Ira Glass, the host and creator of the podcast and public radio program “This American Life,” has been selected by The Podcast Academy to receive its Governors Award. That honor recognizes a podcast or individual for the compelling influence they’ve had on the industry.
“Ira Glass has been a cornerstone of podcasting, revolutionizing the way stories are told and connecting audiences with deeply human narratives,” said Christy Mirabal, chair of The Podcast Academy. “His work on This American Life set the gold standard for storytelling, proving that curiosity, craft, and a well-told story can change how we see the world. This award is a celebration of his profound and lasting impact.”
This American Life has also won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including seven Peabody awards and the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded for audio journalism. In 2021, This American Life episode “The Giant Pool of Money” was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, the first podcast ever so honored.
In addition to work on his own show, Glass also served as an editor on several Serial Productions podcasts, including Serial, S-Town, and Nice White Parents.
Glass will receive the award during the fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio, otherwise known as The Ambies. The Ambies awards ceremony will be held Monday, March 31, at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. It will be hosted by comedian Tig Notaro, host of the Don’t Ask Tig podcast. In addition to the in-person event, the Ambies will be live-streamed on Twitch.
Previous winners of the Governors Award include Malcolm Gladwell (2024), Stuff You Should Know (2023), Serial (2022), and WTF with Marc Maron (2021).
The 2025 Ambies will highlight 199 nominees across 28 categories with winners to be selected by every voting member of The Podcast Academy (TPA). See a full list of the 2025 nominees HERE.
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