Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, was celebrated for a pair of awards last week during New York’s reputable Advertising Week and Programmatic I/O events. The industry recognition positions Acast’s leadership and tech innovations among some of the most widely-known legacy media and advertising brands around the world.

First to grace the podium was Shantae Howell, Director of Acast Creative, The Americas, who was named to the Advertising Week New York 2022 Future is Female Shortlist. The list represents the top 25 women who are trailblazers in defining the future of the advertising industry. 

Howell was named to this list for her unwavering commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and creating authentic brand content for diverse audiences. The achievement specifically honors her leadership with Acast Creative to produce Roundabout, a weekly podcast presented by State Farm that features everyday people and some of Acast’s top podcasters as they recount road trip stories from their past. Since Howell’s nomination,  Roundabout was also featured on the “New and Noteworthy” list by Apple Podcasts. 

Additionally, this award celebrates Howell’s work spearheading a custom four-part series of branded episodes from Martell on the Guys Next Door podcast during Black History Month 2022. The series featured interviews of trailblazers and changemakers in the Black community about their industry, what inspires them, the influence of Black culture on their work, the importance of amplifying Black voices and businesses, the influence of Black culture on mainstream culture, and much more. As a direct result of the success of these episodes, the series grew to include three additional installments featuring Grammy-nominated artist Janelle Monáe across a variety of Acast podcasts.

Later in the week, Acast was honored at Programmatic I/O’s AdExchanger Awards Gala as a finalist in the Innovation in Audio Advertising category. This award celebrates Acast’s continued dominance in programmatic advertising and automated technologies. Specifically, it recognizes Acast’s leading brand safe targeting solutions, including geo-targeting, which enables brands to connect with niche audiences through Acast tools like Sponsorship+.

As a global leader in podcast advertising, Acast works with more than 2,400 advertisers each year. Some of the biggest brands partnering with Acast include Amazon, State Farm, Macy’s, Ikea, Klarna, Ulta, and more.

For more information about how to work with Acast’s award winning team and advertising solutions, please visit ussales@acast.com 

About Acast

Acast is the world’s largest independent podcast company. Founded in 2014, the company has pioneered the open podcast ecosystem ever since – making podcasts available on any listening platform. Acast provides a marketplace, helping podcasters find the right audience to monetize their content. When our podcasters make money, we make money. Today, Acast hosts nearly 66,000 podcasts, with more than 400 million listens every month. The company operates worldwide and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Acast is listed on the Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market. Certified Adviser is FNCA Sweden AB, info@fnca.se, +46 (0) 8528 00399.