This week, we’re celebrating the highs, the lows, the best, and the worst of the year with The Awfulies. We introduced our end-of-year awards last year, and we’ve expanded the categories even further this time, with the entire Awful Announcing staff voting for who they think should take home the coveted golden microphone. Keep an eye on category and winner reveals all week long. And be sure to let us know who your pick would have been for the winners.
The next set of winners to be announced are in the studio show category. Chiefly, we’re naming the winners for Best Studio Host, Best Studio Analyst, and Best Studio Show of 2023.
Best Studio Host of 2023
Hosting a sports studio show is no small feat. You’re constantly wrangling big personalities, moving the show along, and finding ways to incorporate yourself into the proceedings as well. It’s a delicate balancing act and only a handful of people can truly master it.
The AA Staff’s finalists for the year’s best studio host include a varied list of talented people: First Take’s Molly Qerim, Inside the NBA’s Ernie Johnson, Monday Night Countdown’s Scott Van Pelt, NFL Live’s Laura Rutledge, The NFL Today’s James Brown, Good Morning Football’s Jamie Erdahl, NHL on TNT’s Liam McHugh, and CBS Sports’ Kate Abdo.
In the end, it was a two-horse race between Johnson and Van Pelt for the 2023 crown. But only one could be named the winner…
Winner: Ernie Johnson, Inside the NBA
Ernie Johnson learns that he's a 2023 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee. Charles Barkley delivers the news. 📺🎙️👏 pic.twitter.com/HbAfduZsUL
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 29, 2023
Inside the NBA – the top studio show in sports – wouldn’t be what it is today without Ernie. He’s a pro’s pro, bringing level-headed and thoughtful commentary – while having the necessary sense of humor – to a show that can get (playfully) chaotic. He keeps things from going off the rails at times- while also knowing when it’s okay for things to get a little crazy. Nobody could work better alongside Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. – Matt Clapp
Best Studio Analyst of 2023
What makes a great studio analyst differs greatly from what the person is bringing to the table. Take, for instance, our nominees. Charles Barkley is a force of nature that bends Inside the NBA to his will. Dan Orlovsky brings an interesting gameplay perspective and disturbing food opinions to NFL Live while Mina Kimes brings the analytics and in-depth knowledge of the game. Meanwhile, Marcus Spears isn’t afraid to speak his mind (or down a plate of ribs) on NFL Live or First Take. JJ Watt offered a breath of fresh air and energy jolt to The NFL Today while Joshua Perry is a rising star on B1G College Countdown. Anson Carter holds his own on NHL on TNT while Booger McFarland is many things but never boring.
While Kimes made a run, it wasn’t enough to unseat the reigning champ in this category.
Winner: Charles Barkley, Inside the NBA
Charles Barkley is going to waste a churro like that? pic.twitter.com/vcwE9tyDik
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 1, 2023
In terms of previewing and breaking down a game in detail, Charles Barkley might be one of the worst studio analysts the NBA has to offer. Yet it’s probably going to take Barkley retiring for him to be usurped in the Best Studio Analyst category of The Awfulies because in terms of creating entertainment and must-watch television, there’s no one better.
Barkley insists retirement is looming, but thankfully, every time he claims the end is near, he lands another job. His CNN show? Meh. But as a sports analyst? No one is more captivating and no one is more universally beloved for their willingness to be honest. Barkley may have had a big impact on the NBA during his playing career, but he’s an even more vital figure and brand ambassador for the league as an analyst. – Brandon Contes
Best Studio Show of 2023
Based on the previous two winners, we’re guessing you’ve got a solid handle on which show is going to win this award. For the record, there was a varied list of contenders, including NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, ESPN’s NFL Live, MLB Network’s MLB Tonight, The CW’s Inside the NFL, NHL on TNT Face Off, and CBS Sports’ Champions League Today.
But there was only one studio show to receive more than one vote, and it ended up dominating the category more than any other en route to an easy victory.
Winner: Inside the NBA
The love Charles Barkley has for Kenny Smith is real pic.twitter.com/EUfgd096Jo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 27, 2023
Inside the NBA has been the driving force for TNT’s NBA coverage for over three decades. Ernie Johnson, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal have held it down in Atlanta for several years now together since O’Neal joined the program.
2023 was another excellent year for Inside. The show followed an eventful NBA season that saw Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets crowned champions for the first time in franchise history. TNT covered the NBA Playoffs through the Eastern Conference Finals, meaning ‘Inside’ followed the eventful series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
Inside widened the gap and then some this year between themselves and everything their competitor, ESPN, had to offer in 2023. While ESPN still tries to find the sweet spot, Inside the NBA lived comfortably in it again. Plenty of hilarious and wide-eyed moments were on the show this past year. When we say plenty, we really mean plenty.
The hilariousness of Inside has become why people love to watch the show. While it’s sometimes short on basketball analysis, the hilarity, the obvious chemistry, and the loose environment have always been the show’s strength. That shined through once again.
So, a toast to Inside the NBA, the best sports studio show in the land in 2023. As far as many of us are concerned, the show has been great, just the way it is. Hopefully, the upcoming NBA media rights renewals mean we’ll see this show for many more years. – Chris Novak
Check out all of the 2023 Awfulies winners here.
