RTÉ and Today FM Win Top Honors at IMRO Radio Awards
RTÉ Radio 1 secured 24 awards, including seven gold, nine silver, and eight bronze accolades, at the IMRO Radio Awards held at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Co Kilkenny. Hosted by Dermot Whelan, the annual event distributed awards in gold, silver, and bronze across 42 categories, with winners determined by a 12-member Radio Awards Committee representing all sectors of radio across the country.
Today FM Wins National Station of the Year
Today FM claimed the title of National Station of the Year, accumulating 11 awards in total during the ceremony. In the regional and local tiers, SPIN 1038 was named Music Station of the Year, while Shannonside Northern Sound captured the Local Station of the Year category.
Additional regional success came from Voice Media—encompassing Radio Kerry and Shannonside Northern Sound—which collected a combined 11 awards, comprising four gold, five silver, and two bronze titles. Radio Kerry’s gold awards included recognition for the Words Matter series by Kerry College students in the Short Feature category, Kaya Flynn for Travels through a Kingdom in Magazine Programme, and Niamh Daly for Many Voices, One Kingdom in the Community/Social Action category.
South East Radio also secured a top prize on the night, winning gold in the Best Current Affairs Programme (Local/Regional) category for Morning Mix, presented by Alan Corcoran and produced by Lucinda Kelly, the programme triumphed in the category after receiving several nominations in previous years.
RTÉ Radio 1 Presenters Win Multiple Broadcast Awards
Individual airwave achievements saw Justin McCarthy of RTÉ Radio 1 named News Broadcaster of the Year. BBC Radio Ulster’s Richard Morgan earned silver in the category, while RTÉ’s Sarah McInerney took bronze. RTÉ Radio 1’s Brian O’Connell was awarded News Reporter of the Year, followed by his colleague Barry Lenihan. In the speech and current affairs programming, RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime won Current Affairs Programme of the Year, and Brendan O’Connor secured gold in the Speech Broadcaster of the Year category. The award for 2026's Radio Moment of the Year went to Brenda Fricker's appearance on the Brendan O'Connor programme.
Other notable individual winners included SPIN 1038’s Emma Nolan, who was crowned Music and Entertainment Presenter of the Year, and 98FM’s Leanne Hanafin, who picked up Radio DJ of the Year. Newstalk’s John Duggan took gold in the Sports Broadcaster of the Year category, while Newstalk’s Off the Ball won gold in the Sports Programme category, and Dublin’s Q102’s Dublin Sport Today topped the Local/Regional sports category. Additional category winners included Midlands 103’s Breakfast at the Ploughing for Breakfast Show of the Year, iRadio’s Mícheál, Shane & Ella for the General Music Programme award, East Coast FM’s Jamie Ryan as Newcomer of the Year, and Clare FM’s The Hidden Disability for the Documentary category.
Hall of Fame Inductions and Specialized Programming
Four broadcasting figures entered the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame during the ceremony, receiving a rousing welcome from attendees: RTÉ Lyric FM’s Marty Whelan, Michael Crawley of LMFM, Teena Gates of Bauer Media Ireland, and Helen Ní Shé of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta.
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta secured three gold awards in the Drama, Craoltóireacht Le Gaeilge and Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year categories. Meanwhile, RTÉ Lyric FM and RTÉ 2FM each collected one gold, one silver, and one bronze award.
Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.