Today FM, Shannonside Northern Sound, and SPIN 1038 secured station of the year awards at the IMRO Radio Awards 2026, while RTÉ Radio 1 led the field with 24 total wins at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Co Kilkenny, as reported by rte.ie.
National and Regional Victories at the Lyrath Estate Hotel
The IMRO Radio Awards Committee, made up of 12 members representing radio sectors across the country, distributed gold, silver, and bronze accolades across 42 categories. Dermot Whelan hosted the gala event at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Co Kilkenny. Spin 1038 took home Music Station of the Year, and Shannonside Northern Sound claimed victory in the Local Station of the Year category.
RTÉ Radio 1 dominated the overall tally with 24 awards, comprising seven gold, nine silver, and eight bronze. RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta earned three gold awards in the Drama, Craoltóireacht Le Gaeilge, and Specialist Music Broadcaster of the Year categories. RTÉ Lyric FM and RTÉ 2FM each secured one gold, one silver, and one bronze award.
RTÉ Radio 1 Dominates News and Current Affairs Awards
Justin McCarthy of RTÉ Radio 1 won News Broadcaster of the Year. BBC Radio Ulster’s Richard Morgan received silver, and RTÉ’s Sarah McInerney took bronze. In the reporting ranks, RTÉ Radio 1’s Brian O’Connell was named News Reporter of the Year, followed by station colleague Barry Lenihan. RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime won Current Affairs Programme of the Year. South East Radio’s Morning Mix captured gold in the Best Current Affairs Programme (Local/Regional) category, presented by Alan Corcoran and produced by Lucinda Kelly, beating competition after multiple prior nominations, according to southeastradio.ie.
Radio Kerry entered the evening with 12 nominations—the highest number for any local or regional station—covering categories including News Story for its coverage of the Kerry CAMHS Scandal, Breakfast and Magazine programming, and digital innovation for #proudofjessie, as noted by radiokerry.ie. Meanwhile, KCLR arrived with nominations for its sports coverage, including ‘KCLR Sport: A Great Day In November’ regarding Ireland’s World Cup playoff qualification, as detailed by kclr96fm.com.
IMRO Radio Awards Name Music and Special Achievement Winners
Additional category winners included Midlands 103’s Breakfast at the Ploughing for Breakfast Show of the Year, iRadio’s Mícheál, Shane & Ella for General Music Programme, East Coast FM’s Jamie Ryan as Newcomer of the Year, and Clare FM’s The Hidden Disability for the Documentary category. The Radio Moment of the Year award went to Brenda Fricker on the Brendan O’Connor programme.
The IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame welcomed four new inductees: 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.
Essential Details from the 2026 Radio Awards
- Total Categories: Awards were presented across 42 distinct categories in gold, silver, and bronze.
- Broadcaster Honors: Justin McCarthy secured News Broadcaster of the Year, and John Duggan took gold for Sports Broadcaster of the Year.
- Hall of Inductees: Marty Whelan, Michael Crawley, Teena Gates, and Helen Ní Shé joined the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame.
Questions Regarding the 2026 Regional and National Broadcast Competition
- Which station secured the highest total number of awards at the 2026 ceremony?
- RTÉ Radio 1 secured the most awards of the night with 24 total accolades, including seven gold, nine silver, and eight bronze.
- Who hosted the IMRO Radio Awards ceremony in County Kilkenny?
- Dermot Whelan hosted the gala event at the Lyrath Estate Hotel.
- Which local station entered the evening with the highest number of nominations?
- Radio Kerry led local and regional stations with 12 nominations across multiple programming categories.
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