The 2023 Community Radio Awards Finalists

2023 has been an exciting year for the Community Radio Awards with over 350 entries! We are rapt with the quality of entries and the passion of this year's entrants, and can't wait to see you at the CBAA Conference in Adelaide on 4 November for this year's Gala Dinner, where the awards will be presented.

You can find the full list of finalists below. Winners will be announced at at the CBAA Conference 2-4 November, along with the recipients of the Michael Law and Tony Staley Awards.

2023 Community Radio Awards Finalists

Best New Radio Program

• 2MFM - "Empowering Safety Education: "Safe Kids R Us" - An Exceptional Program for Children's Well-Being
• 3CR - PX Whanau
• 4ZZZ - Duck Stab
• City Park Radio - See Me - Stories of Ability podcast
• Sonshine (98.5FM) - Table Talk
• Triple R - Live At RRR
• Triple T 103.9fm - Yaruwala Karuwai First Nations LGBTIQA+ SB Program

Best Online Content

• 2NURFM - Vinyl Vibes
• 3KND Kool N Deadly - 3KND Naidoc Week Celebration
• 3ZZZ - 3ZZZ Stories of Community Resilience
• Ngaarda Media - Koori Shearers Take On New Zealand
• RTRFM - The View From Here - Season 6

Best Radio Program - Music

• 3KND Kool N Deadly - Friends with Wendy and Pete
• 3MBS Melbourne - The Early Music Experience
• 6DBY Larrkardi Radio - Sprouts
• Plenty Valley FM 88.6 - When Vinyl Was King
• Coast FM 963 - Under the Covers
• MainFM - Virtual State with Joel Pearson
• Territory FM 104.1 - Fresh Mint

Best Radio Program - Talks

• 2MBS Fine Music Sydney - In Conversation
• 2RRR - Meet Me At The Movies
• Fresh 92.7 - Wavelength: Cybersecurity, Cystic Fibrosis, Markets & Spider Robots
• MainFM - Saltgrass
• Radio Adelaide - The Thursday Edition of Festival City
• Radio Eastern FM 98.1 Melbourne - Tales From The Pandemic
• Vision Australia Radio - Vision Australia Radio's Seeing Eye Dogs Show

Best Special Event Broadcast

• 2MFM - Embracing Cultural Diversity: The Grand African Mawlid Celebration Broadcast on 2MFM
• Noongar Radio - Rally For Justice, Boorloo (Perth)
• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio - 2NVR's 30th Birthday Bash
• SYN Media - Always Live Soundbox Special
• Vision Australia Radio - White Stick Fest 2022 on Vision Australia Radio

Best Station Fundraising Campaign

• 2MFM - 2023 2MFM Ramadan Donation Drive
• 89.9 TheLight  - 89.9 TheLight November 2022 Appeal Partnership with Foodbank
• Eastside Radio 89.7FM - Thank You
• RTRFM - Radiothon 2022: Keep it Locked
• Sonshine (98.5FM) - Radiothon 2022

Best Station Production

• 2NURFM - 2NURFM Summer Holiday
• 3CR - Stay Tuned, Stay Radical
• Fresh 92.7 - Marty Haros - Best Station Production
• RTRFM - Artbeat Theme
• Vision Australia Radio - Let's Move

Contribution to Australian Music - Initiative

• Casey Radio - Storytellers at the Station
• Edge Radio - I Love Tassie Music
• FBi Radio - FBi Radio Dance Class
• RTRFM - In the Pines 2023 - 30 Years of Pines
• Triple U - Young Sounds of the Shoalhaven Project

Contribution to Australian Music - Program

• 107.3 HFM - Beats, Rhymes & Life
• 2MFM - Harmonising Diversity: 2MFM's Showcase of Australian CALD and Youth Chanting Bands
• 3KND Kool N Deadly  - Friends with Wendy and Pete
• GEM FM 95.1 - The Alternative Goodness Session
• today'scountry94one - Indigenous Country
• RTRFM - Songlines
• SYN Media - The Hoist

Excellence in Community Engagement

• 2DRY FM - 2DRY FM
• 4ZZZ - 7 Days of Zedmas and Locked In Day
• MainFM - Able Radio and MainFM presents Castlemaine Celebrates International Day of People with Disabilities
• Sonshine (98.5FM) - Heart For The Homeless 2022
• Three D Radio - Three D Radio 93.7fm

Excellence in Creative Audio

• 2NURFM - War on the Doorstep
• City Park Radio - The Misadventures of Agnetha Deveaux
• Denmark FM - Schools On Air
• MainFM - What's Golden presents Dead Fest
• Radio Adelaide - Background Sound
• RTRFM - Planet Perth - Episode: The State UFO files
• SYN Media - Raise The Platform

Excellence in Digital Media

• 89.9 TheLight - Everyday Joy Podcast
• MainFM - Pride Across the Ages Podcast presented by Queer and Now
• Ngaarda Media - Save Me featuring Wimiya Woodley
• Umeewarra Aboriginal Media Association - NAIDOC Online

Excellence in Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasting

• 2MFM - Ramadan Around the World
• 979FM Melton Community Radio - Good Vibes Pilipinas (Filipino-Australian Program)
• City Park Radio - Maria Elena Chagoya
• Edge Radio - Chinese Community News and Current Affairs
• Triple H 100.1FM - Radio Tagumpay

Excellence in Ethnic and Multicultural Engagement

• 2MFM - Elder Abuse; We Reject, Elder Safety; We Protect
• 2NURFM - 2NURFM's Polish Program
• Casey Radio - Durshak Shingadia

Excellence in Indigenous Broadcasting

• PBA FM - Feel Good Nunga Radio
• Ngaarda Media - From Meth to Fatherhood
• Phoenix FM Bendigo - Koori Shoutout
• Radio Adelaide - Nunga Wangga Show
• Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio - Danggujarra - Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio Breakfast Show

Excellence in Indigenous Engagement

• 2NURFM - Shane Peak
• 8PAW - NAIDOC Week 2022
• Phoenix FM Bendigo - Phoenix FM Bendigo

Excellence in Innovative Programming and Content

• Bay FM 99.9 - Byron Farmers Market 20 Year Anniversary Special
• 2MFM - Unveiling Arab Cultures: 2MFM's Captivating "Arab Countries Around the World" Series
• 4RFM Moranbah Community Radio - Untold Stories of the Coalfields Podcast
• MainFM - Dead Air
• RTRFM - Planet Perth
• Triple R - Live At RRR
• Vision Australia Radio - The Career Path

Excellence in Journalism

• 2DRY FM - 2023 Menindee Mass Fish Kill: How it happened
• 4ZZZ - State Budget Coverage
• Bay FM 99.9 - Tragedy in Paradise: Byron's deadly homelessness crisis
• Ngaarda Media - Burrup Fertiliser Plant Scrutiny
• Noongar Radio - Jodi Hoffmann - Law Matters

Excellence in Music Presenting

• Territory FM 104.1 - Drive - Matt Bern
• 2SER - Psychedelic Sundae
• 3MBS Melbourne - Mark Shepheard (The Early Music Experience)
• Phoenix FM Bendigo - World Music Safari
• RTRFM - Kael Driscoll

Excellence in News & Current Affairs Programming

• 2DRY FM - Water Watch
• 2SER - Razors Edge
• 3KND Kool N Deadly - Balit Dhumba
• 4ZZZ - The Pineapple Rebellion
• Bay FM 99.9 - Heard: independent commission hosts holiday letting inquiry in Byron theatre
• Fresh 92.7 - Wavelength: Data Breaches, Voice of Parliament & the Lord Mayor
• Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio - Flood Report

Excellence in Outside Broadcasting

• 2NURFM - Hunter Valley Airshow Live Broadcast
• 3CR - Pride Street Party Outside Broadcast
• 3KND Kool N Deadly - 3KND Outside Broadcast in Tamworth 2023
• 8CCC and 8PAW - Desert Harmony Festival 2022
• JOY Media - ChillOut 2023

Excellence in Technical Innovation

• 3ZZZ - 3ZZZ Analogue studios, Digital Backbone
• 8PAW - Remote Monitoring Setup in RIMOs (Remote Indigenous Media Organisations)

Excellence in Technical Services

• 3MBS Melbourne - Howard Stoney - Technical Volunteer
• RTRFM - Stan Fotinos
• Yarra Valley FM - Phil Smith

Excellence in Training

• 3KND Kool N Deadly - Too Deadly Training
• 3ZZZ - 3ZZZ Broadcaster and Media Law Training
• Alive 90.5FM - Develop a Passion for Learning - and you will never cease to grow!
• Fresh 92.7 - Marty Haros - Radio Production Training Program
• SYN Media - SYN Press Club: Broadcast Journalism Training

Outstanding Small Station Award

• 2DRY FM
• 2SEA FM Southern Community Radio
• Phoenix FM Bendigo
• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio
• Triple Y

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution

• 107.9 Life FM - Life FM Roadies
• 3CR - Dr Joe Toscano - 20 years on the CRN
• 97.9FM Melton Community Radio - Melvin Cerilo Mata and Good Vibes Pilipinas
• Lofty 88.9 FM - Geoff Cleggett
• Phoenix FM Bendigo - Anne Conway OAM

Outstanding Youth Contribution

• 2MFM - Deema Jalloul
• CMS Radio FM 91.1 - Saad Khalid
• Edge Radio - Corey Stephen
• Radio 4EB - Aryana Mohmood
• RTRFM - Madeleine Mitchell

Troy Garner Excellence in Sports Programming

• Triple H 100.1 FM - Triple H Sports - Coverage of Men's and Women's NSW Rugby League Grand Finals
• 3ZZZ - 3ZZZ Football
• Lofty 88.9 FM - The Huddle Reformed
• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio - That's a Wrap
• Vision Australia Radio - This Girl Can

Station Leadership Award

• 2NURFM - Ian Crouch
• 3KND Kool N Deadly - Erica Higgins
• 8CCC - Benjamin Erin
• Fresh 92.7 - Darren Pike
• MainFM - Stephanie Riddel