A woman with long dreadlocks smiling, wearing a satin blazer and jewelry, sitting on a sofa with a pink wall and framed pictures in the background.

Zakiya Gibbons

Award-winning Audio Journalist + Storyteller

Zakiya Gibbons is a “Swiss army knife” award-winning journalist.

Zakiya is a host, story editor, podcast producer, writer, and voice actor. She has worked with Apple, Spotify, Gimlet Media, WNYC, Radiotopia, Audible, Crooked Media, Slate Media, StoryCorps, NPR’s Latino USA, The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and more.

As co-founder of the POC in Audio Directory, she co-created a resource to fight the lack of racial diversity in the audio industry - which was recognized by Bitch Media in the top 50 "most impactful creators, artists, and activists in pop culture" for their work in advocating for racial equity in the audio industry. The Association of Independents in Radio selected Zakiya to join an ambitious cohort of journalists that "represents the zing, talent, and drive to connect public media to all of America." She was also selected to participate in the prestigious Third Coast Radio Residency at the Ragdale Foundation, where she worked on her experimental audio fiction passion project.

Zakiya is the host and story editor of the breakout hit podcast Hang Up, named one of the best podcasts of 2023 and 2024 by Vulture Magazine, Vogue Magazine, CBC, Tink Media, and WNYC’s All of It. Zakiya enjoys talking to strangers and exploring human behavior, emotions, and culture through storytelling and conversation.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model

Zakiya provides cultural commentary as the featured journalist in Netflix’s upcoming docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.

as seen + heard in:

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Hang Up is a first-of-its-kind podcast hosted by Zakiya Gibbons, putting an inclusive spin on the reality dating show. One “Star” goes on dates with “Callers” exclusively through phone conversations —that's right, they’ll never meet in person. A contestant is eliminated at the end of each episode, leaving one winner at the end.

Voted one of the best podcasts of 2023 and 2024 by Vulture Magazine, Vogue Magazine, CBC, Tink Media, and WNYC’s “All of It”.

connect with Zakiya