Signal Awards 2024 Nominations: Celebrating Queer Voices in Podcasting
The podcasting world is buzzing with excitement following the announcement of the Signal Awards 2024 nominations! Celebrating the best in audio storytelling, this year’s nominees highlight the diverse, dynamic talent in the industry. From heart-pounding true crime series to uplifting narratives and everything in between, the Signal Awards 2024 nominations truly showcase how sound can captivate and inspire. Categories such as Best Host, Best Co-Host Team, and Best LGBTQ+ Podcast reflect the varied voices and creative excellence in the medium. This year, we’re especially thrilled to see a strong presence of LGBTQ+ creators and themes represented across multiple categories.
For those unfamiliar with the Signal Awards, these honors celebrate excellence in podcasting, recognizing outstanding shows and creators across various categories. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see both well-established and up-and-coming voices get the recognition they deserve. The awards are broken down into four main overviews: ‘Shows,’ which celebrate everything from Best Original Music to TV & Film Recaps; ‘Limited Series & Specials,’ honoring categories like Best Writing and History; ‘Individual Episodes,’ which focus on specific episodes in areas ranging from Best Writing to Religion & Spirituality; and ‘Branded Shows & Advertising,’ spotlighting podcast series and advertising campaigns.
Now in its third year, the Signal Awards 2024 stands as a hallmark for podcasting achievement. And good news—if you haven’t already, you can still cast your vote for your favorite podcast! Voting remains open until October 17th, giving listeners just a few more days to help their top picks shine.
While not all the nominated podcasts are centered on LGBTQ+ themes, many are hosted or co-hosted by LGBTQ+ creators or touch on queer topics. Among the nominees, Handsome Podcast with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin, along with A Field Guide to Gay Animals hosted by Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson, are both nominated for Best Co-Host Team. Kara Swisher, who co-hosts Pivot with Scott Galloway, is also nominated, while the duo of Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas, Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer from Newcomers, and Katya and Trixie Mattel from The Bald and the Beautiful are all recognized in the Best Co-Host Team (Pop Culture Podcasts) category. Carlos King got a nomination for Best Host for his podcast Reality with the King.
In the Best Indie Podcast category, Mysteries of the EuroVerse hosted by Charlie Sohne and Magnus Riise, All-American Ruins with Blake Pfeil, and A Little Juju Podcast by Juju Bae are all competing for top honors. All-American Ruins also secured nominations in the Most Innovative Audio Experience category and for Best Writing (Individual Episodes) for its Sober episode. Meanwhile, Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner on Me earned a nod in the Lifestyle category, and Hot White Heist Season 2 picked up nominations for both Comedy and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.
Further showcasing LGBTQ+ talent, The Stoop: Black, Queer, and Free received a nomination for Curators Shaping Culture, while TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones landed multiple nominations, including for Most Inspirational Podcast with the episode There is Nothing More Badass Than an Autism Mom. Other LGBTQ+ podcast nominees include One of Us with Fin and Chris, Crumbs, The Pink House with Sam Smith, Fais un homme de toi: thérapies de conversion (Make a man of yourself; conversion therapies), and Trust Fall with Colin Jost and Wanda Sykes, which was recognized in the Scripted (Fiction) category.
From interviews to documentaries, LGBTQ+ creators have left their mark across the board. Notable mentions include But We Loved with Jordan Gonsalves and the episode That One Night at Stonewall, along with TransLash Podcast for its episode Gender Without Boundaries in the LGBTQ+ Individual Episodes category. Additionally, Does This Murder Make Me Look Gay? and Diversity Work were both recognized for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Limited Series & Specials category. The Official Rustin Podcast by Netflix got a nod in the Public Service and Activism category for Branded Shows and Advertising.
Best Co-Host Team: Handsome Podcast with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin, A Field Guide to Gay Animals with Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson, Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, and And That’s Why We Drink with Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer
Best Co-Host Team (Pop Culture Podcasts): Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Newcomers with Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer, and The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya
Best Host: Reality with the King hosted by Carlos King
Best Host (Current Events): On with Kara Swisher
Best Indie Podcast: Mysteries of the EuroVerse with Charlie Sohne and Magnus Riise, All-American Ruins with Blake Pfeil, and A Little Juju Podcast with Juju Bae.
Best Show Artwork: A Field Guide to Gay Animals with Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson, and Roll Gay Role Play
Best Video Podcast Show: Baby, This is Keke Palmer
Most Innovative Audio Experience: All-American Ruins
Best Commute Podcast: And That’s Why We Drink
Comedians Shaping Culture: Lovett or Leave It by Jon Lovett, and Seek Treatment with Cat and Pat
Comedy: Hot White Heist Season 2
Curators Shaping Culture: The Stoop: Black, Queer and Free
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Hot White Heist Season 2
Documentary: A Field Guide to Gay Animals
LGBTQ+ Podcast: One of Us with Fin and Chris, Crumbs, The Pink House with Sam Smith, TransLash Podcast with Imara Jones, and Fais Un Homme de Toi: Thérapies de Conversion (Make a Man of Yourself: Conversion Therapies)
Lifestyle: Dinner on Me by Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Popular Culture & Variety: Baby, This is Keke Palmer
Religion & Spirituality: A Little Juju Podcast
Scripted (Fiction): Trust Fall with Colin Jost and Wanda Sykes, and Hot White Heist Season 2
Weird: Creature Preacher with Nancy Mello (who also hosts A Field Guide to Gay Animals)
Best Editing (Limited Series & Specials): Diversity Work
Most Innovative Audio Experience (Limited Series & Specials): Diversity Work
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Limited Series & Specials): Does This Murder Make Me Look Gay? and Diversity Work
Best Writing (Individual Episodes): All-American Ruins: Sober and Roxx Populi — The Dead Body Makes it Kinda Gay
Comedy (Individual Episodes): StraightioLab (Boutique Hotels with Cole Escola), and I Said No Gifts! (Maria Bamford Disobeys Bridger)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Individual Episodes): TransLash Podcast: Being Autistic and Trans
Interview or Talk Show (Individual Episodes): All There Is with Anderson Cooper – S2E2: A President’s Grief
LGBTQ+ (Individual Episodes): But We Loved with Jordan Gonsalves – That One Night at Stonewall, TransLash Podcast – Gender Without Boundaries, and Not Enough Sun
Most Inspirational Podcast: TransLash Podcast – There is Nothing More Badass Than an Autism Mom
Public Service & Activism: The Official Rustin Podcast by Netflix
This list represents just a portion of the incredible LGBTQ+ talent nominated for the 2024 Signal Awards. If any podcasts related to our community slipped under our radar, we apologize—there are so many amazing creators out there, and we aim to highlight as many as possible. You can find the full list of nominees on the official Signal Awards website.
We wish all of the nominees the very best of luck! Don’t forget to cast your votes by October 17th on the Signal Awards voting page.
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Featured Image: Via SignalAwards.com
