The IMRO Radio Awards 2020 shortlist has been revealed.
See the full list here or scroll down.
673 entries were received with 105 judges taking part in whittling them down. This year, the awards ceremony will take place as a virtual livestream due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle said “Radio has had some of its finest moments over the last twelve months. We are delighted to celebrate the work of all those involved in the industry this year as much as any other year. We’ve shared the good news and the bad news stories, but we’ve always been there for the listeners.”
Chairperson of Awards title sponsors IMRO Eleanor McEvoy said “In the bizarre times of the COVID-19 pandemic, radio has kept us entertained, kept us informed and kept us sane. We now have an obligation to keep everyone safe, so we are very much looking forward to taking the radio awards online on October 2nd to celebrate the excellence and creativity of broadcasters from right throughout Ireland.”
Michael O’Keefe Chief Executive of sponsor Broadcasting Authority of Ireland said “The BAI is once again delighted to support the annual IMRO Radio Awards. 2020 has seen the most challenging times for the radio sector for many years. It is to the tremendous credit of the sector that it has continued to deliver top quality programming to its listeners throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This would not be possible without the station personnel who deliver such a wide and diverse range of high quality programming every day.”
| Category | Station |
| A1 | |
| General Music Programme | |
| 98FM’s The Fix with Ciaran O’Connor | 98FM |
| Dermot and Dave | Today FM |
| Lunchtime with Mairéad Ronan | Today FM |
| The Saturday Soundtrack with Peter Devlin | Radio Nova |
| The Zoo Crew on Spin | SPIN 1038 |
| A2 | |
| Specialist Music Programme | |
| Céilí House | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Ed’s National Anthems | Today FM |
| iGnite | iRadio |
| The Paul McLoone Show | Today FM |
| The Tom Dunne Show | Newstalk |
| A3 | |
| Breakfast Programme | |
| 2fm Breakfast with Doireann and Eoghan | RTÉ 2fm |
| FM104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock | FM104 |
| Fully Charged with Graham and Nathan | SPIN 1038 |
| KC and Ross in the Morning on Cork’s 96fm | Cork’s 96FM |
| The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show | Today FM |
| A4 | |
| Music Special/Music Event | |
| Éirevision | iRadio |
| Foyle at 40 Gala | BBC Radio Foyle |
| Fully Charged’s Rugby World Cup Song | SPIN1038 |
| The Sailortown Sessions | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Tracy Clifford’s Studio 8 with Dermot Kennedy | RTÉ 2fm |
| A5 | |
| Irish Music Programme or Initiative | |
| 98FM’s Totally Irish | 98FM |
| ATL Introducing | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Gradaim Cheoil NÓS | RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta |
| Irishbeats on Beat 102-103 | Beat 102-103 |
| Vicar Street Replugged | Ocean FM |
| B1 | |
| News Story/News Event | |
| Farmers at the Gates | Shannonside |
| Matt Damon in Dalkey | SPIN1038 |
| Owen Mor Care Home Scandal | BBC Radio Foyle |
| Polish Poitin – The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s Red FM | Cork’s RedFM |
| (Un) Just Transition | Midlands 103 |
| Unprecedented Times | BBC Radio Ulster |
| B2 | |
| News Programme – Full Service | |
| Breakfast Briefing with Andrea Gilligan | Newstalk |
| Evening Extra | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh | Newstalk |
| This Week Special Report – Carers and COVID-19 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| B3 | |
| News Programme – Local/Regional | |
| Downtown Radio and Cool FM News Team | Downtown Radio and Cool FM |
| Main Lunchtime News – Cork’s 96FM | Cork’s 96FM |
| News at One | Shannonside FM |
| The Breakfast Show | BBC Radio Foyle |
| B4 | |
| Current Affairs Programme – Full Service | |
| Between The Lines | Newstalk |
| Good Morning Ulster | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra – Rationing PPE in Nursing Homes | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| The Hard Shoulder | Newstalk |
| The Pat Kenny Show | Newstalk |
| B5 | |
| Current Affairs Programme – Local/Regional | |
| CorkToday – The Farm, The Land, The Beef | C103 Cork |
| Deise Today on WLR | WLR FM |
| Kerry Today | Radio Kerry |
| South East Radio’s Morning Mix | South East Radio |
| The Morning Show with Declan Meehan | East Coast FM |
| B6 | |
| Sports Story | |
| Ireland at the Rugby World Cup | Newstalk |
| Michael O’Hehir – Remebered at 100 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Roy Keane and Gary Neville | Newstalk |
| The Clara Jug – Four Days in Portrush | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| UnBEATable | Beat 102-103 |
| B7 | |
| Sports Programme – Full Service | |
| Dublin’s 5 In A Row (Saturday Sport) | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Off The Ball | Newstalk |
| Off The Ball Live | Newstalk |
| Remembering O’Hehir – The Voice of Sport | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| The Clara Jug – Four Days in Portrush | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| B8 | |
| Sports Programme – Local/Regional | |
| Big Ball Small Ball with Valerie Wheeler | Spin South West |
| 98FM’s Now That’s What I Call Sport with Jamie Moore | 98FM |
| Foyle Sportsound | BBC Radio Foyle |
| Terrace Talk | Radio Kerry |
| Weekend Sports | Radio Kerry |
| C1 | |
| Documentary | |
| Born This Way – A Documentary on Beat | Beat 102-103 |
| Breast Cancer and me | WLR FM |
| Documentary on One: The Case of Majella Moynihan | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Documentary on One: Benjy the Little Gay Bull | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Egg Money | Curious Broadcast/Newstalk |
| In Search of Horrid Henry | Galway Bay FM |
| C2 | |
| Music Documentary | |
| ANIMALS: Flea | RTÉ Radio 1 Extra |
| Documentary on One – The Whistleblower | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Liam Clancy – The Road Less Travelled on WLR | WLR FM |
| The Arts Show – Surrealism Special | BBC Radio Ulster |
| The Lyric Feature: Ethel Voynich – Music, Mystery and Manuscripts | RTÉ Lyric FM |
| C3 | |
| Short Feature | |
| Big Breakfast Little Stories on WLR | WLR FM |
| Dublin Inner City Regeneration Series | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Jonathan Healy Reports | Newstalk |
| Keywords – Am I?/Common Ground | RTÉ Radio 1 Extra |
| Women’s Bits | KCLR |
| C4 | |
| Magazine Programme | |
| Countrywide | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Moncrieff | Newstalk |
| SPIN1038’s Plan B | SPIN1038 |
| The John Toal Show | BBC Radio ulster |
| The Open Door | Midlands 103 |
| C5 | |
| Drama | |
| Drama On One – Christie by Sean O’Gorman | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Drama On One – Eureka Dunes by Philip Davison | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Drama On One – Krakow by Peter Sirr | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Drama On One – Leaba an Bháis le Darach Mac Con Iomaire | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| YouthQuake on WLR | WLR FM |
| C6 | |
| Specialist Speech Programme | |
| All This Happened, Chapter 2: We Shall Overcome | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Awesome Irish Women…from the Past! (Episode 5: Fighters) | RTÉ Jnr Radio |
| Futureproof | Newstalk |
| Musical Map of Ireland | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Kerrywide | Radio Kerry |
| C7 | |
| Craoltoireacht le Gaeilge | |
| Ár bPéire – Dónall Mac Ruairí | RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta |
| Bladhaire | RTÉ Raidió Na Gaeltachta |
| Blas Ceoil (O.B. Bóthar Seoighe) | BBC Radio Uladh |
| Ceol Anocht | KCLR |
| Splanc | Newstalk |
| C8 | |
| Interactive Speech Programme | |
| 98FM’s Dublin Talks | 98FM |
| Love At First Sight – The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s RedFM | Cork’s Red FM |
| Lunchtime Live | Newstalk |
| The Green Door – North West Today | Ocean FM |
| The Nolan Show | BBC Radio Ulster |
| D1 | |
| Community/Social Action | |
| Cash for Kids Day 2019 | Downtown/Cool FM |
| FM104’s Mind Your Noggin | FM104 |
| Formal Friday | Communicorp Media |
| Living with a Disability | Newstalk |
| Shine Your Light | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| D2 | |
| On-Air Competitions/Promotions | |
| Fully Charged’s Gotta Get It Wrong | SPIN1038 |
| Gone in 96 Seconds – Cork’s 96FM | Cork’s 96FM |
| Leap of Faith on Beat | Beat 102-103 |
| Noni’s Chawwwwklit Chase – Dermot and Dave on Today FM | Today FM |
| Two Minute Tales | BBC Radio Ulster |
| D3 | |
| Station Imaging | |
| 98FM | |
| KCLR | |
| Newstalk | |
| RTÉ 2FM | |
| SPIN1038 | |
| D4 | |
| Entertainment Inserts | |
| Ask Audrey on Dave Mac’s Drive | Cork’s RedFM |
| FM104’s Strawberry Alarm Clock | FM104 |
| Gift Grub – The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show | Today FM |
| KC and Ross in the Morning on Cork’s 96FM – The Ten Past 8 Bit | Cork’s 96FM |
| Killian Pettit | Cork’s RedFM |
| D5 | |
| Digital & Social Innovation | |
| Dermot and Dave’s Live Date – Today FM | Today FM |
| iGoHome | iRadio |
| The Exit Poll | Ocean FM |
| Today FM Know It All Ireland Quiz | Today FM |
| Virtual Content for Essential Workers | Clare FM |
| D6 | |
| Podcast of the Year | |
| 98FM’s Nobody Told Me | 98FM |
| Ecolution | RTE Radio Jnr |
| Getting Away With Murder | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Graham and Nathan’s Little Big Podcast | SPIN 1038 |
| The Nobody Zone | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| E1 | |
| Music & Entertainment Presenter of the Year | |
| Colm Hayes | Radio Nova |
| Dermot Whelan | Today FM |
| Jim-Jim Nugent | FM104 |
| KC on Cork’s 96FM | Cork’s 96FM |
| Ray Foley | Cork’s Red FM |
| E2 | |
| Radio DJ of the Year | |
| Barry Dunne | 98FM |
| David Hammond | Beat 102-103 |
| Emma Nolan | FM104 |
| Jessica Maciel | Today FM |
| Kayte O’Malley | iRadio |
| E3 | |
| Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year | |
| John Toal | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Kieran McGuinness | Radio Nova |
| Stephen McCauley | BBC Radio Ulster |
| Stuart Banford | Downtown Country |
| Tom Dunne | Newstalk |
| E4 | |
| News Broadcaster of the Year | |
| Eamonn Torsney | Newstalk |
| Elaine McGee | BBC Radio Foyle |
| Fionnuala Corbett | iRadio |
| Gavin McLoughlin | Newstalk |
| Susan Keogh | Newstalk |
| E5 | |
| News Reporter of the Year | |
| Cian McCormack | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Damien Tiernan on WLR | WLR |
| Helen Jones | BBC Radio Ulster |
| John Cooke | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Kacey O’Riordan | 98FM |
| E6 | |
| Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service | |
| Joe Molloy | Newstalk |
| Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh | Newstalk |
| Marie Crowe | RTÉ 2FM |
| Nathan Murphy | Newstalk |
| Nikki Gregg | BBC Radio Ulster |
| E7 | |
| Sports Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional | |
| Austin O’Callaghan | Ocean FM |
| Eric White | BBC Radio Foyle |
| Luke Liddy | Live 96 |
| Sean McCaffrey | Shannonside Northern Sound |
| Trevor Welch | Cork’s 96FM |
| E8 | |
| Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Full Service | |
| Ciara Kelly | Newstalk |
| Damien O’Reilly | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| Ivan Yates | Newstalk |
| Kieran Cuddihy | Newstalk |
| Mario Rosenstock | Today FM |
| E9 | |
| Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Local/Regional | |
| Damien Tiernan on WLR | WLR FM |
| Gerry Kelly | LMFM |
| The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s RedFM | Cork’s Red FM |
| Niall Delaney | Ocean FM |
| South East Radio’s Alan Corcoran | South East Radio |
| E10 | |
| The Gay Byrne Award – Newcomer of the Year Award | |
| Brendan Bracken | iRadio |
| Ciarán Bennet | iRadio |
| Connor Brennan | Go Q Radio |
| Maxine Bramley | Live 95FM |
| Michelle Heffernan | Beat 102-103 |
| Sarah McKinley | Downtown and Cool FM |
| F1 | |
| Radio Moment of the Year | |
| Conor’s Magical Funeral – The Neil Prendeville Show – Cork’s Red FM | Cork’s Red FM |
| Matt Damon on SPIN1038 | SPIN 1038 |
| OTB Roadshow – Roy Keane and Gary Neville | Newstalk |
| So long, farewell: Brexit Party MEPs depart from Brussels. | BBC Radio Foyle |
| The Francie Boylan Show | Ocean FM |