The nominations for the 2025 Commercial Radio News Awards in association with IRN and Sky News have been announced.
Sky News Daily podcast presenter Niall Paterson revealed 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 Gold Award – will be announced at Sky Cinema at Sky’s west London HQ on Wednesday 26th March 2025.
And the nominees are…
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Joseph Draper – Global’s Newsroom South
Sophie Green – Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Ellie Tutt – Global’s Newsroom South
Bronwen Weatherby – Global’s Newsroom Wales
Poppy Lindsey – Global’s Newsroom South
BEST INTERVIEW
Red Rooms – Global’s Newsroom North West
Kate McCann interviews Kemi Badenoch at Conservative Party Conference – Times Radio
Southport Stabbings – Global’s Newsroom North West
Clare’s Law: Maddy’s Story – Manchester’s Hits Radio, Bauer Media Audio
Knife Crime on the Coast – Global’s Newsroom South
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
Charlotte Lynch – LBC and LBC News
Alice Faulkner – Hits Radio Network Scotland, Bauer Media Audio
Nick Ellerby – News UK Broadcasting, Times Radio, TalkRADIO and talkSPORT
Henry Riley – LBC and LBC News
Victoria Glover – Hits Radio UK, Bauer Media Audio
SPECIALIST REPORTER OF THE YEAR
Natasha Clark – LBC
Georgie Prodromou – Bauer Media Audio
Max Scott – talkSPORT
Alan Smith – Hits Radio Network Scotland, Bauer Media Audio
Fraser Knight – LBC and LBC News
REPORTER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
Charlotte Linnecar – Greatest Hits Radio Lincolnshire, Bauer Media Audio
Heather Cartwright – Global’s Newsroom West
Katie Lyons – Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire, Bauer Media Audio
Chris Chambers – Global’s Newsroom North West
Liam Ross – MFR, Bauer Media Audio
BEST SPORTS COVERAGE
The Great North Run 2024 – North East News Team, Bauer Media Audio
Olympic Games Paris 2024 – talkSPORT
The Life and Legacy of Rob Burrow – Greatest Hits Radio West Yorkshire, Bauer Media Audio
2024 Sports Coverage – LBC News and Global’s Newsroom, London
Ipswich’s Promotion to the Premier League: 22 years in the making – Greatest Hits Radio Suffolk, Bauer Media Audio
BEST NEWS STORY OR COVERAGE
Benwell Explosion – Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Murdered Yards From Home: The Knowle West Killings – Global’s Newsroom West
RAAC and Ruin: Torry’s Concrete Crisis – Northsound 1 News Team, Bauer Media Audio
Southport Stabbings – Global’s Newsroom North West
The 2024 ‘Genny Lex’ – Kiss
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (NATIONAL)
Lottie Morley – Global’s Newsroom London
Steve Forbes – talkSPORT
Simon Conway – LBC and LBC News
Emma Kirwan – talkSPORT
Alice Young – Global’s Newsroom London
NEWSREADER OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL)
Chloe St John – Downtown Radio and Cool FM, Bauer Media Audio
Sophie Adams – Global’s Newsroom Scotland
Owen Arands – Hits Radio Liverpool, Bauer Media Audio
Collette McGonigle – Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
Micky Welch – Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
BEST NEWS SPECIAL
Banged Up in Boro – Karen Liu, Hits Radio Teesside, Bauer Media Audio
Bump on the Road: Scotland’s 100 mile baby dash – MFR News Team, Bauer Media Audio
Mass Graves – Chris Chambers, Global’s Newsroom North West
The Lighter Side of News – Micky Welch, Hits Radio North East, Bauer Media Audio
Paying Through the Nose: an investigation into nasal tanning sprays – Alice Faulkner, Clyde 1, Bauer Media Audio
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations under 1.5 million TSA)
South Yorkshire News Team – Bauer Media Audio
MFR – Bauer Media Audio
Hits Radio Teesside News Team – Bauer Media Audio
East of England News Team – Bauer Media Audio
Forth 1 News Team – Bauer Media Audio
NEWS TEAM OF THE YEAR (hubs or stations over 1.5 million TSA)
Clyde 1 Glasgow News Team
Global’s Newsroom North West
Hits Radio North East News – Bauer Media Audio
Global’s Newsroom South
West Yorkshire News Team – Bauer Media Audio
STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – supported by the BJTC
Gabriella-Mae Mitchell – Bournemouth University
Lucas Zanarotti – City, University of London
Daniel Macleod – Glasgow Caledonian University
Ellie Hayns – The University of Salford
Geetanjali Kaushal – Bournemouth University
IRN Editor and Chair of Judges, Dave Terris said:
Commercial radio journalists continue to provide engaging and impactful coverage of local, national and international news for a record number of listeners. The shortlists prove that teams are prepared to invest in stories that matter to their audiences and deliver them with quality and creativity. Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you to all the judges for their expertise in reaching their decisions.
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This story first appeared on radiotoday.co.uk