Past CBAA Community Radio Award Winners

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Our major awards

Tony Staley Award for Excellence in Community Broadcasting

Tony Staley was instrumental in the development of the community broadcasting sector. The winner of the Tony Staley Award is a community broadcasting organisation or initiative that actively promotes the values of community broadcasting in the areas of democracy, diversity, access and independence. This award attracts a cash prize of $2,500 supported by the Community Broadcasting Foundation.

Michael Law Award

Michael Law was the inaugural President of the Public Broadcasting Association of Australia (now known as the CBAA) in 1974. He is recognised as one of the key founders of community broadcasting in Australia, presiding over the emergence of our diverse and innovative media sector. The Michael Law Award recognises an individual who has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to the community broadcasting sector (not bound by the current awards period). 

  • 2022: Jim Remedio and Philip Shine
  • 2020: Dr Christine Spurgeon
  • 2019: David Turrell
  • 2018: John Maizels
  • 2017: Ian Stanistreet
  • 2016: Max Benyon
  • 2015: Adrian Basso
  • 2014: Maureen O’Keeffe and Nicky Page
  • 2013: Tiga Bayles
  • 2012: John Macinnes

For winners earlier than 2012, refer to our full list.

Our awards of excellence

Station Leadership Award

The Station Leadership award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated sustained exceptional leadership in their station. The recipient has displayed community radio virtues through a specific aspect of broadcasting – cultural, technical, or organisational – on air and/or behind the scenes.

Excellence in Digital Media

This award recognises an outstanding digital media initiative implemented in a community radio station. Digital media is defined as station-created content using social media, digital broadcasting, website development, audio streaming, podcasting, blogging, digital video or general digital media content. 

  • 2022: Supporting the mental health of ethnic communities during COVID-19, 2MFM 
  • 2020: SYN Podcast Incubator, SYN Media
  • 2019: Fitzroy Crossing, Wangki Radio
  • 2018: The View from Here - Fremantle Series, RTRFM 92.1
  • 2017: Just Words, 2SER
  • 2016: fbiradio.com. FBi Radio
  • 2015: Represent - Federal Budget Night, SYN Media
Best Online Content

This award recognises the most outstanding submitted piece of online content published by a station. This piece of station-created content can be on or via platforms including social media, digital SPIs (Service & Program Information – DAB+), websites, podcasts, blogs, digital video or general digital media content.

Best Digital Media Initiative
  • 2014: Star Observer Digital - 2SER
  • 2013: Radio with Pictures - FBi Radio
  • 2012: Radio on Demand - 3RRR
Best New Radio Program

This award recognises an outstanding new community radio program. 

Best New Radio Program - Music

This award recognises an outstanding music program. 

  • 2022: Beats Rhymes and Life, 107.3 HFM 
  • 2021: Mooncake, 3RRR
  • 2020: Bare Necessities, FBi Radio
  • 2019: Revolver - A History of Feminist Music, RTRFM 92.1 
  • 2018: Top 100 Indigenous Songs of All Time - 3KND 1503 AM
  • 2017: World Music Safari – Sounds From Other Lands, Phoenix FM
  • 2016: Female Australian Composers Project for International Women’s Day, 3MBS
  • 2015: Babble POP!, JOY 94.9
  • 2014: Jump Up With Jesse - Harvey Community Radio 96.5fm
  • 2013: Countdown to the Ring - 3MBS (on behalf of Fine Music Network)
  • 2012: Ears Have Ears - FBi
Best New Radio Program - Talks

This award recognises an outstanding talks or spoken word program. 

Best Station Production

This award recognises a station that has produced and broadcast outstanding short promotions (less than 60 seconds), station IDs, sponsorship announcements or community service announcements. 

Best Station Fundraising Campaign

This award recognises a station that has run an effective fundraising campaign to support the station's own sustainability (i.e. not raising funds for another organisation). 

  • 2022: Make It Home, PBS 106.7FM
  • 2021: Collab Series Vol 1, RTRFM 92.1
  • 2020: Community Relations, Hope 103.2
  • 2019: You Make Hope Possible, Hope 103.2, Sydney
  • 2018: Your Voice for Hope Appeal - June 2017, Light FM 89.9
  • 2017: Triple R 40th Birthday, Triple R (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
  • 2016: LightPartner Day – Your News, 89.9, Light FM (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
  • 2015: Watts Up! Fundraising Campaign, Bay FM 99.9 (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
  • 2014: TransMISSION - Fresh 92.7 (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
  • 2013: RTRFM 2013 Donor Drive - RTRFM 92.1 (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
  • 2012: Transmission Ignition - 4ZZZ (Previously Best Station Promotion, Sponsorship or Fundraising Campaign)
Best Station Fundraising Campaign - Small Station

This award recognises a small station that has run an effective fundraising campaign to support the station’s own sustainability (i.e. not raising funds for another organisation). Entry in this category is restricted to stations with annual revenue of less than $100,000.

Contribution to Australian Music

This award acknowledges a program or initiative that in the last 12 months has made a significant contribution to supporting local Australian music and helping to develop Australian musicians.

Contribution to Australian Music - Radio Program

This award acknowledges a radio program that has made a significant contribution to supporting local Australian music and helping to develop Australian musicians.

Contribution to Australian Music - Initiative

This award acknowledges an initiative that has made a significant contribution to supporting local Australian music and helping to develop Australian musicians. 

Excellence in Indigenous Engagement

This award recognises a station that has demonstrated its commitment to Indigenous engagement through the participation of Indigenous people in key production, editorial, broadcast and management roles. 

Excellence in Indigenous Broadcasting

This award recognises a program or initiative that has excelled in providing a platform for Indigenous voices.

Excellence in Community Participation

This award recognises a station that, in the last 12 months, has actively sought meaningful engagement with its community of interest in its activities, which is fundamental to the role of community radio. 

Excellence in Ethnic and Multicultural Engagement

This award recognises a station that has demonstrated its commitment to ethnic and multicultural engagement through the participation of culturally and linguistically diverse people in key production, editorial, broadcast and management roles.

Excellence in Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasting

This award recognises a program or initiative that has excelled in providing a platform for culturally and linguistically diverse voices.

Excellence in Community Engagement

This award recognises a station that has achieved meaningful engagement with its community interest in its activities, which is fundamental to the role of community radio.

Excellence in Music Programming

This award recognises an outstanding music presenter (or team) who has informed musical appreciation and provided an avenue for music that might otherwise go unheard or lacks a significant profile in the wider media. 

Excellence in News and Current Affairs Programming

This award acknowledges an excellent program or programming initiative that has excelled in providing news and current affairs stories to its community interest.

  • 2022:  Floods and landslides devastate the Northern Rivers, Bay Fm 99.9 
  • 2021: Covid Report, Wangki Radio
  • 2020: Studio 1, Vision Australia Radio
  • 2019: The Edge, Wangki Radio, Fitzroy Crossing
  • 2018: Another World, Eastside 89.7FM
  • 2017: Saturday Brisbane Line, 4ZZZ (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
  • 2016: Anangu Lands Paper Tracker Radio Show, Radio Adelaide  (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
  • 2015: Wavelength, Fresh 92.7 (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
  • 2014: Memories of Sarajevo – Radio Zid: Rock Under Siege - Bay FM 99.9 (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
  • 2013: The state of ear health in my community - Noongar Radio (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
  • 2012: All The Best - FBi (previously Excellence in Spoken Word, News and Current Affairs Programming)
Excellence in Technical Services

This award recognises the contribution of an engineer or technologist (or team) to a community radio station or stations. 

Excellence in Creative Audio

This award acknowledges excellence in creative audio. It is bestowed upon a fiction or nonfiction program, documentary, feature, story or segment that excelled in using innovative audio elements. The entry should be no longer than 2 hours and must have been aired. 

Excellence in Technical Innovation

This award recognises an engineer or technologist (or team) that has taken an innovative approach to the technology of one or more community radio stations. 

  • 2022: Remote Monitoring and Management of Networked Broadcast Infrastructure, 8CCC
  • 2021: JOY’s New Home, Joy Media
  • 2020: First Australians Media Enterprises, 3KND
  • 2019: Creative Automation Solution by Alastair Ling, Edge Radio
  • 2018: Gerard Pyne, QRAM
Excellence in Journalism

This award acknowledges excellence in journalism. Journalism is recognised as research and investigation that breaks new stories for the first time in the media (as separate from the presentation of news and current affairs). Journalists may regard themselves as trained or self-taught; emerging or established; citizen or professional. This award recognises the success of a journalist (and their team).

  • 2022: Media outlet wrongly accuses indigenous man of abducting Cleo Smith, Ngaarda Media
  • 2021: The Story of CHIRP - Community Health in Castlemaine, MainFM
  • 2020: Living In Paradise, Bay FM 99.9
  • 2019: Police, Perverts & Public Exposure: Uncovering Byron's Nude Beach, Bay FM 99.9,  Byron Bay
  • 2018: Mia Armitage, Bay FM 99.9
Excellence in Training

This award recognises a training initiative that has had significant impact at a station. This can include accredited and non-accredited training. 

Excellence in Innovative Programming and Content

This award recognises an innovative programming or content initiative that gives platform to music, ideas, or concepts not normally addressed by traditional media outlets and connects deeply with its audience. 

Excellence in Music Presenting

This award recognises an outstanding music presenter (or team) who has informed musical appreciation and provided an avenue for music that might otherwise go unheard or lacks a significant profile in the wider media. 

Excellence in Outside Broadcasting

This award recognises a station that has served a community need or provided programming relevant to their community interest through an outside broadcast or series of broadcasts.

  • 2022: 2021 VIC Disability & Sports Recreation Festival, Vision Australia Radio
  • 2021: Boola Bardip, RTRFM
  • 2020: Rowan's Walk, Ngaarda Media
  • 2019: Ballina Meet the Candidates 2019, Bay FM 99.9, Byron Bay
  • 2018: Carols in The Park, Hills Radio 88.9FM
  • 2017: Twang 20th Birthday, Triple R (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
  • 2016: 3CR Exhibition Broadcasts, 3CR (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
  • 2015: Rebuild Nepal: Live Concert, Bay FM 99.9 (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
  • 2014: World AIDS Day Worldwide - JOY 94.9 (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
  • 2013: 3MBS Beethoven Marathon - 3MBS (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
  • 2012: The Joy and 3AW Better Together Broadcast - JOY 94.9 (previously Most Innovative Outside Broadcast or Special Event Broadcast)
Best Special Event Broadcast

This award recognises a station that has served a community need or provided programming relevant to their community interest through a special event broadcast.

Outstanding Small Station Award

This award celebrates the vital role that small stations play in the community broadcasting sector. They face challenges with fewer facilities and people, and levels of initiative and sheer determination tend to be sky-high. Entry in this category is restricted to stations with annual revenue of less than $100,000. 

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution

This award recognises a volunteer who has demonstrated sustained leadership, effectiveness and commitment to their station and community broadcasting in an outstanding way. The award recognises contributions across any area of involvement in community broadcasting.

Outstanding Youth Contribution

This award recognises a young person who has contributed to their station or the sector in an outstanding way. Entries are open to any person aged under 26 years who has shown strong commitment to the values of community broadcasting in a number of areas. 

Troy Garner Excellence in Sports Programming

In memory of passionate sports broadcaster Troy Garner, this award acknowledges a community radio station’s achievement in the creation of sports programming that focuses on community-based sporting activities that receive limited coverage in the wider media. 

National Features & Documentary Series

The National Features and Documentary Series is an annual showcase of new work by Australian community radio producers, highlighting their communities and the work community radio does to support them. 

  • 2021: Melaine Robinson - Vision Australia Radio -  Rideability 
  • 2020: Melanie Bakeell, 8CCC - Never gonna let the language go away
  • 2019: Alice Ansara, 2EAR - The CWA And The F-Word
  • 2018: Katharina Loesche, 4EB - The Runners' Guide
  • 2017: Kaarina Lindell, Triple R - How Digital Changed Music
  • 2016: Michael Schubert, Bay FM - In Search Of Silence 

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