The Podcast Academy has honored New Hampshire Public Radio Senior Reporter Lauren Chooljian with the award for Best Reporting at the 2024 Awards for Excellence in Audio for her reporting on the longform investigative podcast, The 13th Step.
The awards, also called The Ambies, recognize excellence in podcasting, and celebrate podcasts as a personal medium for entertainment, information, storytelling and expression. Chooljian was announced among the winners in one of 27 categories from Los Angeles on March 26, at the fourth annual ceremony hosted by season 3 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars,” Trixie Mattel.
“I’m so thrilled to hear we won an Ambie for Best Reporting,” Chooljian said. “I’ve been floored by all the recognition The 13th Step has received lately, and I take it as a sign that despite the difficulties in our industry right now, there are so many people out there who deeply value in-depth, impactful audio reporting. So let's keep doing it!"
The 13th Step chronicles allegations of sexual abuse by the founder of New Hampshire’s largest addiction treatment center. Several acts of vandalism followed the release of The 13th Step, at the homes of some of the NHPR journalists involved in that reporting, and their families.
The podcast has received multiple honors since its release in June 2023 including a national Murrow Award and a duPont-Columbia Award. Most recently, Chooljian was honored with a First Amendment award from the Radio and Television Digital News Association.
“We’re thrilled and honored to receive this high-profile recognition from our colleagues in the podcast industry,” said Katie Colaneri, senior editor of podcasts for NHPR’s Document team. “We remain ever grateful to our sources for their courage and to our listeners for their continued support.”
The 13th Step is a production of the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, and received support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism. NHPR supporters make it possible for the team to keep investigating and sharing these stories with you.
You can watch the full 2024 Ambies Award Ceremony on The Podcast Academy’s Youtube channel here. Other 2024 Ambies winners included Malcolm Gladwell, honored with the Governors Award, and Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas by Slate Magazine.
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.
