The spotlight is on as the finalists for the 35th Australian Commercial Radio & Audio (ACRA) Awards are revealed today, with the winners to be crowned at a night of celebration at The Star in Sydney on Saturday, 12 October.
“With 1159 entries this year, 361 finalists, and only 71 awards up for grabs the competition is fiercer than ever. The talent on display is truly special, and we are thrilled to see such a diverse array of voices ready to shine as showtime approaches,” said Jo Dick, Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) chief commercial officer.
The nominees for the highly anticipated ACRA for Best On Air Team (Metro) are last year’s winners Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller (Jonesy & Amanda, WSFM, ARN), 2022 Hall of Fame inductees Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson (The Kyle and Jackie O Show, KIIS 1065, ARN), The Christian O’Connell Show (GOLD104.3, ARN), Jase & Lauren (Nova 100, NOVA Entertainment), Carrie & Tommy (3FOX, SCA), and Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie (Nova 96.9, NOVA Entertainment).
The Individual Talent of the Year Award has attracted the highest number of submissions across all categories. This year’s Metro finalists are Christian O’Connell (GOLD104.3, ARN), Ray Hadley (2GB, Nine Radio), “Ugly” Phil O’Neil (WSFM, ARN), Jackie Henderson (KIIS 1065, ARN), Fifi Box (3FOX, SCA), Kate Ritchie (Nova 96.9, NOVA Entertainment), and Ricki-Lee Coulter (Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment) and Ben Fordham (2GB, Nine Radio).
“It’s great to see the increased prominence of female finalists in this year’s Individual Talent of the Year lineup. These exceptional people are leading the charge and making a significant impact on the radio industry,” commented Ms Dick.
Battling it out for Station of the Year Award (Metro) are B105 Brisbane; GOLD104.3 Melbourne; 2GB Sydney; Triple M Adelaide; and 2023 winners KIIS 1065 Sydney. Non-metro contenders are: 1029 Hot Tomato, Gold Coast; 102.9 Triple M, Newcastle; 102.3 Triple M, Townsville; and defending champs Mix 106.3, Canberra.
The competition for the Best Networked Show Award is fierce, with last year’s winners, The Kyle and Jackie O Hour of Power (KIIS Network, Sydney, ARN) up against Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie (Nova 96.9, NOVA Entertainment), Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel (Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment), The Christian O’Connell Show (GOLD104.3, ARN), The Jimmy & Nath Show (The Hit Network, SCA), and Jess & Ducko (Hit106.9, Newcastle, SCA).
The Podcast Host/s of the Year category is packed with standout talent. Finalists include Hamish & Andy (The Hamish & Andy Podcast, LiSTNR, SCA), Amelia Oberhardt (Secrets We Keep: Shame, Lies and Family, LiSTNR, SCA), Amanda Keller (Double A Chattery, iHeart, ARN), Christian McEwan (The Dragons Den, i98FM, WIN Network), Ant Middleton (Head Game, Nova Podcasts), and the dynamic duo Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne (Life Uncut, iHeart, ARN).
Last year’s Podcast Host of the Year, Abbie Chatfield, is a contender for the Podcast of the Year Award with It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield (LiSTNR, SCA). She will be up against Hamish & Andy (LiSTNR, SCA), Amelia Oberhardt’s Secrets We Keep: Shame, Lies and Family (LiSTNR, SCA), Crime Insiders (LiSTNR, SCA), and Hannah’s Story (9Podcasts, Nine Radio).
The finalists for Best News Event Coverage exemplify top-tier journalism, delivering breaking news that has a profound impact on our communities. The contenders include ARN’s MIX 104.9 for Alice Springs Chaos, Nine Radio’s 2GB for both Bondi Attacks and Sydney Car Pursuit, SCA’s Triple M Newcastle for Hunter Valley Bus Tragedy, SCA’s 102.3 Triple M Townsville for Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, and ARN News for Westfield Bondi Attack.
“Congratulations to all the finalists for their outstanding work and dedication. Their contributions are a significant part of what makes the Australian audio scene so exciting and dynamic,” said Jo Dick.
Tickets for the ACRAS will go on sale in early September. To be the first to know, make sure to head to the 2024 ACRA Awards page at www.acras.com.au.
For a full list of our finalists head to: ACRAs