Nine Radio and 9Podcasts have broken their own record with an astounding 41 finalist nominations across 20 categories in the 35th annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs), announced today.
From breaking news to investigative journalism, storytelling, production, sports coverage, and diversity and inclusion (both on and off-air), these nominations highlight Nine Radio’s deep connection with its audiences and the triumph of its comprehensive audio strategy.
Leading the charge are 2GB’s Ben Fordham, Ray Hadley and Chris O’Keefe and 3AW’s Neil Mitchell – all finalists for both Best Talk Presenter and Best Current Affairs Presenter. Tom Elliott is also nominated for Best Talk Presenter. Fordham and Hadley are also contenders for Individual Talent of the Year.
In a nod to the new talent Nine’s stations continue to develop and discover, 2GB’s Chris O’Keefe and 3AW’s Jacqui Felgate are in the running for Best New On-Air Talent.
It’s a big year for Sydney’s top station, 2GB, which is vying for Station of the Year, Content Manager Luke Davis for Best Content Director, with Fordham, Mark Levy and Will Bottom and Hadley also nominated for Best News Event Coverage for their reports on the Bondi Junction Attacks and the Sydney Car Pursuit, respectively.
In sport, the late David Morrow, Mark Levy, Anthony Hudson, and Shane McInnes are all nominated in the Best Sports Presenter category, while the Continuous Call Team’s coverage of 2023 NRL Grand Final is a finalist for Best Sports Event Coverage.
Nine Radio’s journalists dominate the Best News Presenter and Brian White awards, with David Armstrong, Gail Watson, Rhiannon Soliman-Marron, Ben Fordham, Clinton Maynard and Zac de Silva all finalists.
9Podcasts’ award-winning, critically acclaimed and hugely popular series, Hannah’s Story, adds to its accolades with nominations for Podcast of the Year, Best Documentary Audio, and Best Podcast Producer for Jess Lodge. Producers Sam Stove and Matty White also earned Best Podcast Producer nominations.
Nine Radio’s successful internship program was also nominated in the special category for Diversity and Inclusion.
Nine Radio Managing Director, Tom Malone, said: “This is an outstanding result for Nine’s radio stations and podcast teams. They are a dedicated group of professionals who strive for excellence in all they do. At the heart of their purpose is serving our listeners, as a destination for live and local content – always relevant, always on. These nominations are a huge testament to their hard work and commitment, and a wonderful reflection on them, and all of their colleagues who strive for excellence every day.”
See the full list of Nine nominees here.
The ACRA winners will be announced in Sydney on Saturday, October 12.