26 Gold Awards for Learning Waves members at IMRO Radio Awards 2020.

The IMRO Radio Awards took place virtually on Friday 2nd October 2020, hosted by Dermot Whelan from Today FM, the event was streamed live across the country for first time in the awards history.  It was a night where the radio industry came together virtually, dressed up and dressed down, to celebrate the wonderful medium of radio.  Congratulations to all of the winners on the night and it is a night when radio and all of those who work in the wonderful medium are winners.

The Independent Commercial Radio Sector took the three big awards on the night with Newstalk winning Overall Full Station of the Year for the second year in a row.  Corks Red FM took the award for Music Station of the Year while neighbouring station WLR FM took the Local Station of the Year award for the second time in a row also.  

It was a night when the Independent Sector took home 26 of the 41 Gold awards.  Newstalk won 9 Gold Awards with Ciara Kelly winning Speech Broadcaster of the Year, Susan Keogh winning News Broadcaster of the Year, Joe Molloy taking Gold for Sports Broadcaster of the Year, Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh winning Gold for News Programme of the Year, the Hard Shoulder winning Gold for Current Affairs Programme of the Year, Gold for Sports Story of the Year with Roy Keane and Gary Neville, the Station Imaging Award, the Community and Social Action Award for their programme on Living with Diasability and overall Full Service Station of the Year.   

It was a big night for Dave Hammond from Beat 102-103 who won the award for Radio DJ of the Year, for which he received a silver in 2019, and Gold in 2018.   Valerie Wheeler from Spin South West took home Gold for her sports programme Big Ball Small Ball.  Kacey O'Riordan who started her career in LMFM and moved to 98FM two years ago won Gold for News Reporter of the Year.  Beat 102-103 were also celebrating a Gold Award for their On-Air Competition/Promotion, Leap of Faith. 

WLR FM had plenty of reasons to celebrate, not only winning local station of the year, presenter Damien Tiernan won Speech Broadcaster of the Year - Local/Regional, and his programme, Deise Today won Gold in the Current Affairs Programme - Local/Regional for 2020.  The Gold for Short Feature of the Year also went to WLR FM for Big Breakfast Little Stories on the station. 

The host, Whelan was taken by surprise when Michael O'Keeffe presented him with Gold for General Music Programme of the Year for the Dermot and Dave Show on Today FM, and again when he was presented with Gold for Music and Entertainment Presenter of the Year.  In addition to this, Today FM scooped Gold for Entertainment Inserts, Gift Grub on the Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show, the Digital and Social Innovation Award for the Today FM : Know it All Ireland Quiz.  

Spin 103.8 were celebrating as their scoop with Matt Damon while he was living in Dublin during lockdown won Gold for News Story/News Event of the Year and the station also won Gold for Radio Moment of the Year for the same story.  The station also took Gold in the Music Special/Music Event for their Fully Charged's Rugby World Cup Song.

Corks 96FM were celebrating as Trevor Welch won Sports Broadcaster of the Year - Local/Regional.

In addition to Gold Awards, the sector picked up 23 Silver awards and 28 Bronze Awards.  Congratulations to all our members.

Full details of all winners can be seen on www.imroradioawards.ie/winners-2020

 

Published 5th October 2020