7th September 2020
It has been another stellar year in radio broadcasting on the island of Ireland, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The crème de la crème was announced on the IMRO Radio Awards 2020 shortlist. Multi award winning Beat 102 103 continues to shine brightly on the national stage with 6 nominations this year.
David Hammond has been shortlisted once again for Best Radio DJ, an award he won silver for last year and gold for in 2018.
Beat’s newest edition, Waterford woman Michelle Heffernan, has been nominated for best newcomer. Michelle presents Music Dé Domhnaigh each Sunday from 4-7pm. Michelle also contributes to programming and documentary making on Beat.
Wexford-native Shonagh Lyons is shortlisted for her powerful documentary, “Born this Way”, which shone a fascinating & insightful spotlight on Transgender people in Ireland. This is the second consecutive nomination for Shonagh. Last year she won bronze for “So much more than the Baby Blues”; a powerful personal story about overcoming post-natal depression.
Beat’s Sports Journalist, Kevin Galvin from Cork, has been nominated in the ‘Sports Story’ category for his documentary ‘UnBeatable’ which explores the landscape of access to sport for children with disabilities, and asks what opportunities are available for children.
Rob O’Connor has been shortlisted for the Irish Music Programme for ‘Irish Beat’s’ which airs Sunday evenings, showcasing the best Irish talent.
Beat’s ‘Leap of Faith’ has gotten the nod and has been shortlisted in the on-air promotion category. The market leading radio station has won numerous awards for its standout promotions in previous years. Leap of Faith got the South East talking back in February when Beat invited people to take a “Leap of Faith” to mark leap day even though they had no idea what the prize was. The engaging promotion culminated in a nail biting finale and the winner was whisked off to see three concerts in three days in three different countries.
Speaking following the shortlist, Beat 102 103 Head of Station Sound, Niall Power said;
“It’s fantastic to see our presenters’ talents and hard work being recognised by the industry. David Hammond is nominated for the third consecutive year, having previously taken the Gold and Silver Awards in the Best Radio DJ category. Rob O’Connor’s incredible passion for Irish music has been clear to listeners to his Irishbeats programme, and it’s wonderful to see the show recognised as one of the best in the country. Michelle Heffernan began her radio career on the Beat/WIT Broadcast Course last year and has achieved so much in such a short time. Having only started her own radio show, Music Dé Domhnaigh, a few months ago, it’s fitting to see her shortlisted in the inaugural Gay Byrne Newcomer Award category.”
Speaking following the announcement, Beat 102 103 CEO, Gabrielle Cummins said
“These 6 categories are extremely competitive and as a national judge myself, I know how hard fought it has been to receive a shortlist. A massive well done to all of the nominees and we look forward to celebrating the station’s achievements.”
Commenting, Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards committee, Chris Doyle said “Radio has had some of its finest moments over the last twelve months. We are delighted to celebrate the work of all those involved in the industry this year as much as any other year. We’ve shared the good news and the bad news stories, but we’ve always been there for the listeners.”
The awards ceremony will take place virtually in October.
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