The Podcast Academy

The Podcast Academy (TPA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving podcast creators, executives, and industry professionals worldwide. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York, it was established to bring structure, credibility, and recognition to the podcasting industry at a time when the medium lacked a centralized professional body. TPA is governed by a Board of Governors and supports members through year-round programming.

The organization is best known as the home of the Ambies (Awards for Excellence in Audio), an annual awards program in which members participate in judging to recognize outstanding podcasts and creators across multiple categories. Beyond the awards, TPA offers educational resources, workshops, member meetings, and networking opportunities covering topics such as monetization, career development, and industry trends. It maintains a blog featuring tools, workflows, and insights for podcast professionals.

Membership is open to creators and industry professionals at all career stages, with applicants required to provide references and examples of relevant work or experience. TPA partners with sponsors to support the Ambies and its educational initiatives. The organization employs a small distributed team across several countries, including the United States, Canada, Colombia, Ghana, and Mexico, and relies on member participation and volunteer governance to carry out its mission of advancing podcasting as a creative and business medium.