IMRO Radio Awards 2024: And the nominees are…

The shortlists for the 2024 IMRO Radio Awards have been released, the awards as always helping to celebrate the very best of what’s happening in the Irish radio world.

A: Music Programming Awards

A1: General Music Programme

• Dave Moore on Today FM (Today FM)
• Gareth O’Callaghan (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• On the Move with Kayte O’Malley (Galway Bay FM)
• Ray Foley on Today FM (Today FM)
• The Nova Lunchbreak with Dee Woods (Radio Nova)

A2: Specialist Music Programme

• Block Rockin Beats with Dec Pierce (Today FM)
• Europop – The Neil Hannon Show (BBC Radio Ulster)
• FM104’s Freaks with Al Gibbs (FM104)
• In the Mix with Marty (SPIN 1038)
• The Tom Dunne Show (Newstalk)

A3: Breakfast Programme

• Colm and Lucy in the Morning (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• iRadio in the Morning with Cooper and Oonagh (iRadio)
• Morning Glory with PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe (Radio Nova)
• RedFM Breakfast with KC (Cork’s RedFM)
• The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show (Today FM)

A4: Music Special / Music Event

• 25 Years is a Long Way Baby (Midlands 103)
• Chuck Berry, in a Field, in Ballisodare (Ocean FM)
• Classical Connections – Seamus Heaney Special (BBC Radio Ulster / Radio Foyle)
• Today FM Celebrating Sinéad O’Connor (Today FM)
• Today FM’s Big Busk for Focus Ireland (Today FM)

A5: IMRO Irish Music Programme or Initiative

• 21 Beats on Beat 102-103 (Beat 102-103)
• All Irish with Claire Beck (Today FM)
• iLove Irish (iRadio)
• Mise Sessions (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Plugged In Lyra Special (Galway Bay FM)

B: News & Sports Programming Awards

B1: News Story / News Event

• A Tornado in Leitrim (Ocean FM)
• Dublin Riots (Newstalk)
• Emergency Department Death Trap – John Cooke RTÉ Radio 1 (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Gone with the Wind (Shannonside Northern Sound)
• The Arrest of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (BBC Radio Ulster)

B2: News Programme – Full Service

• After the Flood – RTÉ Radio News At One (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Breakfast Briefing (Newstalk)
• Dublin Riots – Eye Witness Accounts and Reaction – Morning Ireland (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Newstalk’s Dublin Riots Special (Newstalk)
• The Arrest of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (BBC Radio Ulster)

B3: News Programme – Local/Regional

• Cork’s 96FM News Extended Bulletin (Cork’s 96FM)
• FYI Galway – Blockades, Bottles and Birthdays (Galway Bay FM0
• Mass Day of Strike Action (BBC Radio Foyle)
• Q102 Lunchtime News (Dublin’s Q102)
• Waterford @ 6 – 30 Year Search for Imelda Keenan (WLR FM)

B4: Current Affairs Programme – Full Service

• Newstalk Breakfast (Newstalk)
• The Hard Shoulder (Newstalk)
• The Last Word with Matt Cooper (Today FM)
• The Late Debate -The Dublin Riots (RTÉ Radio 1)
• The Pat Kenny Show (Newstalk)

B5: Current Affairs Programme – Local/Regional

• Midlands Today (Midlands 103)
• North West Today (Ocean FM)
• The Michael Reade Show (LMFM)
• The Nine ’til Noon Show with Greg Hughes (Highland Radio)
• Tipp Today (Tipp FM)

B6: Sports Story

• Doubters to Believers – Jurgen, Liverpool and the Irish Reds (Dublin’s Q102)
• Monaghan Day (Shannonside Northern Sound)
• Ón Taobhlíne OB Live from GAA World Games in Derry (BBC Radio Ulster)
• The Rise and Fall of Vera Pauw (Newstalk)
• When Rio Came to Rovers (Ocean FM)

B7: Sports Programme – Full Service

• Chapters of Magnificence (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Game On (RTÉ 2FM)
• Off The Ball (Newstalk)

B8: Sports Programme – Local/Regional

• Radio Kerry Weekend Sport (Radio Kerry)
• The Final Whistle – How the West Was Won (Ocean FM)
• The Men of ’23 (Galway Bay FM)
• The Score with Trevor Welch (Cork’s 96FM)
• Up for the Match (C103 Cork)

C: Speech Programming Awards

C1: Documentary

• 35 Years of GCN (Newstalk)
• Concrete Jungle (Clare FM)
• Documentary on One: Fear and Mistrust (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Leesa: Last One on the Train (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Queen of Nightclubs (Lyric Feature) (RTÉ Lyric FM)

C2: Music, Arts & Culture Documentary

• Are You Blind or What? (Midlands 103)
• Building a Ballet (The Lyric Feature) (RTÉ Lyric FM)
• Give Kate Bush Back to the Irish (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Louder Than Bombs – The Smiths in Ireland, Nov 84 (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Magic on a Winter’s Night (Lyric Feature) (RTÉ Lyric FM)
• The Trashcan Sinatras (Radio Nova)

C3: Short Feature

• Henry McKean Reports (Newstalk)
• Poetry People Reports Dave MacArdle (RTÉ Radio 1)
• The Greatest Gender Benders of Music (Radio Nova)
• The Story Behind The Song (Clare FM)
• Where Life Sounds Greener (RTÉ Lyric FM)

C4: Magazine Programme

• Atlantic Tales (Clare FM)
• Moncrieff (Newstalk)
• Saturday View (Midlands 103)
• Saturday with John Toal – Christmas at John’s (BBC Radio Ulster)
• TY Takeover (Galway Bay FM)

C5: Drama

• Assume Nothing: The Handler – Six Months in Hell – Episode 2 (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Drama On One – Helen Wheels by Fionn Foley (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Miracle On McCurtain Street – Lorraine and Ross (Cork’s 96FM)
• Sandwich (Newstalk)
• Shinaid (RTÉ Radio, Drama on One)

C6: Specialist Speech Programme

• Alright, Pet? (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Feather and Flock (Lyric Feature) (RTÉ Lyric FM)
• FM104’s Come In (FM104)
• Futureproof (Newstalk)
• The Home Show (Newstalk)

C7: Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge

• Cosán na mBan (RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta)
• Hit 30 (SPIN 1038)
• Ón Domhan Thíos (RTÉjr / RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta)
• Splanc le Cuán Ó Flatharta (Newstalk)
• The Magic of An Ríocht (Radio Kerry)

C8: Interactive Speech Programme

• Liveline (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Lunchtime Live (Newstalk)
• Night Time Talk with Lauren O’Sullivan (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• One Giant Leap on The Neil Prendeville Show (Cork’s RedFM)
• The Stephen Nolan Show (BBC Radio Ulster)

C9: Sustainability

• Ecolution (RTÉjr Radio)
• Gardeners’ Corner with David Maxwell (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Public Transport in 90 Minutes (98FM)
• Waterford in Action – A Climate Discussion (WLR FM)
• We Only Want The Earth (Lyric Feature series) (RTÉ Lyric FM)

D: General Awards

D1: Community/Social Action

• 2FM – Stand Up Awareness Week (2FM)
• 98FM’s Best of Dublin Awards (98FM)
• Blue Monday (98FM)
• Cork’s 96FM Giving for Living Radiothon (Cork’s 96FM)
• Men’s Health Matters (WLR FM)

D2: On-air Competition/Promotion

• Back to the Future – Simon Harris Day (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• Dead Air (98FM)
• FM104’s Quid Games with Graham and Nathan (FM104)
• Gift Grub Turns 25 (Today FM)
• The Grand Tour (iRadio)

D3: Station Imaging

• Cork’s 96FM
• FM104
• Radio Nova
• SPIN 1038
• Today FM

D4: Entertainment Inserts

• A Very Moore-y Christmas (Today FM)
• Emma, Dave and Aisling’s Swaptember (SPIN 1038)
• Gift Grub on The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show (Today FM)
• RedFM Breakfast with KC – The 10 Past 8 Bits (Cork’s RedFM)
• This Is – Lorraine and Ross in the Morning (Cork’s 96FM)

D5: Digital & Social Innovation

• Beat’s Digital Media Literacy Tour (Beat 102-103)
• Dave & Fionnuala’s Grand Tour (iRadio)
• Emma, Dave & Aisling’s Swaptember – Dave’s Dream Day (SPIN 1038)
• FM104’s Quid Games with Graham and Nathan (FM104)
• Inner Drive (Newstalk)

D6: Radio Station Podcast of the Year

• Inside Ireland’s Rising Right (Newstalk)
• Inside the Crime (Newstalk)
• Let Me Explain with Sean Defoe (Newstalk)
• Runaway Joe (RTÉ Radio 1)
• The Real Carrie Jade (RTÉ Radio 1)

E: People Awards

E1: Music & Entertainment Presenter of the Year

• Dave Duke (iRadio)
• Emma Nolan (SPIN 1038)
• Graham O’Toole (FM104)
• Ian Dempsey (Today FM)
• KC (Cork’s RedFM)

E2: Radio DJ of the Year

• Brian McEvoy (Cork’s 96FM)
• Eve Blair (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Jess Spencer (SPIN 1038)
• Louise Duffy (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Simon Murdoch (Cork’s 96FM)

E3: Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year

• Ann Marie Kelly (Midlands 103)
• JJ O’Shea (Radio Kerry)
• Kieran McGuinness (Radio Nova)
• Ralph McLean (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Stephen McCauley (BBC Radio Ulster)

E4: News Broadcaster of the Year

• Alex Rowley (SPIN 1038)
• Chris Buckler (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Declan Harvey (BBC Radio Ulster)
• Fionnuala Corbett (iRadio)
• Shane Beatty (Newstalk)

E5: News Reporter of the Year

• Barry Lenihan (RTÉ Radio 1)
• Cian McCormack (RTÉ Radio 1)
• David Nevin (Galway Bay FM)
• Henry McKean (Newstalk)
• Sheila Naughton (Newstalk)

E6: Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service

• Aisling O’Reilly (Newstalk)
• Eoin Sheahan (Newstalk)
• John Duggan (Newstalk)
• Nathan Murphy (Newstalk)

E7: Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional

• Austin O’Callaghan (Ocean FM)
• Derrick Lynch (Clare FM)
• Donal Ryan (Ocean FM)
• Eric White (BBC Radio Foyle)
• Tim Moynihan (Radio Kerry)

E8: Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service

• Andrea Gilligan (Newstalk)
• Ciara Kelly (Newstalk)
• Pat Kenny (Newstalk)
• Sean Moncrieff (Newstalk)
• William Crawley (BBC Radio Ulster)

E9: Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional

• Alan Morrissey (Clare FM)
• Mark Patterson (BBC Radio Foyle)
• Neil Prendeville (Cork’s RedFM)
• Niall Delaney (Ocean FM)
• Patricia Messinger (C103 Cork)

E10: The Gay Byrne Award – Newcomer of the Year

• Dan Dooner (Shannonside Northern Sound)
• Gary Brennan (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• Luke Delaney (Dublin’s Q102)
• Nicky Manley (Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio)
• Zeinab Elguzouli (FM104)

F: Station of the Year Awards

F1: Radio Moment of the Year

• Go Back to Your Country – Exposing Exploitation (LMFM)
• Liveline – Live from the Stardust Verdict (RTÉ Radio 1)
• The Portal’s Funeral (SPIN 1038)
• Who Cares for the Carers? (Newstalk)
• Why Me? (LMFM)

F2: Local Station of the Year

• Shortlisted entries will be revealed on the night

F3: Music Station of the Year

Shortlisted entries will be revealed on the night

F4: National Station of the Year

• Shortlisted entries will be revealed on the night

This year’s awards are back in Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny on Friday 4 October. A full list of winners from the 2023 IMRO Radio Awards can be found here.