In a year when radio has shown its continuing importance to Irish life, today the IMRO Radio Awards 2020 shortlist has been revealed. 673 entries were received for this year’s Awards, an increase on 2019. Due to government guidelines, there will be a Virtual Live Stream event on Friday 2nd October 2020 in place of the usual gala dinner.
Last week the 105 judges led by Chair of the Judges, Peter McPartlin, spent over 42 hours on Zoom narrowing down the entries to form the shortlist. Peter and the judges commented the outstanding creativity and broadcasting quality this year particularly through the difficulties of lockdown when so many radio programmes were being broadcast from the homes across the country to the homes of listeners. The quality of the entries from all over the island of Ireland can be seen in this year’s outstanding shortlist.
Commenting, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle said “Radio has had some of its finest moments over the last twelve months. We are delighted to celebrate the work of all those involved in the industry this year as much as any other year. We’ve shared the good news and the bad news stories, but we’ve always been there for the listeners.”
Chairperson of Awards title sponsors IMRO Eleanor McEvoy said ““In the bizarre times of the COVID-19 pandemic, radio has kept us entertained, kept us informed and kept us sane. We now have an obligation to keep everyone safe, so we are very much looking forward to taking the radio awards online on October 2nd to celebrate the excellence and creativity of broadcasters from right throughout Ireland. We would like to congratulate those of you who have been shortlisted and we wish you the very best of luck for the awards ceremony.”
Michael O’Keefe Chief Executive of sponsor Broadcasting Authority of Ireland said “The BAI is once again delighted to support the annual IMRO Radio Awards. 2020 has seen the most challenging times for the radio sector for many years. It is to the tremendous credit of the sector that it has continued to deliver top quality programming to its listeners throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This would not be possible without the station personnel who deliver such a wide and diverse range of high quality programming every day. The BAI congratulates all the nominees for their continued excellence in serving the listening public in Ireland with great radio and we wish them all the best of luck on the Awards night in October”
IMRO Radio Awards 2020 Shortlist
Category title:
Shortlist:
Station
A1
General Music Programme
98FM’s The Fix with Ciaran O’Connor
98FM
Dermot and Dave
Today FM
Lunchtime with Mairéad Ronan
Today FM
The Saturday Soundtrack with Peter Devlin
Radio Nova
The Zoo Crew on SPIN
SPIN1038
A2
Specialist Music Programme
Céilí House
RTÉ Radio 1
Ed’s National Anthems
Today FM
iGnite
iRadio
The Paul McLoone Show
Today FM
The Tom Dunne Show
Newstalk
A3
Breakfast Programme
2fm Breakfast with Doireann and Eoghan
RTÉ 2fm
FM104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock
FM104
Fully Charged with Graham and Nathan
SPIN1038
KC and Ross in the Morning on Cork’s 96fm
Cork’s 96FM
The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show
Today FM
A4
Music Special / Music Event
Éirevision
iRadio
Foyle at 40 Gala
BBC Radio Foyle
Fully Charged’s Rugby World Cup Song
SPIN1038
The Sailortown Sessions
BBC Radio Ulster
Tracy Clifford’s Studio 8 with Dermot Kennedy
RTÉ 2fm
A5
Irish Music Programme or Initiative
98FM’s Totally Irish
98FM
ATL Introducing
BBC Radio Ulster
Gradaim Cheoil NÓS
RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta
Irishbeats on Beat 102-103
Beat 102-103
Vicar Street Replugged
Ocean fm
B1
News Story/News Event
Farmers at the Gates
Shannonside
Matt Damon in Dalkey
SPIN1038
Owen Mor Care Home Scandal
BBC Radio Foyle
Polish Poitin – The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s Red FM
Cork’s RedFM
(Un) Just Transition
Midlands 103
Unprecedented Times
BBC Radio Ulster
B2
News Programme – Full Service
Breakfast Briefing with Andrea Gilligan
Newstalk
Evening Extra
BBC Radio Ulster
Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh
Newstalk
This Week Special Report – Carers and Covid-19
RTÉ Radio 1
B3
News Programme – Local / Regional
Downtown Radio and Cool FM News Team
Downtown Radio and Cool FM
Main Lunchtime News – Cork’s 96FM
Cork’s 96FM
News at One
Shannonside FM
The Breakfast Show
BBC Radio Foyle
B4
Current Affairs Programme – Full Service
Between The Lines
Newstalk
Good Morning Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra – Rationing PPE in Nursing Homes
RTÉ Radio 1
The Hard Shoulder
Newstalk
The Pat Kenny Show
Newstalk
B5
Current Affairs Programme – Local / Regional
CorkToday – The Farm, The Land, The Beef
C103 Cork
Deise Today on WLR
WLR FM
Kerry Today
Radio Kerry
South East Radio’s Morning Mix
South East Radio
The Morning Show with Declan Meehan
East Coast FM
B6
Sports Story
Ireland at the Rugby World Cup
Newstalk
Michael O’Hehir – Remembered at 100
RTÉ Radio 1
Roy Keane and Gary Neville
Newstalk
The Clara Jug – Four Days in Portrush
RTÉ Radio 1
UnBEATable
Beat 102 103
B7
Sports Programme – Full Service
Dublin’s 5 In a Row (Saturday Sport)
RTE Radio 1
Off The Ball
Newstalk
Off The Ball Live
Newstalk
Remembering O’Hehir – The Voice of Sport
RTE Radio 1
The Clara Jug – Four Days In Portrush
RTE Radio 1
B8
Sports Programme – Local/Regional
Big Ball Small Ball with Valerie Wheeler
Spin South West
98FM’s Now That’s What I Call Sport with Jamie Moore
98FM
Foyle Sportsound
BBC Radio Foyle
Terrace Talk
Radio Kerry
Weekend Sports
Radio Kerry
C1
Documentary
Born this Way – a Documentary on Beat
Beat 102 103
Breast Cancer and me
WLR FM
Documentary on One: The Case of Majella Moynihan
RTE Radio 1
Documentary on One: Benjy the Little Gay Bull
RTE Radio 1
Egg Money
Curious Broadcast/Newstalk
In Search of Horrid Henry
Galway Bay FM
C2
Arts, Music & Culture Documentary
ANIMALS: Flea
RTE Radio 1 Extra
Documentary on One – The Whistleblower
RTE Radio 1
Liam Clancy – The Road Less Travelled on WLR
WLR FM
The Arts Show – Surrealism Special
BBC Radio Ulster
The Lyric Feature: Ethel Voynich – Music, Mystery and Manuscripts
RTE Lyric FM
C3
Short Feature
Big Breakfast Little Stories on WLR
WLR FM
Dublin Inner City Regeneration Series
RTÉ Radio 1
Jonathan Healy Reports
Newstalk
Keywords – Am I?/Common Ground
RTÉ Radio 1 Extra
Women’s Bits
KCLR
C4
Magazine Programme
Countrywide
RTÉ Radio 1
Moncrieff
Newstalk
SPIN1038’s Plan B
SPIN1038
The John Toal Show
BBC Radio Ulster
The Open Door
Midlands 103
C5
Drama
Drama On One – Christie by Sean O’Gorman
RTE Radio 1
Drama On One – Eureka Dunes by Philip Davison
RTE Radio 1
Drama On One – Krakow by Peter Sirr
RTE Radio 1
Drama On One – Leaba an Bháis le Darach Mac Con Iomaire
RTE Radio 1
YouthQuake on WLR
WLR FM
C6
Specialist Speech Programme
All This Happened, Chapter 2: We Shall Overcome
RTE Radio 1
Awesome Irish Women…from the Past! (Episode 5: Fighters)
RTE Jnr Radio
Futureproof
Newstalk
Musical Map of Ireland
RTE Radio 1
Kerrywide
Radio Kerry
C7
Craoltóireacht le Gaeilge
Ár bPéire – Dónall Mac Ruairí
RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta
Bladhaire
RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta
Blas Ceoil (O.B. Bóthar Seoighe)
BBC Radio Uladh
Ceol Anocht
KCLR
Splanc
Newstalk
C8
Interactive Speech Programme
98FM’s Dublin Talks
98FM
Love At First Sight – The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s RedFM
Corks Red FM
Lunchtime Live
Newstalk
The Green Door – North West Today
Ocean fm
The Nolan Show
BBC Radio Ulster
D1
Community/Social Action
Cash for Kids Day 2019
Downtown/Cool FM
FM104’s Mind Your Noggin
FM104
Formal Friday
Communicorp Media
Living with a Disability
Newstalk
Shine Your Light
RTE Radio 1
D2
On-Air Competition / Promotion
Fully Charged’s Gotta Get It Wrong
SPIN1038
Gone in 96 Seconds – Cork’s 96FM
Cork’s 96FM
Leap of Faith on Beat
Beat 102-103
Noni’s Chawwwwklit Chase – Dermot and Dave on Today FM
Today FM
Two Minute Tales
BBC Radio Ulster
D3
Station Imaging
98FM
98FM
KCLR
KCLR
Newstalk
Newstalk
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
SPIN1038
SPIN1038
D4
Entertainment Inserts
Ask Audrey on Dave Mac’s Drive
Cork’s RedFM
FM104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock
FM104
Gift Grub – The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show
Today FM
KC and Ross in the Morning on Cork’s 96FM – The Ten Past 8 Bit
Cork’s 96FM
Kilian Pettit
Cork’s RedFM
D5
Digital and Social Innovation
Dermot and Dave’s Live Date-Today FM
Today FM
iGoHome
iRadio
The Exit Poll
Ocean fm
Today FM Know It All Ireland Quiz
Today FM
Virtual Concert for Essential Workers
Clare fm
D6
Podcast of the Year
98FM’s Nobody Told Me
98FM
Ecolution
RTE Radio Jnr
Getting Away With Murder
BBC Radio Ulster
Graham and Nathan’s Little Big Podcast
Spin 1038
The Nobody Zone
RTE Radio 1
E1
Music and Entertainment Presenter of the Year
Colm Hayes
Radio Nova
Dermot Whelan
Today FM
Jim-Jim Nugent
FM104
KC on Cork’s 96FM
Cork’s 96FM
Ray Foley
Cork’s Red FM
E2
Radio DJ of the Year
Barry Dunne
98FM
David Hammond
BEAT 102 103
Emma Nolan
FM104
Jessica Maciel
Today FM
Kayte O’Malley
iRadio
E3
Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year
John Toal
BBC Radio Ulster
Kieran McGuinness
Radio Nova
Stephen McCauley
BBC Radio Ulster
Stuart Banford
Downtown Country
Tom Dunne
Newstalk
E4
News Broadcaster of the Year
Eamonn Torsney
Newstalk
Elaine McGee
BBC Radio Foyle
Fionnuala Corbett
iRadio
Gavin McLoughlin
Newstalk
Susan Keogh
Newstalk
E5
News Reporter of the Year
Cian McCormack
RTÉ Radio 1
Damien Tiernan on WLR
WLR FM
Helen Jones
BBC Radio Ulster
John Cooke
RTÉ Radio 1
Kacey O’Riordan
98FM
E6
Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service
Joe Molloy
Newstalk
Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh
Newstalk
Marie Crowe
RTÉ 2FM
Nathan Murphy
Newstalk
Nikki Gregg
BBC Radio Ulster
E7
Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Local / Regional
Austin O’Callaghan
Ocean FM
Eric White
BBC Radio Foyle
Luke Liddy
Live 95
Sean McCaffrey
Shannonside Northern Sound
Trevor Welch
Cork’s 96FM
E8
Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service
Ciara Kelly
Newstalk
Damien O’Reilly
RTE Radio 1
Ivan Yates
Newstalk
Kieran Cuddihy
Newstalk
Mario Rosenstock
Today FM
E9
Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Local / Regional
Damien Tiernan on WLR
WLR FM
Gerry Kelly
LMFM
The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s RedFM
Cork’s Red FM
Niall Delaney
Ocean FM
South East Radio’s Alan Corcoran
South East Radio
E10
The Gay Byrne Award – Newcomer of the Year Award
Brendan Bracken
iRadio
Ciarán Bennett
iRadio
Connor Brennan
Go Q Radio
Maxine Bramley
Live 95fm
Michelle Heffernan
BEAT 102 103
Sarah McKinley
Downtown and Cool FM
F1
Radio Moment of the Year
Conor’s Magical Funeral – The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s Red FM
Cork’s Red FM
Matt Damon on SPIN1038
SPIN 1038
OTB Roadshow – Roy Keane and Gary Neville
Newstalk
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