Organisers of the IMRO Radio Awards are asking for the biggest number of entries this year to celebrate the event’s 21st birthday.
Spanning categories such as music, speech programming, news, sports, Irish language, promotions, and innovation, the IMRO Radio Awards celebrate the skill and craft of great radio.
Entries for the awards open today and can feature broadcasts from the period of June 1st, 2020, to May 31st, 2021.
With the current uncertainty around indoor gatherings, the 2021 IMRO Radio Awards will be handed out at a live virtual ceremony on Friday, October 1st. The radio awards committee will closely watch public health guidelines over the coming period and will give consideration to hosting a physical event if restrictions and demand allow.
Chris Doyle, Chair of the 2021 Awards committee, said, “It is hard to believe it is 21 years of the radio awards this year. These last twelve months have been amazing for radio. We look forward to receiving a record number of entries and celebrating the amazing radio content produced on October 1st. I would like to thank our sponsors IMRO for their continued support of the awards; without them, the awards would not be possible.’
Eleanor McEvoy, Chairperson of title sponsors, IMRO, said, “Over this past year and a half, the debt we owe to radio has been more apparent than ever. We have relied on our broadcasters not only to entertain us but to educate us and to keep us connected at a time when so many of us were alone. I am delighted that on October 1st, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the radio professionals who are outstanding in their respective fields. On behalf of IMRO, I would like to wish all the entrants who have contributed so much to the broadcasting sector the very best of luck at this year’s awards.”
Retiring Chief Executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Michael O’Keefe, said of his final Radio Awards “The annual IMRO Radio Awards are upon us once again, and radio programmers across the length and breadth of the country will be busy putting their entries together. The BAI has been proud to support the Radio Awards from the very beginning, and we salute once again all those involved in making high-quality programmes for their listeners. It is the second year of the Covid 19 pandemic, and it is to the enormous credit of the radio sector in Ireland that the high standard of programming has been maintained throughout this challenging period. For my own part, this is my final year as CEO of the BAI, and it has been a privilege to have been associated with these Awards since they were introduced to recognise excellence in the sector back in 2001”.
Details of categories, entry criteria and how to enter can be found here.