The hosts, performers and presenters have been announced for the 31st Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) being in Brisbane on 19 October.
The ACRAs recognise excellence in commercial radio broadcasting across entertainment, news, talk and sport.
Hosting the event for the fourth year in a row will be Chris Taylor and Andrew Hansen from The Chaser, who are regularly heard on Triple M on Radio Chaser.
Taylor and Hansen said: “Please don’t mention in the press release that we’re hosting again. We’re going to host the event wearing elaborate animal masks, and then invite the audience to guess who we are.”
Radio stars from across the country will join the hosts on stage to present awards, including:
- Ben Fordham – Macquarie Media Limited (2GB)
- Kate Ritchie & Tim Blackwell – NOVA Entertainment (NOVA FM)
- Brendan “Jonesy” Jones & Amanda Keller – Australian Radio Network (WSFM 101.7)
- Carrie Bickmore & Tommy Little – Southern Cross Austereo (Hit Network)
- Melissa Doyle & Richard Wilkins – NOVA Entertainment (smoothfm)
- Mick Molloy & Jane Kennedy – Southern Cross Austereo (Triple M Network)
- Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald & Michael “Wippa” Wipfli – NOVA Entertainment (NOVA 96.9)
- Lawrence Mooney, Jess Eva, Chris Page & Gus Worland – Southern Cross Austereo (Triple M 104.9)
- Chrissie Swan & Jonathan “Browny” Brown – NOVA Entertainment (NOVA 100)
- Erin Molan & Natalie Peters – Macquarie Media Limited (2GB)
- Michael “Mike E” Etheridge & Emma Chow – Australian Radio Network (The Edge 96.1)
- Bianca Dye – Australian Radio Network (97.3FM)
- Laurel Edwards – Australian Radio Network (4KQ)
- Sarah Wills & Lise Carlaw (Those Two Girls) – Southern Cross Austereo (Hit Network)
- Gavin Miller – Australian Radio Network (Gold 104.3)
- Ashley “Ash” Bradnam, Kip Wightman, David “Luttsy” Lutteral & Susie O’Neill – NOVA Entertainment (NOVA 106.9)
Three of Australian music’s brightest stars will perform at the event. Global sensation Morgan Evans, ARIA Award winner Samantha Jade and hip hop artist Illy will entertain the who’s who of commercial radio at the event in Brisbane.
Nashville-based and Newcastle-born star Evans made a name for himself globally in country music after he burst onto the scene with his chart-topping single ‘Kiss Somebody’, which achieved ARIA Platinum status, and follow up ‘Day Drunk’, which went Double Platinum in Australia.
Both singles are off his album Things That We Drink To, which debuted at #5 on the ARIA charts. Evans is the winner of two APRA Music Awards for Country Work of the Year (2018 and 2019), five CMC Awards and an America’s Country Music Association Award for Global Artist of the Year.
Popular ARIA Award-winning singer and songwriter Jade returned to the ARIA charts and Australian radio in September with her latest single ‘Bounce’. Her hits include ‘What You’ve Done To Me’, ‘Soldier’, ‘Up!’, ‘Sweet Talk’, ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Shake That’, which was a collaboration with Pitbull. ‘Firestarter’ was awarded an ARIA for Best Video. Her album NINE, which was released in 2015, reached #2 on the ARIA charts.
Two-time APRA Award winner (Best Urban Act in 2017 and 2018) Illy has released a series of popular singles and albums, including the 2014 Top 20 Double Platinum single ‘Tightrope’, hit track ‘Catch 22’ (featuring Anne-Marie) and single ‘Papercuts’ (featuring Vera Blue), which reached #2 on the ARIA charts and went 5 x Platinum. His 2016 album Two Degrees debuted at #1 on the ARIA albums chart and his Two Degrees Tour was awarded an ARIA for Best Live Act in 2017. In May 2019 he released ‘Then What’, the first single from his upcoming sixth studio album.
CRA CEO Joan Warner said: “What could be a better way to celebrate commercial radio in Australia than by showcasing not only some of our best radio talent but also some of the amazing and diverse local artists whose songs are played on radio stations across the country?”
The list of ACRAs finalists is available here. Tickets for the Australian Commercial Radio Awards and Radio Alive 2019 national conference are on sale through Commercial Radio Australia here.
