The Golden Globes recently announced the 25 nominees for its inaugural Best Podcast category, with MAGA favorites Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, Ben Shapiro, and Theo Von in the running.
The award will be presented at the 83rd annual Globes ceremony on January 26, 2026, and places the right-wing broadcasters, many of whom regularly peddle conspiracy theories, in a category alongside established news and politics shows like The Daily from The New York Times, Up First from NPR, and Pod Save America.
Other popular shows nominated include The Joe Rogan Experience, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and Call Me Daddy with Alex Cooper.
Now, according to Status, the company behind the ceremony, Penske Media Corporation, has sent out “a pitch deck… to at least some of the shows eligible for the awards,” explaining that they are “selling marketing packages – costing upwards of $75,000 – that allow podcasters to promote their programs directly to Globes voters who will determine the winner.”
While nominated artists and shows have consistently lobbied for industry awards, Status writer Oliver Darcy argues that the difference this time is that PMC CEO Jay Penske owns not just the Globes but also the entertainment media outlets Variety, Rolling Stone, Deadline Hollywood, Billboard, and The Hollywood Reporter, which could be considered a conflict of interest.
“In other words, the same corporate entity now both sets the stage and writes the glowing coverage,” Darcy states.
He explains that a nominee paying out for one of the $75,000 marketing packages means “someone like Carlson or Owens can pay tens of thousands of dollars to be feted by Variety, handed a trophy, and lavished with glowing coverage and social promotion from one of the industry’s most influential and renowned publications.
“The potential for a ‘paid sponsorship’ disclosure might technically separate the advertisements from the outlet’s traditional editorial, but the effect is the same: PMC is offering far-right influencers who thrive on outrage a glossy stage and an endorsement of legitimacy.”
The Independent has reached out to Penske Media for comment.
The Ankler has since reported that several of the podcasters nominated are “still weighing whether to bother with the $500 fee to submit themselves for Globes consideration” before its October 31 deadline.
The podcast sector is booming at present, and right-wing shows were credited with helping President Donald Trump regain the White House last November by enabling the Republican ticket to zero in on young men in particular and court their vote.
Trump’s son Barron is believed to have been guiding the strategy in this field. At the same time, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s decision not to agree to a guest spot on Rogan’s show, unlike her rival, was seen as a blow to her campaign and led to criticism of her advisers for misreading the post-pandemic media landscape.
The president was spoofed, appearing on a fictional teen podcast called Snack Homiez alongside Sabrina Carpenter on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
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