NOMINATIONS FOR 2026 REVEALED!
The nominations for the 2026 Commercial Radio News Awards in association with IRN and Sky News have been revealed.
Sky News ‘Mornings’ and ‘Cheat Sheet’ podcast presenter, Kamali Melbourne, announced the shortlists for the 13 categories which recognise quality journalism, presentation and production in commercial radio news and sport.
The winners - including the recipient of the prestigious Gold Award - will be announced at Sky Cinema at Sky’s west London HQ on Thursday 26th March 2026.
And the nominees are...
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Joseph Draper - LBC
Martha Tipper - Greatest Hits Radio, Kent, Bauer Media Audio
Phoebe Abruzzese - Global's Newsroom North East
Molly Tulett - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
George Icke - Global's Newsroom Central Region
BEST INTERVIEW
Pregnancy, Prison and the Cost of Injustice - Shivani Sharma, Global’s Newsroom Central Region
Micky Welch interviews a Benwell explosion victim - Micky Welch, Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Terror at the Synagogue, Yoni Finlay - Chris Chambers, Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Lost Souls: Row 9, Grave 28 - Greatest Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
'I'm Proud of Him,' Noel Gallagher, Oasis Exclusive - talkSPORT
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
Victoria Glover - Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Helen Hoddinott - LBC
Mick Coyle - Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Chris Chambers - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Joseph Draper - LBC
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (SPECIALIST)
Will Hobbs - talkSPORT and Times Radio
Christian Jones - Manx Radio
Georgie Prodromou - Bauer Media Audio
Fraser Knight - LBC and LBC News
Alan Smith - Bauer Media Audio
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
Phoebe Abruzzese - Global's Newsroom North East
Karen Liu - Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio Teesside, Bauer Media Audio
Shivani Sharma - Global's Newsroom Central Region
Alan Zycinski - Global's Newsroom Scotland
George Icke - Global's Newsroom Central Region
BEST SPORTS COVERAGE
Aberdeen's Hampden Heroes - Dave Galloway, Northsound 1, Bauer Media Audio
Goodbye to Goodison - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Scotland's Greatest Night - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
Tell Me Ma...From Newcastle to Wembley and Home for Tea - Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Leeds United: Back Where we Belong - West Yorkshire News Team, Bauer Media Audio
BEST NEWS STORY OR COVERAGE
The Murder of Harvey Willgoose - Hits Radio South Yorkshire, Bauer Media Audio
Terror at the Synagogue - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
A Round with Donald - Clyde 1 and Northsound 1, Bauer Media Audio
Ozzy Osbourne - The Son of Birmingham - Greatest Hits Radio and Planet Rock, Bauer Media Audio
Inside the Synagogue - Manchester's Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
David Domb - Global's Newsroom London
Will Hobbs - talkSPORT and Times Radio
Amelia Cox - LBC and Global's Newsroom London
Aileen O'Sullivan - KISS FM UK, Bauer Media Audio
John Stratford - LBC News
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
George Painter - Global's Newsroom Bristol
Nicolle Cassels - Global's Newsroom Scotland
Micky Welch - Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Anna Harding - Global's Newsroom Central Region
Annie Mae Walker - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
BEST NEWS SPECIAL
My Stalker Moved in Next Door - Victoria Glover, Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Jogging Through Abuse: An LBC Exclusive Exposing Life on a Run - Emma Corr, LBC
Before 12 Weeks - Alice Faulkner, Clyde 1 - Hits Radio Network Scotland, Bauer Media Audio
Lost Souls - Greatest Hits Radio - Bauer Media Audio
Head Before Wicket - Will Hobbs, talkSPORT
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations under 1.5 million TSA)
Northsound News - Bauer Media Audio
Lincolnshire News Team - Bauer Media Audio
MFR News - Bauer Media Audio
Hits Radio South Yorkshire - Bauer Media Audio
Hits Radio Teesside - Bauer Media Audio
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations over 1.5 million TSA)
talkSPORT News Team - talkSPORT
Hits Radio North East - Bauer Media Audio
Global's Newsroom Scotland
Times Radio News Team - Times Radio
Clyde 1 News Team - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Muhsin Mahmud - City St George's, University of London
Ella Witcher - University of Lincoln
Lucy Antonatos - City St George's, University of London
Anna Johnson - University of East Anglia
Chloe Sackur - City St George's, University of London
IRN Editor and Chair of Judges, Dave Terris said:
It’s a significant achievement making the shortlist for these hugely competitive awards. The investment in high quality journalism, storytelling, production and presentation shines through which bodes well for the millions of people who get their news and sport from commercial radio. Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated and a big thank you to the judges who have faced some tough deliberations.
Sky News ‘Mornings’ and ‘Cheat Sheet’ podcast presenter, Kamali Melbourne, announced the shortlists for the 13 categories which recognise quality journalism, presentation and production in commercial radio news and sport.
The winners - including the recipient of the prestigious Gold Award - will be announced at Sky Cinema at Sky’s west London HQ on Thursday 26th March 2026.
And the nominees are...
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Joseph Draper - LBC
Martha Tipper - Greatest Hits Radio, Kent, Bauer Media Audio
Phoebe Abruzzese - Global's Newsroom North East
Molly Tulett - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
George Icke - Global's Newsroom Central Region
BEST INTERVIEW
Pregnancy, Prison and the Cost of Injustice - Shivani Sharma, Global’s Newsroom Central Region
Micky Welch interviews a Benwell explosion victim - Micky Welch, Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Terror at the Synagogue, Yoni Finlay - Chris Chambers, Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Lost Souls: Row 9, Grave 28 - Greatest Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
'I'm Proud of Him,' Noel Gallagher, Oasis Exclusive - talkSPORT
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
Victoria Glover - Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Helen Hoddinott - LBC
Mick Coyle - Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Chris Chambers - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Joseph Draper - LBC
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (SPECIALIST)
Will Hobbs - talkSPORT and Times Radio
Christian Jones - Manx Radio
Georgie Prodromou - Bauer Media Audio
Fraser Knight - LBC and LBC News
Alan Smith - Bauer Media Audio
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
Phoebe Abruzzese - Global's Newsroom North East
Karen Liu - Hits Radio and Greatest Hits Radio Teesside, Bauer Media Audio
Shivani Sharma - Global's Newsroom Central Region
Alan Zycinski - Global's Newsroom Scotland
George Icke - Global's Newsroom Central Region
BEST SPORTS COVERAGE
Aberdeen's Hampden Heroes - Dave Galloway, Northsound 1, Bauer Media Audio
Goodbye to Goodison - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
Scotland's Greatest Night - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
Tell Me Ma...From Newcastle to Wembley and Home for Tea - Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Leeds United: Back Where we Belong - West Yorkshire News Team, Bauer Media Audio
BEST NEWS STORY OR COVERAGE
The Murder of Harvey Willgoose - Hits Radio South Yorkshire, Bauer Media Audio
Terror at the Synagogue - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
A Round with Donald - Clyde 1 and Northsound 1, Bauer Media Audio
Ozzy Osbourne - The Son of Birmingham - Greatest Hits Radio and Planet Rock, Bauer Media Audio
Inside the Synagogue - Manchester's Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
David Domb - Global's Newsroom London
Will Hobbs - talkSPORT and Times Radio
Amelia Cox - LBC and Global's Newsroom London
Aileen O'Sullivan - KISS FM UK, Bauer Media Audio
John Stratford - LBC News
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
George Painter - Global's Newsroom Bristol
Nicolle Cassels - Global's Newsroom Scotland
Micky Welch - Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Anna Harding - Global's Newsroom Central Region
Annie Mae Walker - Global's Newsroom North West and Yorkshire
BEST NEWS SPECIAL
My Stalker Moved in Next Door - Victoria Glover, Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Jogging Through Abuse: An LBC Exclusive Exposing Life on a Run - Emma Corr, LBC
Before 12 Weeks - Alice Faulkner, Clyde 1 - Hits Radio Network Scotland, Bauer Media Audio
Lost Souls - Greatest Hits Radio - Bauer Media Audio
Head Before Wicket - Will Hobbs, talkSPORT
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations under 1.5 million TSA)
Northsound News - Bauer Media Audio
Lincolnshire News Team - Bauer Media Audio
MFR News - Bauer Media Audio
Hits Radio South Yorkshire - Bauer Media Audio
Hits Radio Teesside - Bauer Media Audio
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations over 1.5 million TSA)
talkSPORT News Team - talkSPORT
Hits Radio North East - Bauer Media Audio
Global's Newsroom Scotland
Times Radio News Team - Times Radio
Clyde 1 News Team - Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Muhsin Mahmud - City St George's, University of London
Ella Witcher - University of Lincoln
Lucy Antonatos - City St George's, University of London
Anna Johnson - University of East Anglia
Chloe Sackur - City St George's, University of London
IRN Editor and Chair of Judges, Dave Terris said:
It’s a significant achievement making the shortlist for these hugely competitive awards. The investment in high quality journalism, storytelling, production and presentation shines through which bodes well for the millions of people who get their news and sport from commercial radio. Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated and a big thank you to the judges who have faced some tough deliberations.