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The Wonder of Stevie, a podcast about music legend Stevie Wonder, won best entertainment podcast at the fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies). The awards were presented on Monday (March 31) at McCormick Convention Center in Chicago, with comedian Tig Notaro serving as host. The awards are voted on by members of The Podcast Academy.
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Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang won best comedy podcast. Bowen Yang has received four Primetime Emmy nominations for his work on Saturday Night Live.
Hysterical, which explores a mass psychogenic illness that occurred in 2011 to some cheerleaders in Le Roy, N.Y., won podcast of the year and best reporting (for Dan Taberski).
Ira Glass was honored with the Governors Award, which recognizes a podcast or individual for the influence they’ve had on the industry; and Sam Sanders received the Impact Award, which recognizes an individual or podcast that has made a significant, positive effect on its listeners.
Ronan Farrow, Jon Cryer, Matt Rogers, and Meena Harris were among presenters and guests at the event.
Here are the nominees for The 2025 Ambies in categories most relevant to the music and entertainment industry, with winners marked.
Podcast of the year
99% Invisible: Not Built for This
Beyond All Repair
Cement City
Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance
Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD
Faraway
Fire Escape
Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Hysterical, Wondery, Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios
Throughline
Best entertainment podcast
Infamous
Lemme Say This
Rattled & Shook
Scamfluencers
Split Screen: Kid Nation
The Road to Joni
WINNER: The Wonder of Stevie, Audible, Higher Ground, and Pineapple Street Studios
Best podcast host or hosts
Diallo Riddle and Blake ‘LUXXURY’ Robin – One Song
Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach and Amanda Doyle – We Can Do Hard Things
Jon Stewart – The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
Rainn Wilson – Radio Rental
WINNER: Ronald Young Jr. – Weight for It, ohitsBigRon studios LLC
Sam Sanders – The Sam Sanders Show
Wesley Morris – The Wonder of Stevie
Best original score and music supervision
WINNER: Dan Leone – Ripple, Western Sound, APM Studios
Daniel Lloyd-Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell and Toby Matimong – Extrasensory
Deron Johnson – Dungeon Masters
Jonathan Pfarr, Carson Graham and Bobby Mota – Celebrity Pets
Peter Nashel, Ross Hopman, Gio Lobato, Dana Hom, Brad Fischer, Jordan Lieb, Lucas Villemur and Lindsay Dievert – Hammerless: A True Crime Podcast in a Fantasy World
Skyler Gerdeman, Martin Lynabel, Nicholas Alexander, Max O’Brien and Caroline Thornham – Kill List
Stro Elliot and Eric Gersen – Historical Records
Best production and sound design
Casandra Tinajero and Andrés Bahena – Nocturno: Tales From the Shadows
Jeremy S. Bloom – Hot White Heist 2
Kenny Kusiak and George Drabing Hicks – The Confessions of Anthony Raimondi
WINNER: Michelle Macklem – Girl v. Horse, ESPN Podcasts, 30 for 30 Podcasts
Realm – Narcosis
Sagafilm and Skybound Entertainment – Impact Winter Season 3
Ted Bonnitt – Hindsight: The Day Before
Best society and culture podcast
Hysterical
In Retrospect with Susie Banikarim and Jessica Bennett
WINNER: Inheriting, LAist Studios
Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o
My Divo
Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)
Weight For It
Best podcast for kids
Culture Kids
Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
Historical Records
Mysteries About True Histories
PJ Library Presents: Beyond the Bookcase
Skylar & Bones – Funny Stories for Kids!
WINNER: Wow in the World Wondery, Tinkercast
Best Spanish language narrative podcast – fiction or nonfiction
¡No Vengan!
Greal: El Secreto de las Ocho Llaves
Hechos Reales
WINNER: HUMO: Murder and Silence in El Salvador, Sonoro
No quieren que sepas
Pantallas & Mentiras [Screens & Lies]
Pétrea
Best sports podcast
30 for 30 Podcasts
WINNER: Broomgate: A Curling Scandal, Kelly&Kelly, CBC Podcasts, USG Audio, and Pacific Electric
Good Game with Sarah Spain
Pablo Torre Finds Out
Shadowball: The Rise of the Black Athlete
The Raven
The Rich Eisen Show
Best comedy podcast
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, iHeartPodcasts, Big Money Player
Scam Goddess
SmartLess
We’re Here to Help
Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? Joanne McNally Investigates
Best indie podcast
Sightings
The Insurgence: Sheriffs
The Man Who Calculated Death
The Nightingale of Iran
The People’s Recorder
The TMI Project Story Hour
WINNER: What Happened in Skinner, Mazama Entertainment
Best indie podcast host or hosts
WINNER: Dallas Taylor – Twenty Thousand Hertz, Defacto Sound
Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha – Bring Birds Back
Jill Jonassen – The Cost of Extremism
Kate McCoy and Kevin Corbett – Horrorwood: True Crime in Tinseltown
Lisa Phillips – From Now On
Lisa Woolfork – STITCH PLEASE
Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson – 80s TV Ladies
Best interview podcast
American Masters: Creative Spark
Apple News in Conversation
Overlooked: Women’s Health Can’t Wait
WINNER: Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim, Headgum
The Assignment with Audie Cornish
The Integrated Schools Podcast
Tomorrow’s Cure
Best performance in audio fiction
Bowen Yang, Cynthia Nixon, Shannon Woodward, Jane Lynch, Jesse James Keitel, Sarah Steele, Ian McKellen, Raul Esparza, Sara Ramírez, Joel Kim Booster, Bianca Del Rio, Cheyenne Jackson, Abbi Jacobson, Stephanie Beatriz, Katya Zamolodchikova, Trixie Mattel, Yvie Oddly, Jane Krakowski, Sandra Oh, and Tony Kushner – Hot White Heist 2
WINNER: Caitlin Stasey, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, David Yow, Caroline Morahan, Guinevere Turner, Elizabeth Halpern, Travis Harmon, Brad Griffith, James Bacon, Jameson Cush, Jonathan Shockley, Ayla Glass and Chris Goodwin – The Skies Are Watching, Goldhawk Productions
Fredi Bernstein, Cody Wilkins and Dana Domenick – The Box
Mikki Hernandez, Toby Meuli, Geri-Nikol Love, Rachel Kylian – Ominous Thrill
Ruth Righi – Winnie Taylor’s 4th & Inches
Sanaa Lathan – The Justice
Tisha Campbell – Snoriezzz
The world of electronic music is currently coming to terms with news of an international ruse which has seen former Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür reportedly tricked into a false collaboration with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.
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Flür, who rose to fame as part of Kraftwerk between 1973 and 1987, issued his third solo album, Times, on Friday (March 28). Early reports of the record indicated the effort was a star-studded affair, featuring collaborations with the likes of Yello’s Boris Blank, New Order’s Peter Hook, and more. One of the most notable collaborations was with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, who was to be credited on the record under the name Thomas Vangarde.
According to a recent interview with Flür, the apparent collaboration began innocently enough when Bangalter got in touch with the veteran musician via social media to request a signed copy of Flür’s 2022 album, Magazine 1. “He said, ‘It’s so wonderful. Can I have a signed album? I collect albums but it must be signed personally from you. We love you guys. Without Kraftwerk we would not find our own robot style, being on stage with the helmets, you know. And I love you Wolfgang. And please, can you send me [an album]?’”
After the signed record landed at Bangalter’s house, Flür explained that he suggested the two work together on a track. Following some technical alterations to ensure Bangalter’s contributions fit the key of the initial musical ideas, his work was combined with Hook’s bass line, and both Flür and musical partner Peter Duggal completed the track. The final record actually features two songs credited to Bangalter/Vangarde; “Über_All” and “Monday to the Moon.”
However, following the release of Flür’s Times album, Daft Punk archivist Luke Perez took to their blog to confirm the collaboration was in fact a hoax, outlining the chronology of events that led up to the release of the final product.
According to research conducted by Perez, Flür had spoken about being contacted by Bangalter via Facebook back in 2023, admitting he was unaware of the Daft Punk member or his influence at the time.
Though initially suspicious of the news, given the reclusive social media presence of Daft Punk and its members, Perez further noted that something seemed amiss when Thomas Vangarde was credited on the record instead of Bangalter. Further compounding the mystery was the fact that Bangalter’s father had reportedly used the surname as a moniker during his own musical past, providing a reasonable explanation for the different name.
Ultimately, Perez concluded by mentioning that an individual in close contact with Daft Punk’s management had confirmed that Bangalter was not behind the collaboration with Flür, and that the former Kraftwerk musician had been duped by an as-yet-unknown individual on social media.
“I’m assuming the fake Bangalter must have convinced Flür’s camp that he was now going by Thomas Vangarde in some sort of effort to cover their tracks,” Perez concluded in their post. “Bizarrely, it seems no one in the real Thomas Bangalter’s sphere found out about this or brought this up to him until after the tracks released despite over two years of this being known about. It’s equally bizarre that at no point did Cherry Red Records (or any other involved party) question or debunk this bold claim that Thomas Bangalter was involved.”
Daft Punk officially announced their split in 2021, having not released new music since their fourth and final studio album, 2013’s Random Access Memories. The record was their first to top the Billboard 200, and earned the group five Grammys, including album of the year and best dance/electronic album, while lead single “Get Lucky” took out record of the year and best pop duo/group performance.
Since their dissolution, Bangalter has been active musically, curating scores for ballet, film, and other art projects, while fellow Daft Punk member Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo has remained active in the world of production.
Doechii accepts the Woman of the Year Award at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Doechii: Hello! Where’s the swamp? Do I have any fans in here? I cannot believe this. It was just two years ago that I stood on this very stage and accepted Billboard’s Rising Star Award. I had literally performed so hard […]
Lee Zeidman, longtime president of Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and LA Live, announced his retirement on Friday (March 28).
“After 45 years in the industry, opening numerous venues and hosting approximately 6,500 events, I have decided I’m no longer interested in working full time and will move on to write the next chapter in the book of Lee,” Zeidman tells Billboard. “I’m looking forward to doing whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want and however I want.”
Zeidman says he has agreed to assist with the leadership transition with an official end date no later than Oct. 31, 2025. The building’s ownership group, AEG, has engaged an executive recruitment team to find Zeidman’s replacement and is splitting the job into multiple positions.
Zeidman is a graduate of Cal State Northridge and got his big break working at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles. When the Lakers and Kings decided to move to Downtown Los Angeles, Zeidman was the first employee hired at their new home, Staples Center, and he helped manage the construction of L.A. Live, one of North America’s first entertainment districts.
In 2020, Zeidman was honored with the Association of Luxury Suite Directors’ 2020 Visionary Award. Under his management, Staples Center, later renamed Crypto.com Arena, hosted nine NBA championships, three Stanley Cup Finals and five WNBA Finals. The arena has also hosted a multitude of sold-out concerts, awards shows and high-profile events, including the Grammys and funerals for Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle.
Zeidman says he has no immediate plans in his retirement but would like to teach and serve on the board of different non-profit groups or associations.
“I’m most looking forward to doing nothing,” Zeidman says. “Iv’e done this for 45 years, I’ve worked for some incredible leaders and feel incredibly lucky to have had this career.”
DJ Miss Milan & Jayda Love present Doechii with the Woman of the Year Award at Billboard’s Women in Music. DJ Miss Milan & Jayda Love: What’s up ladies? I am DJ Miss Milan and I’m Jayda Love. And we are so thrilled to be here tonight to honor our girl, Doechii. Two years ago […]
Erykah Badu accepts the Group of the Year award at Billboard Women In Music 2025. Erykah Badu: Thank you so much. Hey. Thank you so much. Peace and love, how y’all feel. Sisters, how y’all feel? This night is for us. It’s a night to celebrate the womb of the world, the womb of life, […]
President Donald Trump was joined at the White House on Monday (March 31) by Kid Rock for the signing of an executive order that instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce the BOTS Act and crack down on scalpers who illegally obtain high-priced concert tickets for resale.
Signed in 2016, the BOTS Act made it illegal to use specialized computer programs or automated bots to defeat access control systems designed to limit the number of tickets a person can purchase online for a popular concert. The legislation was created to combat bot-assisted attacks on high-profile ticket sales but has only been enforced once since its passage.
The order directs the FTC to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi to “ensure that competition laws are appropriately enforced in the concert and entertainment industry” and to “rigorously enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act and promote its enforcement by state consumer protection authorities.” It additionally calls for greater transparency around ticket prices and asks law enforcement to “take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market”; and instructs both the Secretary of the Treasury (currently Scott Bessent) and the Attorney General to make sure “ticket scalpers are operating in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable law.”
The order also instructs the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, and the FTC to deliver a report within 180 days “summarizing actions taken to address the issue of unfair practices in the live concert and entertainment industry and recommend additional regulations or legislation needed.”
During the signing, Rock thanked the president for the order, adding that it’s a first step in cracking down on bots that “come in and…get all the good tickets for your favorite shows they want to go to, and they relist them, sometimes for a 400 to 500% markup.”
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) issued a statement shortly after the signing that read, “We applaud President Trump’s Executive Order to protect fans from ticket scalping by individuals and companies built to fleece American consumers. We are also encouraged to see the order’s aim to remedy anti-competitive actions by large corporations. These actions will help address the two problems jeopardizing the well-being of artists, independent stages, and fans: a predatory, unchecked resale market where bots and deceptive practices price gouge fans and the Live Nation monopoly that forces small businesses to shut their doors.”
The statement continued, “We want to thank Kid Rock for the education and advocacy he has provided policymakers on this critical issue. We urge Congress to heed his call to go further to protect artists in ticketing legislation, including a price cap on the resale market.”
Ticketing companies, booking agents, concert promoters and special interest music groups have all lobbied for greater FTC enforcement of the BOTS Act, which specifically “prohibits the circumvention of a security measure, access control system, or other technological measure on an Internet website or online service of a ticket issuer that is used to enforce posted event ticket purchasing limits.” Industry experts agree that companies like Ticketmaster are best suited for identifying bad actors, but can’t unilaterally take action and must work directly with federal authorities.
Erykah Badu performs “Annie Don’t Wear No Panties” at Billboard Women In Music 2025. It was legend meeting the next generation she birthed when Ms. Erykah Badu received the Music Icon Award from R&B star Summer Walker. And it turns out that Badu was the doula who delivered Walker’s twin sons. “She’s been my fave […]
Morgan Wallen’s early Saturday Night Live exit made headlines over the weekend, and now longtime cast member Kenan Thompson is weighing in.
“I don’t know what goes through people’s minds when they decide to do stuff like that. I don’t know if he understood the assignment or not, or if he was really feeling a certain kind of way,” Thompson told Entertainment Weekly. “I thought maybe he had to go to the potty or something.”
The moment happened at the end of the episode, in which Wallen appeared as musical guest to perform a pair of songs from his forthcoming album, I’m the Problem. As is customary, Wallen joined the SNL cast onstage alongside host Mikey Madison to thank viewers for tuning in. Typically, the week’s guests hug and celebrate with the cast members onstage for a few moments before the episode ends.
However, Wallen was seen whispering something into Madison’s ear, giving her a hug and abruptly walking off the stage at Studio 8H. Shortly after, Wallen shared a photo on his Instagram Stories from his private plane, with the caption “Get me to God’s country” written over an image of the runway.
“It’s definitely a spike in the norm,” Thompson said. “We’re so used to everybody just turning around and high-fiving us, everybody’s saying, ‘Good job, good job, good job.’ So when there’s a departure from that, it’s like, hmm, I wonder what that’s about?”
Thompson added that it’s not the first time a musical guest left the stage suddenly. “Prince did the same thing,” he recalled. “I’m not saying Morgan Wallen is Prince, but we weren’t surprised because Prince was notoriously kind of standoffish. It’s just how he was. So we just thought like, ‘Okay, now he’s gone back into fantasyland.’”
He continued, “But Saturday I guess it was just different because it just felt so abrupt. And it was already such a small grouping on the stage anyway. So it was just like, oh wow, that was pretty visible. You know what I’m saying? It was a pretty visible thing.”
Thompson also weighed in on Wallen’s Instagram Story post. “The ‘God’s country’ of it all is strange because it’s like, what are you trying to say? You trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella? That’s not necessarily my favorite,” he said. “But whatever. Moving on, we got a new show. We got Jack Black this week.
Wallen has yet to explain his side of the story publicly.
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Following his very public fallout with Cam’ron and Ma$e, Jim Jones has been hard at work promoting his latest album At The Church’s Steps, and has basically released a new visual in support of the album every week since its release last month.
Continuing to stay on his grind, Jim Jones drops off some new visuals to the ALLSUMMERLONG-assisted “Fashion Killa” in which Capo delves into the world of fashion and shows how spiffy he can get with the attire but aside from walking the runway, Jones styles on the streets and in basically anywhere he lays his hat as he treats his entire life as one big fashion show. Can’t be mad at that.
From Harlem to LA, YG takes us on a trip down memory lane, and in his Buddy & The Gang featured “2004,” YG reminisces about his life growing up with flashbacks about his youth and interesting experiences.
Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend, including work from NEMS, Redman, Method Man, and DJ Premier, along with more.
JIM JONES ft. ALLSUMMERLONG – “FASHION KILLA”
YG FT. BUDDY & THE GANG – “2004”
REDMAN & METHOD MAN & DJ PREMIER – “LALALA REMIX”
NEMS – “GOD’S HANDS”
GINO MONDANA FT. FIVIO FOREIGN – “CRASH OUT”
G. DEP – “CHARGED WITH WINNING”
B.G. FT. FREDO BANG – “BEEN A DOG”
G PERICO & DJ DRAMA – “LA TAKEOVER”
CJ FLY – “GRIND”