MEDIA RELEASE 26 August 2018 Finalists announced for 2018 Radio Awards th Finalists in the 30 annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) were announced today and featured new categories and first-time nominees, plus Australia’s top radio presenters competing for the coveted Best On Air Team in both the AM and FM (Metro). Two-time winners in the FM category Kate, Tim and Marty (Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell & Marty Sheargold, Nova Entertainment 2016, 2017) are amongst the finalists that include, five-time winners Kyle Sandilands and Jackie Henderson, (The Kyle and Jackie O Show, KIIS 1065, Sydney); Jonesy and Amanda (Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller, WSFM, Sydney winners in 2012 and 2014); Hughesy & Kate (Dave Hughes & Kate Langbroek, Hit Network, SCA), Fifi, Dave, Fev & Byron (Fifi Box, Dave Thornton, Brendan Fevola & Byron Cooke, Fox FM, Melbourne) and first time finalists in the category, Kennedy Molloy (Jane Kennedy & Mick Molloy, Triple M Network, SCA). The Metropolitan Best On Air Team AM title will be a contest between last year’s winner, The Continuous Call Team (Ray Hadley, Bob Fulton, Darryl Brohman, Erin Molan, Mark Riddell, Chris Warren & Mark Levy, 2GB, Sydney, Macquarie Media Limited); Breakfast with Steve & Basil (Steve Mills & Basil Zempilas, 6PR, Perth), David & Will (David Penberthy & Will Goodings, FIVEaa, Adelaide, NOVA Entertainment) and Laurel, Gary & Mark; (Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare & Mark Hine, 4KQ, ARN, Brisbane). Another highly competitive category is Best Talk Presenter, with all four finalists this year from Macquarie Media Limited; Ray Hadley (2GB), Ben Fordham (2GB), Neil Mitchell (3AW) and Tom Elliot (3AW). Best Music/Entertainment Presenter has been split into two categories this year with Nova stablemates Ryan Fitzgerald, Tim Blackwell and Kate Ritchie up against Carrie Bickmore (Hit Network) for Best Entertainment Presenter. Best Music Presenter finalists are Melissa Doyle (smoothfm) Steve Fitton (WSFM), Ugly Phil O’Neil (Triple M, Sydney) and Katie Mattin (Nova 106.9 Brisbane). This year’s metro finalists for Best Newcomer On-Air include; Brendan Fevola (FOX FM, Melbourne), Grant Denyer (2Day FM), Xavier Ellis (hit92.9 Perth) and Libby Trickett (Triple M Brisbane). Three new podcast categories have been introduced for the 2018 ACRAs to celebrate the best original podcasts produced in Australia. Four awards will be presented - Best Original Podcast (Branded); Best Original Podcast (Unbranded) and Best Radio Show Podcast (Metro and Non-Metro). Entries were received from 260 metropolitan and regional radio stations across Australia. Stations outside the metropolitan areas are well represented at the ACRAs with more than 200 finalists from country and provincial stations. This year the gala black-tie event will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday, 20 October and will start at 6.00 pm (red carpet 5.00 pm). Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said: “There is a wealth of talent across metropolitan and regional Australian radio and we look forward to celebrating the 30th year of the ACRAs,” Ms Warner said. Organised by Commercial Radio Australia, the national Awards cover 37 categories. Winners are announced in each category across four areas: metropolitan, provincial, country and Syndication/Production Company and encompass all areas of commercial radio broadcasting including news, talk, sport, music and entertainment. The ACRAs differ from television’s Logie Awards in that they are peer judged by industry members. The ACRAs follow the Radio Alive 2018 conference, which will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday 19 October. A complete list of the 2018 ACRAs finalists follows. Twitter: @ComRadioAU #RadioAlive2018 #ACRAS2018 Facebook: facebook.com/commercialradioaustralia Instagram: instagram.com/comradioau Media contacts: Melissa Fleming – 0417 499 529 and Judy Shaw – 0418 415 965. FINALISTS FOR 2018 AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL RADIO AWARDS (ACRAs) Please note: Category Finalists are denoted with the following letters: Country>Provincial>Non-Metropolitan>Metropolitan>Syndication/Production Company BEST ON-AIR TEAM – METRO FM The Kyle & Jackie O Show; Kyle Sandilands & Jackie Henderson, KIIS 106.5, Sydney NSW, Australian Radio Network M Kate, Tim & Marty; Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell & Marty Sheargold Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment M Hughesy & Kate; Kate Langbroek & Dave Hughes, Hit Network, Southern Cross Austereo M Jonesy & Amanda; Brendan Jones & Amanda Keller, WSFM, Sydney NSW, Australian Radio Network M Fifi, Fev & Byron; Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola & Byron Cooke, Fox FM, Melbourne VIC, Southern Cross Austereo M Kennedy Molloy; Jane Kennedy & Mick Molloy, Triple M Network, Southern Cross Austereo M BEST ON-AIR TEAM – METRO AM Laurel, Gary & Mark; Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare & Mark Hine, 4KQ, Brisbane QLD, Australian Radio Network M Ray Hadley's Continuous Call Team; Ray Hadley, Bob Fulton, Erin Molan, Darryl Brohman, Mark Riddell, Mark Levy & Chris Warren, 2GB, Sydney NSW, Macquarie Media Limited M Breakfast with Steve & Basil; Steve Mills & Basil Zempilas, 6PR, Perth WA, Macquarie Media Limited M David & Will; David Penberthy & Will Goodings, FIVEaa, Adelaide SA, NOVA Entertainment M BEST ON-AIR TEAM COUNTRY & PROVINCIAL Bodge & Rach; Jason Bodger & Rachel Hart, Hit Mid North Coast, Port Macquarie NSW, Southern Cross Austereo C Bangers & Mash; Janeen Hosemans & Peter Harrison, 2BS Gold, Bathurst NSW, Bathurst Broadcasters C The Morning Rush with Jon & Kate; Jon Vertigan & Kate Meade, 3YB, Warrnambool VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Brekkie with Courtney & Lippi; Matt Lipiarski & Courtney McIntyre, Mixx FM, Hamilton VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Mike E & Emma; Michael Etheridge & Emma Chow, The Edge, Katoomba NSW, Australian Radio Network P Jimmy & Nath; Jimmy Smith & Nath Roye, hit100.9, Hobart TAS, Southern Cross Austereo P Heather, Dan & Ben; Heather Maltman, Dan Anstey & Ben Hannant, Sea FM, Gold Coast QLD, Southern Cross Austereo P Rabbit & Julie Goodwin; Dave Rabbetts & Julie Goodwin, Star 104.5, Gosford NSW, NOVA Entertainment P Tanya & Steve; Tanya Wilks, Steve Grahame, Ryan Stuart & Nicole Levey, KOFM, Newcastle NSW, Southern Cross Austereo P BEST ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTER Nicole Banks; hit102.3 & hit105.1, Port Macquarie NSW, Southern Cross Austereo C Courtney McIntyre; Mixx FM, Hamilton VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Michael Moffett; Triple M, Coffs Harbour NSW, Southern Cross Austereo C Dave Rabbetts; Star 104.5, Gosford NSW, NOVA Entertainment P Tanya Hennessy; hit104.7, Canberra ACT, ARN/SCA P Daniel Gawned; Sea FM, Gosford NSW, Southern Cross Austereo P Ryan Fitzgerald; Nova 96.9, Sydney NSW, NOVA Entertainment M Carrie Bickmore; The Hit Network, Southern Cross Austereo M Tim Blackwell; Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment M Kate Ritchie; Nova Network, NOVA Entertainment M BEST TALK PRESENTER Sarah Boorer; 2BS Gold, Bathurst NSW, Bathurst Broadcasters C Jessica Rouse; 2NM, Muswellbrook NSW, Grant Broadcasters C Kris Seabert; 3CS, Colac VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Graeme Day; 2ST Bowral NSW, Grant Broadcasters P Katie Woolf; Mix 104.9, Darwin NT, Grant Broadcasters P Richard Perno; 2CC, Canberra ACT, Capital Radio Network P Brian Carlton; LAFM, Launceston TAS, Grant Broadcasters P Ray Hadley; 2GB, Sydney NSW, Macquarie Media Limited M Ben Fordham; 2GB, Sydney NSW, Macquarie Media Limited M Neil Mitchell; 3AW, Melbourne VIC, Macquarie Media Limited M Tom Elliott; 3AW, Melbourne VIC, Macquarie Media Limited M BEST CURRENT AFFAIRS PRESENTER Tim Shaw; 2CC, Canberra ACT, Capital Radio Network NM Stephen Cenatiempo; Triple M, Newcastle NSW, Southern Cross Austereo NM Katie Woolf; Mix 104.9, Darwin NT, Grant Broadcasters NM Brian Carlton; LAFM, Launceston TAS, Grant Broadcasters NM Ray Hadley; 2GB, Sydney NSW, Macquarie Media Limited M Ben Fordham; 2GB, Sydney NSW, Macquarie Media Limited M Neil Mitchell; 3AW, Melbourne VIC, Macquarie Media Limited M Luke Bona; Triple M, Sydney NSW, Southern Cross Austereo M BEST SYNDICATED AUSTRALIAN PROGRAM The iHeartRadio Countdown; iHeart Radio Team, Australian Radio Network RNB Friday Nights; Southern Cross Austereo My Generation; Phil O’Neil, Jane Gazzo, Vicki Poupounaki, John Peters & Matt Curry, Southern Cross Austereo Fitzy & Wippa; Ryan Fitzgerald, Michael Wipfli & The Nova Entertainment Syndication Team, NOVA Entertainment Kate, Tim & Marty; Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell, Marty Sheargold & The Nova Entertainment Syndication Team, NOVA Entertainment BEST SPORTS PRESENTER Glenn Wilson; Triple M, Kalgoorlie WA, Southern Cross Austereo C Jock Brady; 3CS, Colac VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Martin Agatyn; 7AD, Devonport TAS, Grant Broadcasters C Tom King; K rock, Geelong VIC, Grant Broadcasters P Phil Small; 2CC, Canberra ACT, Capital Radio Network P Nick Rysteski; Mix 106.3, Canberra ACT, ARN/SCA P Jeremy Ryan; KOFM, Newcastle NSW, Southern Cross Austereo P Tim Lane; 3AW, Melbourne VIC, Macquarie Media Limited M Isa Guha; Triple M, Melbourne VIC, Southern Cross Austereo M James Brayshaw; Triple M, Melbourne VIC, Southern Cross Austereo M Chris Judd; Triple M, Melbourne VIC, Southern Cross Austereo M BEST NETWORKED PROGRAM Queensland Drive; John Caruso, Resonate Regional Radio C Rural Queensland Today; Ben Dobbin, Resonate Regional Radio C The Morning Rush; Jon Vertigan & Kate Meade, ACE Radio Broadcasters C Country Today; Libby Price, Ace Radio Broadcasters C The Campus; Mikey Nielsen, Grant Broadcasters P Lunch with Tim & Kirk; Tim Farris, Kirk Pengilly, Andrew