Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has revealed the finalists for the 29th annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) in October.
Last year’s winners in the FM category, Kate, Tim and Marty (Nova) are amongst the finalists that include five-time winners Kyle & Jackie O (KIIS FM), three-time winners Hamish & Andy (Hit Network), Fifi, Dave, Fev & Byron (Fox FM), Chrissie, Sam & Browny (Nova), and Hughesy & Kate (KIIS FM).
The Metropolitan Best On Air Team AM title will be a contest between last year’s winner, Nights with Steve Price (2GB), The Big Sports Breakfast with Slats & TK (Sky Sports Radio), Breakfast with Steve Mills & Basil Zempilas (6PR), The Continuous Call Team (2GB), and Breakfast with David Penberthy & Will Goodings (FIVEaa).
Another highly competitive category is Best Current Affairs Presenter, with five-time category winner Neil Mitchell (3AW) up against three-time category winner Ray Hadley (2GB), three-time ACRA winner Ben Fordham (2GB) and FIVEaa’s Leon Byner.
Fordham, Hadley and Mitchell are also competing for the Best Talk Presenter gong up against 3AW’s Tom Elliot.
Other major award categories include Best News Presenter FM & AM, Best Sports Presenter and Best Music/Entertainment Presenter, which sees Carrie Bickmore (Hit Network) up against smoothfm’s Melissa Doyle, Nova’s Tim Blackwell and Kent “Smallzy” Small, and KIIS FM’s Gordie Waters.
This year’s metro finalists for Best Newcomer On-Air include Erin Molan (2GB), Matthew Dyktynski (Mix 94.5), Isa Guha (Triple M) and Rebecca Judd (KIIS FM).
Click here to view the full list of finalists.
Entries were received from 260 metropolitan and regional radio stations across Australia. Stations outside the metropolitan areas are well represented at the ACRAs, with more than 200 finalists from country and provincial stations.
This year, the gala black-tie event will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 14 October.
CRA chief executive Joan Warner said: “The ACRAs are a much-anticipated event within a highly competitive radio industry, bringing together radio personalities, executives and station staff to celebrate achievement in the industry.”
