FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CAMERON ESPOSITO TO HOST THE PODCAST ACADEMY’S FIRST ANNUAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO ON MAY 16 HANK AZARIA, ASANTE BLACKK, DARREN CRISS, CHRIS COLBERT, WHITNEY CUMMINGS, ASHLEY FLOWERS, ESTE HAIM, DERAY MCKESSON, JACQUIS NEAL, MERK NGUYEN, MATT SCHRADER, NEIL STRAUSS, KENAN THOMPSON, RAINN WILSON TO TAKE PART AT THE AMBIES “TEENAGER THERAPY” TO RECEIVE AUDIO IMPACT AWARD iHeartRadio’s Miles Gray and Jack O’Brien to Co-Host Preshow LOS ANGELES, CA, MAY 7, 2021 - The Podcast Academy, the preeminent professional podcast organization, announced today that standup comic, actor and writer Cameron Esposito will host its inaugural Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) on May 16. Hank Azaria, Darren Criss, Whitney Cummings, Ashley Flowers, Este Haim, DeRay Mckesson, Jacquis Neal, Matt Schrader, Neil Strauss, Kenan Thompson, and Rainn Wilson to present; Chris Colbert and Merk Nguyen to serve as the voices of The Ambies. The ceremony will be streamed LIVE on YouTube and Twitch from Los Angeles, CA at 5PM PT/8PM ET, with a pre-show co-hosted by iHeartRadio hosts Miles Gray and Jack O’Brien starting at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET. In addition to the slate of talent partaking at The Ambies, The Podcast Academy also announced that Teenager Therapy will receive the Audio Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive impact on its listeners. Emmy- nominated actor Asante Blackk will highlight the recipients with a special interview during the show. Teenager Therapy is a coming-of-age podcast hosted by five teens -- Gael, Isaac, Kayla, Mark, and Thomas -- sharing their stories and experiences in real time. It’s a culmination of mistakes and growth and a reminder that no one is alone. They cover a wide range of topics from mental health, to sexuality, and other subject matters that every teen can relate to, as well as invite special guests like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for teen-provoking interviews. Teenager Therapy joins previously announced Governors Award recipient, WTF with Marc Maron, with one of the night’s top honors. “We are excited to have Cameron host our first-ever Awards for Excellence in Audio ceremony. Her energy, stage presence, and wit will surely make for a memorable evening,” said Chairman of The Podcast Academy, Donald Albright. “To add, the Governors are pleased to honor ‘Teenager Therapy’ with the Audio Impact Award for their work in the medium. We are thoroughly impressed by this group of independent young podcasters that have taken to the airwaves to share their personal stories and create an inclusive environment for their listeners.” The Ambies celebrate excellence in podcasting and elevate awareness and status of podcasts as a unique and personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. This year, the ceremony will highlight 164 nominees across 23 categories and is sponsored by Amazon Music with additional support from IMDb (Gold sponsor), PRX (Silver sponsor), Tenderfoot TV (Silver sponsor) and Wondery (Silver sponsor). The official pre-show is sponsored by Adobe. The full list of 2021 nominees may be found here. ABOUT CAMERON ESPOSITO Cameron Esposito is a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor, writer, and host. In addition to her work as a nationally touring headliner, Cameron has appeared on NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, IFC, E!, Cartoon Network and HBO Canada. In March 2020, Cameron released her first-ever book, “Save Yourself,” a memoir that tackles sexuality, gender and equality – and how her Catholic upbringing prepared her for a career as an outspoken lesbian comedian in ways the Pope never could have imagined. The book, published by Grand Central Publishing, became an instant best seller. Most recently, Cameron performed stand up for HBO’s Human By Orientation Pride 2020 Celebration, starred in TBS’s Tournament of Laughs comedy competition show, and is currently in development with Sundance TV for an original true crime docuseries. She also hosts her own podcast QUEERY – an hour long conversations with some of the brightest luminaries in the LGBTQ+ family. QUEERY explores individual stories of identity, personality and the shifting cultural matrix around gender, sexuality and civil rights. ABOUT TEENAGER THERAPY Teenager Therapy is a podcast focusing on the everyday issues teenagers go through, the feelings everyone has but not everyone wants to talk about. From mental health, to sexuality, to our favorite TV shows, we talk about a variety of subjects that every teen can relate to. There are episodes where we offer genuine advice, there are episodes where we simply talk about our experiences, and there are episodes where we just talk about anything in order to keep our audience company. We want our listeners to feel like they are part of our friend group. ABOUT THE PODCAST ACADEMY Founded in February 2020, The Podcast Academy is a not-for-profit professional membership organization that celebrates excellence in podcasting and elevates awareness of podcasts as an indispensable medium for entertainment, information, and creative expression. It values individual and organizational creators alike, of all backgrounds and means, and defines achievement through the values of quality, creativity, innovation, inclusion, and impact. The Podcast Academy provides community, professional development, and industry connections through inclusive, dynamic programming. For more information about The Podcast Academy, please visit www.thepodcastacademy.com and follow/like/subscribe on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin. # # # Press Contact: The Samonte Group [email protected] Press Assets: Cameron Esposito press photo; Courtesy: Robyn Von Swank Teenager Therapy press photo; Courtesy: Teenager Therapy WTF with Marc Maron press photo; Courtesy: WTF with Marc Maron The Ambies logo; Courtesy: The Podcast Academy .