Kyle & Jackie O win Best On-Air Team at Radio Awards, Neil Mitchell takes out Best Talk & Current Affairs
Radio powerhouses Kyle Sandilands and Jackie "O" Henderson have been crowned Best On-Air Team (FM) at the 33rd annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (the ACRAs), announced tonight at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.
The KIIS 1065 breakfast stars have now won the award a record eight times and were also inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame for outstanding lifetime achievement and their contribution to radio, the community and charities over their career.
Melbourne institution Neil Mitchell, whose influential 3AW morning show continues to top the ratings after 35 years with the station, scooped the double with Best Talk Presenter and Best Current Affairs Presenter.
3AW breakfast team Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft picked up the Best On-Air Team (AM) accolade. This is the second win for the pair but the first time they've been able to pick up the award in person following the return of the radio awards as a live event after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
The ACRAS were presented at a gala event attended by 1,000 radio personalities and executives from around the country, hosted by WSFM stars Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones, with entertainment by Birds of Tokyo, First Nations singer songwriter Mitch Tambo and hip hop artist ILLY.
Kyle & Jackie O are the only team to have won Best On-Air Team eight times – in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013 when they were with 2Day FM and in 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2022 with KIIS. Other successful teams such as Hamish & Andy and Jonesy & Amanda have won three times.
The Kyle & Jackie O Hour of Power also won Best Networked Program and Sandilands was awarded Best Entertainment Presenter.
Winners of other major awards included Fitzy & Wippa (Ryan Fitzgerald and Michael Wipfli) from NOVA Entertainment who won Best Syndicated Australian Program.
The Ben & Liam breakfast show on Nova 91.9 in Adelaide won Best Community Service Project (Metro) for "Ben & Liam's Trapped", raising awareness for mental health.
Other major winners included:
- Best Sports Presenter – James Brayshaw (Triple M Melbourne)
- Best Newcomer On-Air – Sofie Formica (4BC Brisbane)
- Best Original Podcast – Unbranded – Brenda, Call Me! hosted by Courtney Act & Vanity (Nova Podcasts)
- Best Digital Radio Station – RnB Fridays Radio (SCA)
- Best News Presenter Metro AM – Amie Meehan (2GB)
- Best News Presenter Metro FM – Heidi Tiltins (smoothfm 95.3)
- Brian White Award for Radio Journalism – Clinton Maynard (2GB).
The ACRAS highlight Australia's vibrant radio and audio industry, recognising outstanding talent across 39 categories, including news, talk, sport, music and entertainment.
Ford Ennals, the chief executive officer of awards organiser Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), said: "The ACRAS are about celebrating what makes radio such an enduring and influential medium. It has been 99 years since the first station began broadcasting in Australia, and radio's bond with listeners today is stronger than ever. Congratulations to all the winners and the finalists on their amazing work."
Stars on the red carpet included Chrissie Swan, Abbie Chatfield, Ben Fordham, Kate Langbroek, Fifi Box, Time Blackwell, Joel Creasey, Fitzy & Wippa and Melissa Doyle.
The ACRAS are peer judged, with entries received from 260 metropolitan and regional radio stations across Australia. Stations outside the metropolitan areas are well represented with more than 200 winners from country and provincial stations.
A complete list of the 2022 ACRAs winners follows.
Photos: Red carpet and winners photos available here.
Vision of key awards on the stage are also available.
