Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend debuts on the Golden Globes’ 30-podcast shortlist for Best Podcast, per Deadline. Podcasts hosted by Bowen Yang and Shane Gillis also made the list for the first time.
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, and Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast all landed on the expanded shortlist, Deadline reported. The 84th Golden Globes ceremony airs Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027.
Conan O’Brien: The Shortlist Expands
The shortlist grew from 25 podcasts last year to 30 this year, per Deadline. Luminate, the data company that compiles the list, uses criteria including audience reach and engagement, revenue and chart rankings pulled directly from platform data to determine the qualifying shows.
Several previously eligible podcasts dropped off the list this cycle, including 20/20, 48 Hours, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and The Ben Shapiro Show, according to Deadline.
What It Means For The Nominees
Making the shortlist is only the first step toward a nomination. Golden Globes voters will choose the actual nominees after the eligible podcasts are invited to submit themselves for consideration, Deadline reported.
That means a spot on the 30-podcast shortlist guarantees nothing for O’Brien, Yang, Rogers or Gillis. Each show still has to opt in before voters can weigh it against the rest of the field.
The Category’s Debut And Growth
Best Podcast is still a young category for the Golden Globes. Amy Poehler’s Good Hang won the inaugural award at the previous ceremony, beating out a field that included Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, Call Her Daddy, The Mel Robbins Podcast, Smartless and NPR’s Up First.
The category’s quick growth, up five slots in its second year, suggests the Globes are leaning further into podcasting as a mainstream awards format rather than treating it as a one-off experiment.
What’s Next
Eligible podcasts now have to decide whether to submit themselves for consideration before Golden Globes voters narrow the shortlist down to official nominees.
Reporting from Deadline contributed to this story.
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