Variety and Wondery Celebrate ‘Armchair Expert’ at Shaping Culture With Podcasts Event in Los Angeles

Variety will present the inaugural “Shaping Culture With Podcasts” event, presented by Wondery, on September 19 in Los Angeles, centered around the significant impact audio storytelling has on the cultural landscape.

As part of the invite-only dinner program, Variety will present the first-ever Variety Creative Impact in Podcasting Award to “Armchair Expert” co-hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Previous recipients of Variety Creative Impact Awards include Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Javier Bardem (acting); Todd Phillips, Baz Luhrmann (directing); and Aaron Sorkin, Rian Johnson (screenwriting), to name a few.

Variety’s co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton will sit down with Shepard and Padman for a keynote conversation following the awards presentation. A weekly podcast that explores and celebrates all that makes us human, “Armchair Expert” has featured hundreds of in-depth interviews with celebrities, artists, authors, scientists and global thought leaders during its seven-year run. Now with Wondery, the show will expand its distribution and audience reach with the launch of video, in addition to audio.

Wondery CEO Jen Sargent will also take the stage to give attendees an inside look at Wondery’s current strategies and future trends shaping the podcast industry at large.

“Variety has covered the rapid expansion of the podcast industry since its inception and knows the vital role it plays on influencing our culture,” said Dea Lawrence, chief operating and marketing officer, Variety. “We are thrilled to host this event in collaboration with Wondery to highlight the players leading the industry’s growth and innovation.”

“Shows like ‘Armchair Expert’ sit at the intersection of entertainment and culture,” said Angie More, Head of Ad Revenue at Wondery. “We’re so excited to welcome Dax and Monica to the Wondery family and look forward to super-serving their loyal fans with engaging new content and experiences.”

Conversations from the dinner will be available across Variety.com following the event.