Wyatt Cenac will be grabbing the mic to host the 6th annual Awards for Excellence in Audio — aka the Ambies — in Brooklyn later this month.
The Ambies will be presented on Monday, Feb. 23, as part of On Air Fest at the Arlo Williamsburg hotel in Brooklyn. At the awards show, Cenac, an Emmy-winning comedian, writer and producer who is a “Daily Show” alum, will be joined by Donwill, who will serve as the evening’s official house DJ.
“Podcasting has become one of the most exciting places for ideas and storytelling,” Cenac said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to honoring the creators, keeping the energy up, and helping make the night feel as vibey and engaging as the podcasts themselves. Plus, as a New Yorker, doing this in Brooklyn just makes it hit different.”
The Ambies are presented by the Podcast Academy, an independent professional podcast organization. This year, the Ambies received more than 1,600 submissions, the most entries since the awards debuted in 2021.
Cenac created, hosted and executive produced his own late-night show for HBO, “Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas,” in which he explored America’s most pressing issues. Prior to that, he was a correspondent and writer for “The Daily Show” for four seasons and a writer on “King of the Hill.”
The 2026 Ambies ceremony will reveal the winners from among the 227 nominees across 33 categories, including six new categories: podcast advertiser innovator award, best ad read, best branded podcast, best emerging podcast, best use of video in a podcast, and the Vanguard Podcaster of the Year, honoring an individual who has had a standout year in podcasting.
The Podcast Academy also announced the inaugural Ambies Vanguard Jury, which selected the 2026 Vanguard Podcaster of the Year.
The committee members are: Camila Victoriano (co-founder/CCO, Sonoro), Emily Rasekh (SVP, global podcast strategy & operations, Sony Music Entertainment), Dan Taberski (documentary podcaster), Davy Gardner (head of podcasts, Tribeca Festival), Dollie S. Bishop (president, The Black Effect), Evan Ross Katz (host of “Shut Up Evan”), Gilbert King (Pulitzer-winning author and host of “Bone Valley”), Gretta Cohn (CEO, Pushkin Industries), Hernan Lopez (founder, Owl & Co.), Jenna Weiss-Berman (head of Paper Kite and producer of “Good Hang With Amy Poehler”), Marshall Lewy (head of content for Audible North America), Marshall Williams (founder and former CEO Ad Results Media), Max Balegde (host of “The Useless Hotline”), Nikki Boyer (host of “Dying for Sex”), Preeti Varathan (head of 30 for 30 podcasts at ESPN), Roxane Gay (bestselling author), Scott Newman (founder and director, On Air Presents), Steve Wilson (chief strategy officer, Daylight Media) and Touré Neblett (writer, music journalist and podcaster).
SEE ALSO: The 2026 Ambies Podcast Awards Nominations Announced
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