Independent Radio Sector celebrates 28 gold awards at IMRO Radio Awards 2023.

The IMRO Radio Awards took place on Friday 6th October 2023 and the Independent Radio Sector picked up 28 Gold Awards on the night. The sector swept the board with National Station of the Year going to Newstalk, Local Station of the Year going to Clare FM, and Music Station of the Year going to SPIN 1038. The awards were presented on Friday evening at the annual industry event, hosted by comedian and broadcaster Oliver Callan, at Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny.  

Four inductees to the Hall of Fame took to the stage at the Lyrath. John Bennett MBE (BBC Radio Ulster), Joe Finnegan (Shannonside/Northern Sound), Paddy Halpenny (formerly of Communicorp) and Mary Wilson (RTÉ Radio 1) were greeted with a standing ovation for their contributions to Irish Radio. 

The Outstanding Achievement Award this year was won by Radiocentre Ireland and was accepted by Ciaran Cunningham, CEO of Radiocentre Ireland. 

Speaking at the event was IMRO Radio Awards Committee Chairman Chris Doyle. He said “It is great to have the radio sector come together and celebrate the outstanding creativity and talent producing amazing radio in Ireland. Congratulations to all the winners.” 

Chairperson of IMRO, Eleanor McEvoy, said, “The IMRO Radio Awards honour the dedicated professionals who have consistently pushed the boundaries of radio broadcasting, bringing innovation, inspiration and entertainment to their listeners. On behalf of IMRO, I would like to congratulate tonight’s winners. You have raised the bar, and your passion for radio continues to light up the lives of listeners throughout the entire country.” 

Celene Craig, Broadcasting Commissioner, commented, “Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new media regulator and development agency, would like to congratulate all nominees and winners this evening. An Coimisiún is delighted to celebrate the talent and innovation at work across the radio sector today and recognises that both winners and nominees tonight are an example of broadcasting expertise and experience that delivers quality programming day in and day out for listeners. We are delighted to sponsor the Awards and would like to extend our congratulations to all involved.” 

Speaking about Newstalk winning National Station of the Year, Patricia Monahan, Managing Editor at Newstalk, said: "We are delighted to be named National Station of the Year and especially to hear the judges recognise the connection we have with our listeners and the variety of content we produce across any given day. It is great recognition of the entire team's creativity and passion and a really proud moment which makes me feel very privileged to lead such a talented team."

Speaking about Clare FM winning Local Station of the Year, Padraic Flaherty, Programme Director & Head of Operations at Clare FM, said: "Winning this award is a moment of great pride for us at Clare FM. We have been striving for this achievement for the past 5 years, coming so close each time. Our mission at Clare FM is to inform and entertain our audience while staying true to our Clare roots. We have an incredibly talented team who are dedicated to bringing the very best of Clare to our listeners. Winning Local Station of the Year is a testament to their hard work and professionalism. We are absolutely thrilled to receive this recognition."

Speaking about SPIN 1038 winning Music Station of the Year, Nick Karkazis, Managing Editor of The SPIN Network, said: “Everyone who works at SPIN is extremely passionate about the brand and I believe that’s SPIN’s magic sauce. It’s what makes winning this award so special. Having the work we do recognised by our peers in this incredible industry is extremely rewarding and means the world to us. I couldn’t be prouder of the team for this achievement and it’s an honour to win this award.”

In addition to Newstalk, Spin 1038 and Clare FM, gold awards were picked up by 98FM, iRadio, WLR FM, Radio Kerry, Corks 96FM, Galway Bay FM, LMFM, Highland Radio, Today FM, FM104, Q102, Wireless and Urban Media. The big winners at National level were Newstalk with 4 Gold Awards closely followed by Today FM with 3 Gold Awards.  At a local level Radio Kerry came out on top with 4 Gold Awards followed by Corks 96FM with 3 Gold Awards. 

Congratulations to all those who received Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and to all those who were shortlisted, radio is definitely alive and booming in Ireland.  Here's to IMRO's 2024. 

 

The full list of winners can be found at IMRO Radio Awards 2023.