SiriusXM has taken the first step in its Listen Next program, aimed at fostering diverse audio talent and promoting inclusivity in podcasting. Listen Next seeks to empower emerging creators, with the tools and support needed to establish thriving and enduring careers.
The inaugural launch features Stars and Stars with Isa, where astrologer Isa Nakazawa explores birth charts with celebrities. Weekly episodes led by the Japanese-Uruguayan American will blend storytelling, self-discovery, and humor, with initial guests including Aja Monet, UMI, Jia Tolentino, and W. Kamau Bell, among others.
Listen Next promises participants a comprehensive package of benefits, including a year’s worth of distribution, marketing resources, production assistance from SiriusXM’s Stitcher Studios, networking opportunities, and industry guidance, while ensuring creators maintain full ownership of their work. The initiative focuses on amplifying both new and seasoned voices in the industry, providing a platform for their stories.
SiriusXM’s Stitcher Studios Program Director Kameel Stanley said, “With Listen Next, we’re thrilled to accelerate the audio careers of the next generation of podcasting stars and contribute to a more inclusive audio industry. By collaborating directly with diverse-led production studios, we are able to make a greater impact in amplifying rising voices behind the mic.”
“We’re so pleased to have Isa’s Stars and Stars be the first launch from SiriusXM’s Listen Next initiative. By combining SiriusXM’s know-how with that of the incredible team at Futuro Studios, which has done such acclaimed and important work in the podcast space, we know that we’re setting the show up for success.”
Nakazawa added “This show is my love letter to the wise celestial intelligence alive within all of us. I am honored to be part of a long lineage of astrologers and ordinary people who feel moved by the beauty and mystery of the cosmos. Astrology has much more to offer us than stereotypes. It is my hope that this show reveals how our birth chart is a treasure trove of meaning for us to explore and uncover. I am grateful to our sparkling lineup of stars for their generosity, vulnerability and brilliance.”
“Thank you to everyone at SiriusXM, Stitcher Studios and Futuro Studios for investing in the next generation of podcasters by providing the essential support and resources necessary to bring these big dreams to life.”
