Sophie Kazis
Work
MOTHERBOARD MONEY - PRODUCER
An irreverent weekly show at the intersection of tech and money, hosted by former Motherboard Editor-in-Cheif, Jason Koebler.
AMERICAN TERROR - PRODUCER
From Vice News and Gimlet, this documentary series goes deep inside the U.S.’s most militant far-right terror groups -- examining how we got here and how we might stop them.
Soon after launch, this show reached #3 on Spotify’s ‘Top Society & Culture Podcasts’ chart. It was also written about in Vanity Fair.
VICE NEWS REPORTS - PRODUCER
VICE News’ award-winning weekly narrative news podcast, giving you the unfiltered sounds of the world today.
The show was nominated for the 2023 AMBIES in the category of “Best News Podcast.”
An audio portrait of one weekend across planet Earth. Experience the last weekend in July through the eyes of young people from around the world: a rodeo cowgirl, a South Korean soldier, a group of rappers in Kabul seeking refuge in their studio, a British radio host, and many others. Welcome to Weekend World.
This episode was co-produced by Sophie Kazis and Sayre Quevedo. It was nominated for a 2022 IDA Documentary Award in the category of "Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary."
It's always been hard to make new friends as an adult, and that became even more true during the pandemic. On this episode, producer Sophie Kazis leads her colleague, Sam Eagan, on a personal journey to explore his relationship with loneliness and masculinity, and to seek an answer to the nagging question: How the hell do you make friends as a grown-up? In a moment defined by so much isolation and anxiety, "The VICE Guide to Making Friends" is a reminder that, in the end, we’re all just seeking connection.
Other select episodes:
THE DISTANCE: CORONAVIRUS DISPATCHES - PRODUCER
When the pandemic first came into focus, VICE Audio thought, if we can’t see each other, let’s at least try to hear from one another – to listen, share and document the stories of this time. Almost overnight, we created The Distance, an archive of short, first-person dispatches from all over the world about how the pandemic is changing the way we live.
This series was written up in The New York Times.
My piece, “Saying Goodbye to Busking, For Now” was chosen as an Offical Select for On Air Fest.
Other select episodes:
PAINKILLER: AMERICA’S FENTANYL CRISIS - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
In 2020, the opioid crisis hit a tragic milestone: fentanyl killed more people in a single year than any other drug in modern history. How did we get here? VICE News reporter Keegan Hamilton (Chapo: Kingpin on Trial) tracks the third wave of the opioid crisis.
Episode 5 (Pain) won an Edward R. Murrow Award for “Excellence in Sound.”
UNCOMMITTED: IOWA 2020 - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Like all U.S. presidential races, the 2020 election started with Iowa. Hosted by Emmy award-winning correspondent Antonia Hylton, this series tells in-depth stories about the Iowa caucus and what it’s meant for the future of this country.
As part of this series, I produced a number of exclusive interviews with Democratic presidential candidates, including an in-person interivew with Senator Elizabeth Warren. I also reported live from the historic 2020 caucus-night meltdown.
QUEERLY BELOVED - PRODUCER (VICE.COM)
A podcast from Broadly. Co-hosted by former Broadly editor Sarah Burke and Fran Tirado of the popular podcast Food 4 Thot, this series is a multifaceted portrait of LGBTQ chosen family.
Queerly Beloved was nominated for a 2019 ASME award.