s only "gay prison," one that specifically incarcerated gay men. Abboud's investigation into what happened there—a queer true crime journey that takes listeners from underground nightclubs to remote parts of New Zealand and England—reveals the full story of a covert government operation whose mission was to eradicate society's "greatest menace": homosexuality.

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Summer In Argyle

Nate Odenkirk, Bob Odenkirk

Nominated for: Best Comedy Podcast

Created and written by Nate Odenkirk and his father, Bob Odenkirk, Summer in Argyle is proudly Audible’s second best murder comedy. This offbeat Audible Original features some of today’s biggest comedy stars, like David Cross (Arrested Development), Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave), Paul F. Tompkins (Comedy Bang! Bang!), plus Carl Tart, Stephanie Courtney, Lyric Lewis, Stephanie Hsu, and more. Summer in Argyle is like listening to an old-time radio theatre show soaked in silly and blended with absurdity to produce a perfect froth of nonsense.

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Climate of Change with Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy

Cate Blanchett, Danny Kennedy

Nominated for: Best Knowledge, Science or Tech Podcast

Actor and environmental campaigner Cate Blanchett and clean technology expert Danny Kennedy explore eco-anxiety, optimism, and hope in the age of climate change, traveling the world in search of the most exciting green energy initiatives addressing the crisis. From a Navajo solar farm in the Arizona desert to renewable technology embraced by Filipino fisherfolk, Cate and Danny offer uplifting stories of ingenuity and resilience as some of the world’s leading experts discuss how humankind can tackle our biggest environmental challenge.

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The Big Lie

John Mankiewicz, Jamie Napoli, Paul Jarrico

Nominated for: Best Fiction Podcast

Jon Hamm leads an all-star cast in the riveting story behind a film the FBI never wanted you to see. The Big Lie follows special agent Jack Bergin to investigate three blacklisted filmmakers who were inspired by a New Mexico labor strike to make a pro-labor, pro-feminist film. Convinced the movie is a Communist recruitment tool, Jack will do whatever is necessary to shut the production down. Also starring Giancarlo Esposito, David Strathairn, and Lisa Edelstein, The Big Lie is an explosive story of conspiracy, betrayal, and temptation.

Vintage Hollywood drama made anew.

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Love Right Now

Ekram Ibrahim

Nominated for: Best Society and Culture Podcast

In Love Right Now, we hear stories from people living in the Middle East today who risk everything for love. From the queer daughter of an Iraqi diplomate in Saudi Arabia to the illegitimate adult children of a Muslim woman and Christian man in Lebanon, they are people who have the courage to live loudly and authentically. Narrated by international actress and human rights activist Yasmine Al Massri, this powerful and deeply moving podcast is a beacon of hope for those on the margins of love in the Middle East and everywhere.

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Impact Winter

Travis Beacham

Nominated for: Best Scriptwriting, Fiction

There's not a weak point in this terrifying audio drama from The Walking Dead's Travis Beacham. The cast works spectacularly together to create a compelling environment, which is heightened by the chilling, otherworldly sound design. The end result is a groundbreaking scripted series that melds several classic tropes—vampires, a post-apocalyptic winter—while delivering an eerily fresh, ultra-cinematic audio experience.

Impact Winter will suck you in.

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Maejor Frequency

Maejor

Nominated for: Best Production and Sound Design

Music has the power to make us feel good, but did you know that listening to the right frequency can support better sleep or lower stress and anxiety? Brandon Green, a.k.a. Maejor, has collaborated with top talent such as Justin Bieber, Drake, Frank Ocean, Ciara, and T-Pain, and now he’s bringing you an innovative journey through sound and healing. Each episode invites listeners to meditate musically with topics covering love, DNA repair, stress, and more, for a fascinating deep dive into the surprising benefits of intentional frequency.

Maejor on the healing power of good vibes.

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