Amy Poehler made Golden Globes history on Sunday, Jan. 11, becoming the first-ever winner of the Best Podcast award for her show Good Hang with Amy Poehler.
The comedian, 54, accepted the inaugural trophy during the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Her win marked the first time the Globes have honored podcasting as a category.
Poehler’s Good Hang beat out a competitive slate of nominees, including Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy, The Mel Robbins Podcast, NPR’s Up First and SmartLess — the latter co-hosted by her ex-husband and longtime friend Will Arnett. Poehler remains on friendly terms with Arnett and even appeared on SmartLess last year.
Host Nikki Glaser introduced the category with a parody of Nicole Kidman’s AMC commercial before Snoop Dogg presented the award. As she took the stage, Poehler joked, “This is exactly how I pictured it: Snoop giving me the award.”
“I don’t know about award shows, but when they get it right, it makes sense,” she teased while thanking her podcast team and giving a shoutout to boyfriend Joel Lovell. “I love you. Thank you for everything.”
Poehler also acknowledged her fellow nominees, adding with a laugh, “I have great respect for all the people I’m nominated with. I’m big fans of all of you — except for NPR. Just a bunch of celebs phoning it in. So try harder.”
After the playful jab, she explained that Good Hang is “an attempt to try to make a very rough and unkind world filled with a little bit more love and laughter — and laughing with people, not at them.”
“We just have such a good time making it,” she said. “Thank you so much for letting us make more.” She closed by telling her parents, “You can watch the Patriots now.”
Following the win, Spotify’s VP and Global Head of Podcasts Roman Wasenmüller praised the moment in a statement shared with PEOPLE, calling the award “a powerful validation” of podcasting’s cultural impact.
“Amy, her team, and The Ringer have created something truly special,” he said. “This recognition is not only a win for Good Hang, but a defining moment for podcasting and Spotify.”
The Golden Globes announced the creation of the Best Podcast category in October, unveiling a list of 25 eligible shows determined by data partner Luminate. At the time, Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne called the move a milestone for the industry.
“This list reflects the incredible depth, diversity and creativity thriving in the podcasting world today,” Hoehne said, adding that the Globes were “proud to be the first major entertainment award to recognize this medium.”
Good Hang, which launched in March, features the Parks and Recreation alum welcoming “celebrities and fun people” to her studio for conversations about careers, friendships and, most importantly, what’s making them laugh.
The podcast win adds to Poehler’s Golden Globes legacy — she previously won Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy in 2014 for Parks and Recreation.
Among the other nominees, NPR’s Up First is the longest-running, debuting in 2017 and delivering daily news in 10-minute episodes. SmartLess, hosted by Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes, premiered in 2020 and centers on surprise celebrity guests. Earlier this week, Arnett jokingly suggested Poehler would take home the win, saying Hayes had already written “Amy’s acceptance speech.”
Armchair Expert, launched in 2018, features Dax Shepard and Monica Padman in candid interviews with celebrities, while Call Her Daddy, hosted by Alex Cooper, became a pop culture phenomenon following Cooper’s $60 million Spotify deal and subsequent move to SiriusXM. The Mel Robbins Podcast, which debuted in 2022, focuses on self-help and personal growth, with Robbins calling the nomination a major milestone for the show.
With its first podcast winner now crowned, the Golden Globes have officially welcomed audio storytelling into their awards spotlight.
