The who’s who of the Irish radio industry were in the Lyrath Estate Hotel on the outskirts of Kilkenny city on Friday night for the 23rd annual running of the IMRO Radio Awards.
With some new categories in this year’s awards and a new host in the guise of Oliver Callan, we saw Clare FM’s ‘genuine connection with the local listeners and consistent content” earn them 2023’s Local Station of the Year while SPIN1038 collected the Music Station of the Year.
With their ‘well-rounded programming and focus on listener engagement’ setting them apart, the overall National Station of the Year went to Newstalk.
Other key winners on the night included The Big Breakfast with Brendan and Rebecca (98fm) who scooped the Breakfast Show of the Year with the overall Radio Moment of the Year going to LMFM for Losing my Boys to Suicide.
The first award of the night, the Outstanding Achievement Award, went to Radiocentre Ireland, the body established by RTÉ and the IBI to promote audio as a marketing medium. If you’ve not crossed paths with them previously, find them online at radiocentreireland.ie.
A: Music Programming Awards
A1: General Music Programme
- Gold: Dave and Fionnuala, iRadio
- Silver: Dermot and Dave, Today FM
- Bronze: Weekend Mix with Nadia Sakni, Live 95
A2: Specialist Music Programme
- Gold: The Music Tree, Radio Kerry
- Silver: FM104’s Freaks on Friday, FM104
- Bronze: Ambient Orbit, RTÉ Lyric FM
A3: Breakfast Programme
- Gold: The Big Breakfast with Rebecca and Brendan, 98FM
- Silver: The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, Today FM
- Bronze: SPIN’s Fully Charged with Ed and Valerie, SPIN South West
A4: Music Special / Music Event
- Gold: The Belfast Mixtape, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: Barrscéalta – A Live Musical tribute to those lost Creeslough Tragedy, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
- Bronze: RnaG 50 – Cúige Uladh, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
A5: IMRO Irish Music Programme or Initiative
- Gold: iRadio’s iLoveIrish, iRadio
- Silver: Irish Music Month on SPIN, SPIN1038
- Bronze: Sessions from Oblivion, RTÉ 2XM
B: News and Sports Programming Awards
B1: News Story / News Event
- Gold: Creeslough – John Cooke for RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ Radio 1
- Silver: Drug Debt and Intimidation, WLR FM
- Bronze: Lunchtime Live – Bullying in the HSE, Newstalk
B2: News Programme – Full Service
- Gold: The New Prime Minister, Evening Extra, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: Morning Ireland – Tragedy Unfolds in Creeslough, RTÉ Radio 1
- Bronze: This Week – Creeslough, RTÉ Radio 1
B3: News Programme – Local / Regional
- Gold: Creeslough, Highland Radio
- Silver: WLR News @ One Tricolour Special, WLR FM
- Bronze: Ocean FM Lunchtime News, Ocean FM
B4: Current Affairs Programme – Full Service
- Gold: The Hard Shoulder, Newstalk
- Silver: On the Record, Newstalk
- Bronze: Good Morning Mr. President, Good Morning Ulster, BBC Radio Ulster
B5: Current Affairs Programme – Local / Regional
- Gold: Deise Today with Damien Tiernan, WLR FM
- Silver: Violent Schooldays, Galway Bay FM
- Bronze: The Morning Show with Declan Meehan, East Coast FM
B6: Sports Story
- Gold: The Making of Chiedozie Ogbene, Newstalk
- Silver: Frank Greally: Running Full Circle, Midwest Radio
- Bronze: Cliona Darcy Wins Boxing Gold, Galway Bay FM
B7: Sports Programme – Full Service
- Gold: Off The Ball, Newstalk
- Silver: Jacqui’s Christmas Sporting Selection Box, RTÉ Radio 1
- Bronze: Game On, RTÉ 2FM
B8: Sports Programme – Local / Regional
- Gold: Connacht Club Championship Special, Galway Bay FM
- Silver: Foyle Sportsound – FAI Cup Final, BBC Radio Foyle
- Bronze: Radio Kerry Weekend Sports, Radio Kerry
C: Speech Programming Awards
C1: Documentary
- Gold: Documentary on One: Blackrock Boys, RTÉ Radio 1
- Silver: Falsely Accused, Clare FM
- Bronze: Documentary on One: Minding Mary, RTÉ Radio 1
C2: Music, Arts and Culture Documentary
- Gold: The Irish Soundtrack, RTÉ Radio 1
- Silver: The Dawning of the Day (The Lyric Feature), RTÉ Lyric FM
- Bronze: Whatever Happened to Gertrude Page?, LMFM
C3: Short Feature
- Gold: Heritage Hunters, Radio Kerry
- Silver: The Day the Box Was Seen by Jackie Browne, Radio Kerry
- Bronze: Park Bench, RTÉ Radio 1
C4: Magazine Programme
- Gold: The John Toal Show, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: The Anton Savage Show, Newstalk
- Bronze: Moncrieff, Newstalk
C5: Drama
- Gold: The Listener, RTÉJr Radio
- Silver: Sniper Joe and Sister Jim, Newstalk
- Bronze: One Day, Galway Bay FM
C6: Specialist Speech Programme
- Gold: Murmurations, RTÉ Radio 1
- Silver: Talking History, Newstalk
- Bronze: Tech Talk with Jess Kelly, Newstalk
C7: Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge
- Gold: Snaoisín Bán, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
- Silver: Dúshlán na Feirme, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
- Bronze: Abair Amach Éar WLR FM – Alzheimer’s Special, WLR FM
C8: Interactive Speech Programme
- Gold: The Stephen Nolan Show, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: Lunchtime Live, Newstalk
- Bronze: Talkback, BBC Radio Ulster
D: General Awards
D1: Community / Social Action
- Gold: Cork’s 96FM Giving for Living Radiothon, Cork’s 96FM
- Silver: FM104’s Get Lewis to The Gig, FM104
- Bronze: Coast to Coast Challenge – Paddleboard Scotland to Northern Ireland, Cool FM
D2: On-Air Competition / Promotion
- Gold: Ireland’s Greatest Accent – The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, Today FM
- Silver: FM104’s Get Lewis to The Gig, FM104
- Bronze: Pass the Parcel, 98FM
D3: Station Imaging
- Gold: SPIN1038
- Silver: Today FM
- Bronze: Cork’s 96FM
D4: Entertainment Inserts
- Gold: FM104’S Strawberry Alarm Clock, FM104
- Silver: Gift Grub on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, Today FM
- Bronze: Bonner’s blessing on SPIN’s Fully Charged, SPIN1038
D5: Digital and Social Innovation
- Gold: Cathal’s Camino – Dermot and Dave, Today FM
- Silver: FM104’s #GetLewisToTheGig, FM104
- Bronze: Dublin Delish, 98FM
D6: Radio Station Podcast of the Year
- Gold: The Kinahans, Q102/Wireless/Urban Media
- Silver: As I Remember It: Bertie Ahern and The Good Friday Agreement, Newstalk
- Bronze: Inside the Crime: The Charles Self Murder, Newstalk
E: People Awards
E1: Music and Entertainment Presenter of the Year
- Gold: Dara Quilty, Today FM
- Silver: Dermot Whelan, Today FM
- Bronze: Pamela Joyce, Today FM
E2: Radio DJ of the Year
- Gold: Simon Murdoch, Cork’s 96FM
- Silver: Tracy Clifford, RTÉ 2FM
- Bronze: Paul Bonass, 98FM
E3: Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year
- Gold: Kieran McGuinness, Radio Nova
- Silver: J.J. O’Shea, Radio Kerry
- Bronze: Aedín Gormley, RTÉ Lyric FM
E4: News Broadcaster of the Year
- Gold: Declan Harvey, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: Justin McCarthy, RTÉ Radio 1
- Bronze: Chris Buckler, BBC Radio Ulster
E5: News Reporter of the Year
- Gold: John Cooke, RTÉ Radio 1
- Silver: Barry Lenihan, RTÉ Radio 1
- Bronze: Sean Defoe, Newstalk
E6: Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service
- Gold: Joe Molloy, Newstalk
- Silver: Aisling O’Reilly, Newstalk
- Bronze: Damie O’Meara, RTÉ Radio 1
E7: Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Local / Regional
- Gold: Tim Moynihan, Radio Kerry
- Silver: Donal Ryan, Ocean FM
- Bronze: Austin O’Callaghan, Ocean FM
E8: Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service
- Gold: Stephen Nolan, BBC Radio Ulster
- Silver: Ciara Kelly, Newstalk
- Bronze: Sean Moncrieff, Newstalk
E9: Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Local / Regional
- Gold: PJ Coogan, Cork’s 96FM
- Silver: Neil Prendeville, Cork’s RedFM
- Bronze: Alan Corcoran, South East Radio
E10: The Gay Byrne Award – Newcomer of the Year
- Gold: David Nelligan, Radio Kerry
- Silver: David Hollywood, Midlands 103
- Bronze: Donal Ryan, Ocean FM
F: Station of the Year Awards
F1: Radio Moment of the Year
- Gold: Losing My Boys To Suicide, LMFM
- Silver: A Special GloryDaze – PJ Gallagher’s Story as told to Jim McCabe, Radio Nova
- Bronze: The Neil Prendeville Show: “Shane Will Shine On”, Cork’s RedFM
F2: Local Station of the Year
- Gold: Clare FM
- Silver: Radio Kerry
- Bronze: Ocean FM
F3: Music Station of the Year
- Gold: SPIN1038
- Silver: Cork’s 96FM
- Bronze: 98FM
F4: National Station of the Year
- Gold: Newstalk
- Silver: BBC Radio Ulster
- Bronze: Today FM
Full details and audio samples of the gold-winning entries will be available on imroradioawards.ie.
