Top rating breakfast program The Kyle and Jackie O Show scooped the big prize at the the Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) announced in Brisbane on Saturday.
The Southern Cross Austereo pair, who won their 50th consecutive ratings survey last month, took out the Best On-Air Team (Metro FM) category.
After almost a decade on air together, this latest accolade can be added to winning the top ACRA award three times previously.
Producer of the program, Gemma O’Neill, won Best Show Producer (Entertainment/Music).
Winner of the Best On-Air Team (Metro AM) was Melbourne 3AW’s breakfast team, Ross Stevenson and John Burns, who took home the gong for the seconfd time.
Nova’s Sydney breakfast team, Fitzy and Wippa (Ryan Fitzgerald & Michael Wipfli), won three awards, including Best Networked Program for the Best of Fitzy & Wippa, Best Station Produced Comedy Segment for Cookie Jars Parody and Best Multimedia Execution for their many well known song parodies.
WSFM’s Jonesy and Amanda, last year’s winner of the Best On Air Team (Metro FM), took out the best Syndicated Program for ‘My Generation’. Best Newcomer to radio went to Jane Hall, Mix 101.1 Melbourne presenter who co-hosts the breakfast show with Chrissie Swan.
Best Current Affairs Presenter went to 3AW presenter Neil Mitchell for the second year running, while Best Talk Presenter went to 2GB’s Ray Hadley.
Deborah Clay, 2Day FM, Sydney (SCA) won the Brian White Memorial award which recognises sustained achievement and effort across news, current affairs, entertainment and sports reporting.
CEO of Commercial Radio, Joan Warner, said: “Australian radio is world class and boasts an extremely high standard of broadcasting. Each year, recipients of these awards continue to impress and consistently deliver on providing great radio for millions of listeners throughout the country.”
One of radio’s most respected station owners, Kevin Blyton, founder of the Capital Radio Network, was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame. Kevin began his involvement in commercial radio 35 years ago as an announcer at 2XL Cooma and built up a successful network of stations in Canberra, Perth and regional New South Wales. The Hall of Fame recognises outstanding lifetime achievement and contribution to the radio broadcasting industry.
The ACRAS, organised by Commercial Radio Australia, cover all metropolitan, provincial and country commercial radio stations with winners announced for each of these areas in 34 categories.
