CRA announced more than 200 regional and local radio winners from across Australia at the 34th annual Australian Commercial Radio & Audio (ACRA) Awards, held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney and attended by 1,000 radio personalities and executives nationwide.
The ACRA Awards celebrate commercial radio broadcasting and audio excellence across entertainment, news and talk, podcasting and sport. This year, the awards also celebrated a century of radio in Australia.
Popular radio duo Jimmy Smith and Nath Roye (100.9 Hobart, SCA) were named the Best On-Air Team in the provincial category. The duo, who were the #1 breakfast show in Hobart, moved to the national Hit Network in August 2022.
Ford Ennals, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio, organizers of the Awards, congratulated all finalists and winners on their achievements. He said at the awards, “The ACRA Awards recognize the talent, commitment and passion that goes into making radio the enduring and influential medium that it is, and I thank our winners and finalists for their outstanding work.” He later added, “The commercial radio industry is growing and evolving in a very exciting way – with new audio forms and new digital platforms.”
Radio legends
Two legends of Queensland radio were inducted into the Hall of Fame at the ceremony: Laurel Edwards (4BC, Brisbane, Nine Radio) and Steve ‘Pricey’ Price (Triple M Townsville SCA).
Edwards has been Brisbane’s ‘Queen of Breakfast Radio’ for over 30 years. At 4KQ, she became the longest-serving female announcer of the same program in Australian history before moving to breakfast at 4BC with Gary Clare and Mark Hine in 2022. Price has been on-air in Townsville for over five decades, including 32 years on breakfast radio at 102.3 Triple M Townsville (originally 4TO). In May this year, he announced his retirement from breakfast radio and will leave his beloved studio for the final time on Christmas Day.
It was a huge night for Katie Woolf from Darwin (Mix 104.9, ARN), who received the Best Talk Presenter (non-Metro) Award and the Brian White Award for Excellence in Journalism (non-Metro). It was the second time in a row that Woolf won both ACRA awards against finalists from across Australia.
Some of Australia’s most popular radio stars from across the networks hosted the show, which featured live performances from Australian artists, including First Nations world music star and proud Gamilaraay man Mitch Tambo and 21-year-old proud Coodjinburra man Budjerah and singer-songwriter Mia Wray. The legendary Ian Moss from Cold Chisel closed the Awards.
A night full of stars
Winners on the night included:
- Best On-Air Team (Metro) — Jonesy & Amanda (Brendan Jones, Amanda Keller, WSFM, Sydney, ARN)
- Best On-Air Team (Provincial) — Jimmy & Nath (Jimmy Smith, Nath Roye, HIT 100.9 Hobart, Tas, SCA)
- Best on Air Team (Country) — Mixx Brekky with Jimmy & Lippy (Matt Lipiarski, James Thwaites, Mixx FM, Colac, Vic, ACE Radio Broadcasters)
- Station of the Year (Metro) — KIIS 1065 (Sydney, ARN)
- Station of the Year (non-Metro) — Mix 106.3; Canberra, ACT, ARN/SCA
- Best Networked Show — Kyle & Jackie O Hour of Power (Kyle Sandilands, Jackie Henderson, KIIS Network, ARN)
- Best Talk Presenter (Metro) — Neil Mitchell (3AW, Melbourne, Nine Radio)
- Best Talk Presenter (non-Metro) — Katie Woolf (Mix 104.9, Darwin, ARN)
- Best Current Affairs Presenter — Ben Fordham (2GB, Sydney, Nine Radio)
- Individual Talent of the Year (Metro) — Kyle Sandilands (KIIS Network ARN)
- Best New Talent On Air ‘The Brenno’ (Provincial) — Gina Jeffreys (Star 104.5, Central Coast, NSW, NOVA Entertainment)
- Best New Talent On Air ‘The Brenno’ (Country) — Isabella Roldan (Chilli FM, Launceston, Tas, ARN)
“The 34th annual ACRA Awards highlighted Australia’s vibrant radio and audio industry, celebrating outstanding talent in 80 awards across eight categories, including talk, news and sport, entertainment and talent and podcasting,” Ennals said.
You can see more images from the 34th ACRAs here.
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