Wondery Studio Closed By Amazon: Black Podcasting Awards Extends Deadline

We don't publish podcasting news at Ear Worthy. That's a job expertly done by Podnews and adequately done by the non-podcasting media.  Here goes: Amazon is shutting down its Wondery podcast studio, acquired in late 2020, and cutting 110 jobs as part of a broad reorganization of its audio business, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The company plans to move existing Wondery series under its Audible banner or to a new ‘creator services’ team, which will house personality-driven shows, such as Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast.

“The podcast landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years,” Steve Boom, Amazon’s vice president of audio, Twitch, and games, wrote in a staff memo seen by Bloomberg. “The rise of video has also blurred the lines on what it means to be a podcast creator.”

The story notes that the changes indicate that Amazon’s push into podcasts hasn’t gone as planned. Despite securing big names in the business, the company is now shifting its strategy to better compete with rivals like Spotify and YouTube as the podcasting industry embraces video formats.

What's the trend here beyond the headlines? 

First, remember when Spotify bought Parcast and Gimlet? They're gone, too. Now the Wondery brand has gone to that corporate graveyard. What does that mean? Well, the industry is flattening, with the big guns like Amazon, Spotify, iHeart, and SiriusXM attempting to control the industry and force out the indie podcasters. 

The quote above about video is a misdirect. Amazon doesn't want to admit that it's making a play to control the industry. First, books, then e-commerce, and finally podcasting. With a wink-wink, nod-nod to the other big players in podcasting, independent podcasters will be "force-marched" to the fringes of podcasting.

I know that sounds conspiratorial, but let me reassure you. I believe that Elvis is really dead, there was no second gunman on the grassy knoll, and Trump and Epstein played in Lolita land. 

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Black Podcasting Awards Extends Application Deadline to Champion More Indie Audio Excellence

 Black Podcasting Awards (BPAwards) has officially extended its 2025 application deadline through Monday, August 11. This extension is a dedicated effort to support independent Black podcasters who are shaping the future of audio storytelling. 

“If you’ve been meaning to apply, this is your chance,” said Demetrius Bagley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Podcasting Awards. “We are here to celebrate and elevate the passionate hobbyists and ingenious indies, along with the familiar movers & shakers. We urge all eligible podcasters to come through to receive recognition, support, and encouragement for their work, get their name in the running now, and support Black podcasting broadly.”


Now in its fifth year, the Black Podcasting Awards uplifts and celebrates Black voices across dozens of categories—from comedy and culture to tech, wellness, politics, and beyond. This year’s awards will culminate in the first-ever in-person ceremony, taking place Friday, October 17, 2025, in partnership with the 7th annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival in Baltimore, Maryland.

Special Application Pricing Details:

$139 per category application is in effect through Monday, August 4.
Regular pricing of $199 per application resumes Tuesday, August 5, and remains through the final deadline of August 11.
Podcasters can use discount code STAYCOOL for 10% off their application.

Submitting takes less than ten minutes. Eligible podcasts are at least 50% Black hosted with a minimum of 6 episodes in English published between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2025, to a public RSS Feed.

NOTE: Two of Ear Worthy's favorite podcasts -- Impostrix and What's Ray Saying -- are former Black Podcasting Award winners.

Apply now at apply.BlackPodAwards.com

Follow the Black Podcasting Awards on Instagram and other platforms: @BlackPodAwards

Black Podcasting Awards (BPAwards) celebrates, spotlights, and bolsters Black podcasts for more wins and successes. It achieves this primarily by producing an annual awards program and ceremony. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.