Podcasting, Seriously Erases the Margins with Their Awards Fund
Last updated on September 10th, 2021
A few weeks ago, I turned on my computer and navigated to YouTube to stream the first-ever Ambies Award Ceremony live. The Podcast Academy, which was announced at Podcast Movement Evolutions in Los Angeles in February 2020, successfully launched a half-remote, half-in-person event that celebrated podcasts and awarded Ambies (awards for excellence in podcasting) to a number of winners.
Many in the podcast space point to the Ambies, and other events like them, as a sign of a maturing industry. On May 4th, Deadline reported that Tribeca debuted a podcast slate, a festival first. Audio being celebrated at award ceremonies and arts festivals really does feel like a change is afoot; creators can now produce content and potentially be recognized on a global stage for their accomplishments, just like film and television producers and creators can.
But who can submit to these festivals and award ceremonies? Sure, the answer is that technically anyone can enter their work for a chance to be considered for an award. This is the case for TV, film, and now, for podcasting as well. But it’s not that clear cut.
According to Tribecafilm.com, submitting a podcast costs $40 at most. That price, in and of itself, is not prohibitive. However, if you’re a creator looking for recognition, you’re not just submitting your podcast to one festival. You’re repeating this process all over the country, all over the world. $40 once isn’t that much to ask. But $40 ten times over may cause a creator to say “I’ll try next year” or “maybe when I have some funding.”
Read more: How To Start A Podcast (The Complete Guide)
There’s a lot more that goes into the submission process, too. It’s not just about the cash. Sometimes there are essays, videos, interviews, and sometimes, your piece has to have been previously unpublished, which means you most likely haven’t (or can’t have) monetized it in front of an audience. These costs add up: the cost of your time, paying other production staff, paying interns, paying a marketing team, and more. This means that traditionally, only shows that are part of big networks or shows privately funded or with large teams can enter, so often when someone says they were nominated for an award, it means they really just had the means to apply.
It’s for these reasons, among many others, that Juleyka Lantigua decided to create the Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund. Lantigua is the founder of LWC, a company that creates “audio and video experiences that stay with you long after the credits, using digital tools and original storytelling techniques.” The company was founded in 2017 and has recently adopted the slogan “Erasing the margins.” They aim to create and support work that does just that. One of their projects is the Podcasting, Seriously Fund, which, with the help of fund partners AIR Media, Pacific Content, and Acast, invites creators to apply to get reimbursed for the cost of submitting their work to audio awards.
I wanted to learn more about this initiative because I believe the possibilities for creativity in audio are endless and that we haven’t scratched the surface. In order to access that, we need more voices, more creators, more producers to enter the space. I spoke to the Fund’s advisory board about what motivated them to join the Podcasting, Seriously Fund and their hopes for it.
Meet the board: Chris Colbert, CEO of DCP Entertainment, Tiffany Ashitey, director of partnerships at Acast, Twila Dang, founder and CEO of Matriarch Digital, Steve Pratt, VP at Pacific Content, Jen Chien, executive editor at LWC, Phyllis Fletcher, senior editor at the New York Times, and Ken Ikeda, CEO of AIR Media. It’s truly an all-star cast of podcast and audio folks. They share some incredible insights for the Podcasting, Seriously Fund. Enjoy!
What drew you to become a board member of the Podcasting, Seriously Fund?
Chris Colbert:
I have personally seen how frustrating it can be to do great work that isn’t able to be recognized, all because there wasn’t enough money to apply for the award(s) I thought it had a real opportunity to win. So, like my fellow members, I want to help lower that barrier to entry.
Twila Dang:
Honestly, when Juleyka described what she wanted to do with the fund, it spoke to everything I love about the podcasting community we are building. Recognition of independent podcasters, providing support to members of our community that deserve an opportunity to be considered, creating equity—it was all there. I had to show up and support it. What she’s done in a very short amount of time is amazing.
Ken Ikeda:
Juleyka approached me with the vision for the Fund and it is such a brilliantly simple and direct means to address participation and change when it comes to recognition. There is no pipeline issue. Let’s make this undeniable. I believe in the “Yes, and…” starting point for every exchange. This was such an easy one to agree to and no one inspires confidence the way that Juleyka can.
Steve Pratt:
I have been incredibly impressed seeing what Juleyka and her team have been doing in the podcasting and social audio space. She very kindly contributed to our annual list of podcast predictions at the end of 2020 and I just loved her contributions. We set up a call to get to know each other and at the end of the call, she told me about the Podcasting, Seriously Fund to see if we might be interested in participating. She also let me know that if we came on board, we could open up the fund outside the U.S. and allow Canadian BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio creators to participate. It was a really easy decision for all of us at Pacific Content—we were on board in under a day 🙂
Phyllis Fletcher:
I thought of myself when I was starting out in radio. I was an unpaid intern, and then a part-time freelancer. I also secured an artist residency that gave in-kind support for my first audio documentary, but expenses like awards entry fees were on me. Because of that, my income as a part-time freelancer limited the recognition I could seek for my most meaningful work. Access to a fund like this would have let me compete more broadly as an independent producer.
Tiffany Ashitey:
As a pod creator and former producer, I know firsthand the challenges of being a diverse creator in this environment. So I gladly want to support any organization that is working to further progress. Plus, I’ve heard amazing things about Juleyka and her work. So I was enthused about the opportunity.
The Podcasting, Seriously Fund supports independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio producers in submitting high-quality media work to media/journalism awards. What types of audio pieces do you want to see a surge in as a result of this initiative?
Steve Pratt:
I hope this isn’t a weird answer, but I am not expecting to see any particular types of pieces. If anything, I am hoping to be surprised by new and experimental audio formats, stories, and points of view. I am most excited to discover new creators, to have their work considered for awards to which they might not otherwise be able to submit, and hopefully, to have that work celebrated and given a broader audience.
Jen Chien:
I’d like to see more stories and work that centers people who are historically at the margins.
Chris Colbert:
I hope to see a surge in all kinds of podcasts! I feel like that’s the point of this fund. We will see more of these incredible producers becoming the leading podcasters in various genres.
Tiffany Ashitey:
I would love more narrative stories, more fiction storytelling, and more podcasts in the wellness category.
How will you know it’s been a success?
Twila Dang:
It sounds trite but, when independents can compete without barriers (accidental or intentional) that exclude them from equal consideration.
Ken Ikeda:
I think we should focus on the long game. How many generations are we from seeing awards named after or renamed for the QTBIPOC talent supported by the Fund today? My entire lifetime, every achievement award and lifetime award, with few exceptions are non-QTBIPOC. They may be extraordinary and deserving, but we are still emerging from generations in which media did not recognize or include QTBIPOC. Our models of excellence whose names are on the awards are white with very few exceptions.
Chris Colbert:
I already know it’s a success because we have money to give out. Regardless of people winning these awards, the Podcasting, Seriously team has created an opportunity that hasn’t been provided at this scale.
Phyllis Fletcher:
I’ll know this has been a success when we’ve given all the money to worthy competitors.
Advice for someone thinking of contributing to the fund?
Jen Chien:
Every dollar counts, and could help someone achieve their dreams. Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?
Steve Pratt:
Podcasting is a new medium and we have a chance to build the industry and the medium that we all want it to be. Encouraging and supporting the broadcast range of voices to be heard and celebrated is something the whole industry can get behind and this fund is an amazing way to do that. One of my favorite things about podcasting is how collaborative it is—we have so many ways we work with each other to make it a great industry and this is a perfect example.
Twila Dang:
We have an opportunity to build the type of industry we want to be a part of. A key component of that is making sure we don’t create the same types of gatekeeping that exists in other industries. The Podcasting, Seriously Fund is a start to help us create and maintain an equitable path to awards consideration. It cannot solve everything but it is a solid start. We can support the fund as a part of an ongoing effort to move our industry forward.
Phyllis Fletcher:
If a contribution is in your budget, please give, as I did! For me it was meaningful because I was doing something my past self would have appreciated and benefited from.
Advice for someone who is on the fence about applying for the Podcasting, Seriously Fund?
Chris Colbert:
Just apply. There isn’t anything to lose. The only thing you have to lose is your own money if you don’t apply.
Twila Dang:
The fund is there to help you. You deserve to have your hard work recognized. This is a way to do that. The money is right there! Put your hat in the ring! We want to help as many independent podcasters as we can.
Ken Ikeda:
Its money back! Get reimbursed and submit to another or take that money and treat yourself, fix the shoulder strap on your recorder bag. Do this without guilt because you are paying it forward by challenging for and receiving awards that will shift the narrative from a few exceptional, unicorn QTBIPOC talent to a massively competitive field that reflects the best of the whole industry.
Steve Pratt:
You have nothing to lose! Go for it! 🙂
Jen Chien:
Just do it! The money’s on the table, and we want to distribute it.
Phyllis Fletcher:
Apply! If your work meets the fund guidelines, please apply. Our board has committed to making swift and fair decisions, and we want to consider as many applicants as we can.
As Lantigua and other board members have tweeted and shared in various Clubhouse rooms, they have money to give away.
About the fund
“LWC launched the Fund to support independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio producers in submitting high-quality work to media/journalism awards. With AIR, Pacific Content, and Acast as Fund Partners, the Fund helps independent U.S. and Canada-based audio professionals submit work to key Canada and U.S. competitions by covering submission fees for producers, editors, and other creators. The Fund accepts reimbursement applications on a rolling basis year-round, and an individual can submit up to $200 in awards reimbursements per calendar year. The Podcasting, Seriously Fund is committed to supporting 200+ producer award submissions each year, disbursing at least $20,000 annually.”
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