NOMS NIGHT OUT

Golden Week Nominees Night Celebrates a Podcasting Milestone

January 9, 2026

This year, podcasts are making their Golden Globes debut with a new category honoring the medium’s leading shows and creators. To mark the occasion, Spotify and The Hollywood Reporter hosted Golden Week Nominees Night in West Hollywood on Thursday, bringing together award nominees and industry leaders for an evening celebrating podcasting’s arrival on one of entertainment’s biggest stages.

The spotlight was on the inaugural Best Podcast nominees: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy, Good Hang with Amy Poehler (from Spotify’s The Ringer), The Mel Robbins Podcast, SmartLess, and Up First from NPR. Together, they represent some of the most influential voices shaping the podcast landscape today.

More than just a party, Nominees Night reflected Spotify’s commitment to championing audio and video storytellers and creating spaces where their voices, creativity, and achievements can shine.

“This has been a huge year for podcasts, and we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the creators and nominees who made it so special,” said Roman Wasenmüller, VP, Global Head of Podcasts, Spotify. “Partnering with The Hollywood Reporter to bring everyone together ahead of the Golden Globes felt like the perfect way to kick off awards season and recognize how far podcasting has come.”

Attendees also enjoyed live performances from artists including Chaka Khan, John Legend, and Miles Caton, and DJ sets from Mark Ronson and DJ Kiss.

Mel Robbins

 

Keegan-Michael Key, Elle Key, Chrissy Teigen, Quinta Brunson and Natasha Lyonne attend Nominees Night

 

ordan Newman, Senior Director, Content Partnerships, Spotify, Amy Poehler, Bill Simmons, Head of Talk, Spotify and Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify, attend Nominees Night, an official Golden Week event

 

John Legend performs onstage during Nominees Night

 

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal attend Nominees Night

 

NEXT

Nominees Night is part of our week-long celebration that will culminate at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 11. In addition to the event, we’ve also announced major news for podcast creators. The Spotify Partner Program is expanding, giving more creators access and new tools to manage sponsorships and distribute video content. We’ve also unveiled Spotify Sycamore Studios, our state‑of‑the‑art podcast studio in Hollywood, designed to help creators bring big ideas to life.

Check out all the Golden Globe-nominated podcasts in our Awards Season hub.