IRN Award nominations revealed for 2019

Bauer leads the commercial radio groups with 23 nominations for this year’s IRN Awards, just ahead of Global’s 19.

There are also four for Wireless and three each for Premier Christian Radio and the Jack FM Oxfordshire news teams. Making up the nominations list are single nominations for each of Quidem, Bob FM and Central FM.

There is one nomination for Lincs FM Group’s Yorkshire News Team, which we have counted in the Bauer total after news of the group’s purchase earlier today.

The nominations across 12 categories were revealed by Sky News presenter Kay Burley on Tuesday morning. Winners will be announced on Thursday 7th March at Sky Cinema in west London – and a ‘Gold Award’ will also be presented on the day to recognise outstanding contribution to commercial radio news.

IRN Editor and Chair of Judges, Dave Terris said: “It’s a big achievement being nominated for an IRN Award given the strength of the competition in commercial radio news. The Awards recognise the breadth of talent and the quality of journalism that exists in the network at a time when clarity is an essential ingredient in reporting news in an uncertain world. I’d like to thank the excellent panel of judges for their time and congratulate everyone who’s been nominated.”

Here are the full shortlists…

Best Interview:
James Bulger 25 Years: The Police Tapes – Global’s Newsroom North West.
PRIDE: Bryan Rutherford Interviews Anti-LGBT Campaigner Donald Morrison – MFR
Adam Ellison Murder: A Sister’s Grief – Radio City
Tim Farron MP: I Was Foolish I Was Wrong – Premier Christian Radio
Lockerbie: Love Never Dies – Global’s Newsroom Scotland

Newcomer of the Year:
Steve Forbes – Jack FM Oxfordshire
Phil McDonald – Global’s Newsroom Scotland
Cara Bentley – Premier Christian Radio
Abi Smitton – Hits Radio Manchester
Lucy Hough – LBC Global Radio

Best Sports Coverage:
Scottish Football: Home And Away – Clyde 1 and Clyde 2
World Cup 2018 Coverage – talkSPORT
Geraint Thomas: A Welshman Wins The Tour De France – Global’s Newsroom Wales
Latics Live – 102.4 Wish FM
Global’s North West Sport – Global’s Newsroom North West

Best News Special or Feature:
Stillbirth: The Need For Loss Certificates – Global’s Newsroom North West
Commuter Chaos – Bob FM Hertfordshire
Egypt Church Bombings One Year On – Premier Christian Radio
Echoes of Dunblane: Journey to Parkland – Global’s Newsroom Scotland
Be Here Tomorrow -Metro Radio

Student Journalist of the Year – supported by the BJTC:
Thea Matthews – Bournemouth University
David Applin – Canterbury Christchurch University
Dave Wheeler – Bournemouth University
Callum Clark – Glasgow Caledonian University
Alice Knight – Bournemouth University

Campaigning Journalism Award:
No More Knives – Viking FM
Stillbirth: The Need For Loss Certificates – Global’s Newsroom North West
Take The Time – Radio Forth
Dying To Diet – Hallam FM and Free Radio
Joan’s Legacy – West FM

Newsreader of the Year (hubs or stations under 1m TSA):
Charlotte Murphy – CFM Radio
Patrick Hildred – Global’s Newsroom East
Jaimielee Rendall – Radio Aire
Bekki Clark – Northsound
Paul Philbin – Central FM

Newsreader of the Year (hubs or stations over 1m TSA):
Rebecca Cook – Global’s Newsroom Scotland
Becky Cahill – Hits Radio
Katie Radley – Global’s Newsroom Yorkshire and North East
Simon Conway – LBC Global Radio
Sam Thomson – Global’s Newsroom Yorkshire and North East

Reporter of the Year (hubs or stations under 1m TSA):
Emma Grant – The Wave and Swansea Sound
Alice Sofield – 2BR
Bryan Rutherford – Northsound and MFR
Emma Kirwan – Jack FM Oxfordshire
Kathy Peart – The Wave and Swansea Sound

Reporter of the Year (hubs or stations over 1m TSA):
Megan Jones – Free Radio
Rachael Venables – LBC Global Radio
Nick Codling – Global’s Newsroom South
Hope Webb – Radio Forth
Rosanna Austin – Hallam FM and Radio Aire

News Team of the Year (hubs or stations under 1m TSA):
Free Radio Coventry and Warwickshire
Lincs FM Group Yorkshire News Team
West FM News
The Jack News Team
Radio Aire News

News Team of the Year (hubs or stations over 1m TSA):
Radio Forth News Team
Global’s Newsroom Yorkshire and North East
Global’s Newsroom Wales
Quidem News Team
Hallam FM News