IMRO Radio Awards winners revealed for 2019!
It has been another outstanding year in radio broadcasting on the island of Ireland and the stations taking home the crown at this year’s IMRO Radio Awards include Newstalk with their Gold win in the esteemed Full Service Station of the Year category, 98 FM winning the title of Music Station of the Year and WLR FM coming out on top as Local Station of the Year. A major highlight of the industry year, the Awards, which are sponsored by IMRO and BAI, took place on the evening of Friday 4th October at the Lyrath Estate Hotel Kilkenny.
This year some 652 entries were received. Following a revamp of the judging, head judge Peter McPartlin drafted in over 105 judges from both within and outside the industry to listen to hundreds of hours of radio programming. In early September these entries were whittled down to a shortlist of just 185.
On the night the Outstanding Achievement accolade was awarded to Beat 102-103 Chief Executive Officer, Gabrielle Cummins for her work on the Choose Radio initiative. Choose Radio comprises of all the radio sales houses – independent & RTÉ along with IBI and the Industry’s independent training network, Learning Waves. The various groups are working together to raise the profile of radio advertising.
The four 2019 Hall of Fame inductees – Ronan Collins, Sean Moncrieff, Paul Byrne and Seamus McKee were in attendance at the event and accepted their plaques. The Hall of Fame ceremony took place at the end of September at the offices of the Broadcast Authority of Ireland where the hall is housed.
Speaking about the significance of the event, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Tom McGuire said: “The opportunity to recognise and honour excellence in radio broadcasting across the island is what the IMRO Awards gives the industry. The reach of radio in Ireland is up there with the highest internationally and that’s a tribute to all programme makers and a loyal audience. Long may the wireless continue to have the ear of the nation.”
Eleanor McEvoy, IMRO Chairperson said “Each nominee for the IMRO radio awards, knows that they have been put forward by their fellow professionals in radio. I think that this is why the awards are so appreciated and sought after. It’s why the IMRO radio awards have become the most important event in the Irish broadcasting calendar.”
Michael O’Keefe, Chief Executive of BAI said “Tonight’s IMRO Radio Awards event is the highlight of the year for radio practitioners in Ireland. On behalf of the BAI, I would like to congratulate all the nominees and category winners and wish them every success both tonight and in the future”.
View the full list of winners in each of the 40 categories below:
| Category | Station |
| A1 | |
| General Music Programme | |
| GOLD: The Big Ride Home with Dara Quilty | 98FM |
| SILVER: Dermot and Dave | Today FM |
| BRONZE: The Saturday Soundtrack with Peter Devlin | Radio Nova |
| A2 | |
| Specialist Music Programme | |
| GOLD: The Paul McLoone Show | Today FM |
| SILVER: Céilí House | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: The Tom Dunne Show | Newstalk |
| A3 | |
| Breakfast Programme | |
| GOLD: Fully Charged with Graham and Nathan | Spin 1038 |
| SILVER: The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show | Today FM |
| BRONZE: Beat Breakfast | Beat 102-103 |
| A4 | |
| Music Special/Music Event | |
| GOLD: Astral Week’s at 50 | BBC Radio Ulster |
| SILVER: Proms in the Park | BBC Radio Ulster |
| BRONZE: Marty in the Morning: Beatles White Album at 50 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| A5 | |
| Irish Music Programme or Initiative | |
| GOLD: The Long Road | RTÉ 2XM |
| SILVER: Composer Lab on Blue of the Night | RTÉ Lyric FM |
| BRONZE: Folk Awards | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| B1 | |
| News Story/News Event | |
| GOLD: BBC Radio Foyle – Lyra McKee | BBC Radio Foyle |
| SILVER: When Mistakes Cost Lives | Radio Kerry |
| BRONZE: The Grand Hotel | East Coast FM |
| B2 | |
| News Programme – Full Service | |
| GOLD: Bloody Sunday: The Decision Live | BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle |
| SILVER: Evening Extra | BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle |
| BRONZE: This Week: Brexit’s Meaningful Vote | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| B3 | |
| News Programme – Local/Regional | |
| GOLD: The Breakfast Show | BBC Radio Foyle |
| SILVER: Downtown Radio and Cool FM News Teams | Downtown Radio and Cool FM |
| BRONZE: Extended News Bulletin | Cork’s 96FM |
| B4 | |
| Current Affairs Programme – Full Service | |
| GOLD: The Hard Shoulder | Newstalk |
| SILVER: Saturday with Cormac – The Meaning and Value of Irishness | RTÉ Radio1 |
| BRONZE: The Pat Kenny Show | Newstalk |
| B5 | |
| Current Affairs Programme – Local/Regional | |
| GOLD: Dublin Talks | 98FM |
| SILVER: The Mark Patterson Show | BBC Radio Foyle |
| BRONZE: Midlands Today with Will Faulkner | Midlands 103 |
| B6 | |
| Sports Story | |
| GOLD: From Russia With Love – FIFA World Cup | Today FM |
| SILVER: Declan Rice – Tragedy of Three Acts | Newstalk |
| BRONZE: Painkillers in Irish Sport | Newstalk |
| B7 | |
| Sports Programme – Full Service | |
| GOLD: Off the Ball Live | Newstalk |
| SILVER: Off the Ball | Newstalk |
| BRONZE: Team 33 | Newstalk |
| B8 | |
| Sports Programme – Local/Regional | |
| GOLD: The Score | Cork’s 96FM |
| SILVER: Carlow Rising | KCLR |
| BRONZE: Now That’s What I Call Sport | 98FM |
| C1 | |
| Documentary | |
| GOLD: Documentary on One: In Shame, Love, In Shame | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| SILVER: The Rescue | Clare FM |
| BRONZE: So Much More than Baby Blues | Beat 102-103 |
| C2 | |
| Music Documentary | |
| GOLD: Documentary on One: Ireland’s First Superstar | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| SILVER: Documentary on One in association with RTÉ Arts and Culture: The Summer of Astral Weeks | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: Documentary on One: Johnny Cash’s Lost Tour of Ireland | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| C3 | |
| Short Feature | |
| GOLD: Cluas Chiarraí | Radio Kerry |
| SILVER: Every Road has a Cross to Bear | LMFM |
| BRONZE: Finding Your Tingle – The Francie Boylan Show | Ocean FM |
| C4 | |
| Magazine Programme | |
| GOLD: The John Toal Show | BBC Radio Ulster |
| SILVER: Plan B with Sarina Bellissimo | Spin 1038 |
| BRONZE: Moncrieff | Newstalk |
| C5 | |
| Drama | |
| GOLD: Searching for Daddly Dee | Newstalk |
| SILVER: RTÉ Drama on One: Northern Lights by Stephen Jones | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: RTÉ Drama on One: James’s Story by David Zane Mairowitz | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| C6 | |
| Specialist Speech Programme | |
| GOLD: The Blame Game | BBC Radio Ulster |
| SILVER: Six Dad’s | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: Future Proof ‘Chances’ | Newstalk |
| C7 | |
| Craoltoireacht le Gaeilge | |
| GOLD: Fear Bean nó Idir Eatarthu | RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta |
| SILVER: Go Domhain San Fharraige | RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta |
| BRONZE: Tracy Clifford | 2FM |
| C8 | |
| Interactive Speech Programme | |
| GOLD: Lunchtime Live | Newstalk |
| SILVER: The Neil Prendeville Show – A Mansion on a Hill | Red FM |
| BRONZE: Phoneshow | FM104 |
| D1 | |
| Community/Social Action | |
| GOLD: Dublin Life | FM104 |
| SILVER: Wish Week | Classic Hits |
| BRONZE: Giving for Living Radiothon | Cork’s 96FM |
| D2 | |
| On-Air Competitions/Promotions | |
| GOLD: The Can-A-Da Challenge | RedFM |
| SILVER: Beat the Bomb | Spin 1038 |
| BRONZE: Gotta Get it Wrong | Spin 1038 |
| D3 | |
| Station Imaging | |
| GOLD: FM104 | FM104 |
| SILVER: 98FM | 98FM |
| BRONZE: Newstalk | Newstalk |
| D4 | |
| Entertainment Inserts | |
| GOLD: Strawberry Alarm Clock | FM104 |
| SILVER: Gift Grub on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show | Today FM |
| BRONZE: Rise and Smile | Galway Bay FM |
| D5 | |
| Digital & Social Innovation | |
| GOLD: Gift Grub 2.0 | Today FM |
| SILVER: Are you Watching on the Radio? | Ocean FM |
| BRONZE: Cluas Chiarraí | Radio Kerry |
| E1 | |
| Music & Entertainment Presenter of the Year | |
| GOLD: Dara Quilty | 98FM |
| SILVER: Dermot Whelan | Today FM |
| BRONZE: Ray Foley | Red FM |
| E2 | |
| Radio DJ of the Year | |
| GOLD: Izzy-Bartak Healey | Red FM |
| SILVER: David Hammond | Beat 102-103 |
| BRONZE: Sharon Lynskey | iRadio |
| E3 | |
| Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year | |
| GOLD: Tom Dunne | Newstalk |
| SILVER: Ralph McLean | BBC Radio Ulster |
| BRONZE: Kieran McGuinness | Radio Nova |
| E4 | |
| News Broadcaster of the Year | |
| GOLD: Karen Patterson | BBC Radio Ulster |
| SILVER: Andrew Lowth | Spin 1038 |
| BRONZE: Elaine McGee | BBC Radio Foyle |
| E5 | |
| News Reporter of the Year | |
| GOLD: Declan Harvey | BBC Radio Ulster |
| SILVER: Frank Greaney | Newstalk |
| BRONZE: Henry McKean | Newstalk |
| E6 | |
| Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service | |
| GOLD: Nathan Murphy | Newstalk |
| SILVER: Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh | Newstalk |
| BRONZE: Darren Frehill | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| E7 | |
| Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional | |
| GOLD: Eric White | BBC Radio Foyle |
| SILVER: Tim Moynihan | Radio Kerry |
| BRONZE: Debbie Ridgard | Beat 102-103 |
| E8 | |
| Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service | |
| GOLD: Ivan Yates | Newstalk |
| SILVER: Sean O’Rourke | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: Sean Moncrieff | Newstalk |
| E9 | |
| Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional | |
| GOLD: Mark Patterson | BBC Radio Foyle |
| SILVER: Neil Prendeville | Red FM |
| BRONZE: Niall Delaney | Ocean FM |
| E10 | |
| Newcomer of the Year Award | |
| GOLD: Sinead Brassil | LMFM |
| SILVER: Declan Wilson | Q Radio |
| BRONZE: Kayte O’Malley | Spin South West |
| F1 | |
| Radio Moment of the Year | |
| GOLD: Gerry Ryan Show 2FM 40 Special | RTÉ 2FM |
| SILVER: Neil Prendeville Show – A Bubble of Brilliant-ness | Red FM |
| BRONZE: Maria Bailey Interview | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| F2 | |
| Local Station of the Year | |
| GOLD: WLR FM | WLR FM |
| SILVER: Clare FM | Clare FM |
| BRONZE: Ocean FM | Ocean FM |
| F3 | |
| Music Station of the Year | |
| GOLD: 98FM | 98FM |
| SILVER: Spin 1038 | Spin 1038 |
| BRONZE: Cork’s Red FM | Cork’s Red FM |
| F4 | |
| Full Service Station of the Year | |
| GOLD: Newstalk | Newstalk |
| SILVER: RTÉ Radio 1 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| BRONZE: BBC Radio Ulster | BBC Radio Ulster |
-ENDS-
Twitter: https://twitter.com/imroradioawards
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imroradioawards/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IMRORadioAwards/
Website: http://www.imroradioawards.ie/
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About the Radio Awards Committee
Chaired by Tom McGuire, the Radio Awards Committee comprises of 12 members representing all sectors of licensed commercial and public radio on the island of Ireland – RTÉ, BBC NI, and the independent commercial radio sectors in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
About IMRO
IMRO administers the performing right in copyright music on behalf of its members (songwriters, composers, and music publishers) and on behalf of members of the international overseas societies that are affiliated to it. IMRO ́s core function is to collect and distribute royalties arising from the public performance of copyright works. With a global scope, we represent creators along the chain of creation. At IMRO, we are committed to creators. We stand up for music and the people who make it and perform it. A community for creators, we listen, advocate, educate, invest, and engage to shape a culture of musical worth. We help music creators to adapt to change and receive full and fair return for their work. See www.imro.ie
About BAI
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was established in October 2009 as the single content regulator of broadcasting in Ireland.
The functions of the BAI include; the licensing of radio and television services on a variety of transmission platforms; the licensing of digital multiplex operators; the development of codes and rules in relation to programming and advertising standards; the monitoring of services to ensure that broadcasters comply with their statutory obligations and contract terms; and, the consideration of complaints. The BAI is also responsible for the operation of Broadcasting Funding Schemes which are financed by the television licence fee.
For more information, see http://www.bai.ie./