The 2024 Community Broadcasting Association of Australia conference, a celebration also of the CBAA and community radio’s 50th birthday this year wrapped up with a keynote address from Shane Fitzsimmons. The awards and gala dinner was held at the QT Ballroom on the Gold Coast.

Pictured: MC Stephen Stockwell, Shane Fitzsimmons and MC Mikaela Simpson

The CBAA Awards nominees and winners for 2024 (courtesy of RadioInfo)

Best Program: New (Sponsored by AFTRS)

• 8CCC – Great Cooks of The Desert
• Eastside Radio 89.7FM – The Intersection
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh Off The Decks – Hosted by MATIAH
• Vision Australia Radio – Sites, Sounds and Songs on Vision Australia Radio
• 3CR – Hong Kongology

WINNER: Eastside Radio 89.7FM – The Intersection

Best Program: Talks

• 2MFM – Beyond the ATAR – Youth Series
• 2DRY FM – Out in the Outback: Hidden Histories Series
• Fresh 92.7 – Wavelength: Navigating the Israel & Palestine Conflict
• 3CR – 30 Years Fighting for Forests
• Vision Australia Radio – Happy Pants

WINNER: Vision Australia Radio – Happy Pants

Troy Garner Award – Best Program: Sports

• Lofty 88.9 – The Huddle Reformed
• 3ZZZ – 3ZZZ Sports
• Triple H 100.1 FM – Triple H Sports – Coverage of NSW Men’s and Women’s Premier Cricket
• HOT FM Mildura – 2024 SFNL Football Broadcast
• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio – That’s a Wrap

WINNER: 3ZZZ – 3ZZZ Sports

Best Program: Music (Sponsored by APRA AMCOS)

• 2NVR Nambucca Valley Radio – Studio 3 Live
• RTRFM – Difficult Listening
• 3BBR FM – Continental Drift
• Koori Radio – Tangata Whenua
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh Off The Block – Hosted by MATIAH

WINNER: Koori Radio – Tangata Whenua

Excellence in Australian Music (Sponsored by APRA AMCOS)

• 3 HFM – Beats Rhymes and Life
• 3BBR FM – Gippsland Live, 3BBR Concert Hall
• Koori Radio – Indigenous Hip Hop Show
• 2SER – 2SER Australian Music Programming & Events
• Radio 4EB – TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project

WINNER: 2SER – 2SER Australian Music Programming & Events

Outstanding Presenter

• Radio Adelaide – Jarad McLoughlin: De-Stigmatised (Audio Ability Revisited segment)
• todayscountry94one – Alan Gilmour
• RTRFM – Jeff Bullen
• JOY 94.9 – Demetra Giannakopoulos

WINNER: RTRFM – Jeff Bullen

Excellence in Disability Content & Engagement

• Phoenix FM
• RTRFM – Breaking Sound Barriers – Season 2
• Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio – Wangki Radio Celebrates Difference
• Vision Australia Radio
• 3CR – Disability Day

WINNER: 3CR – Disability Day

Excellence in Indigenous Content & Engagement

• RTRFM – Sovereign
• PBA-FM – Feel Good Nunga Radio
• Koori Radio – Two Men In Your Head and The Dhinawanyan Healers
• Ngaarda Media – Federal Court Native Title Hearing: YIindjibarndi and FMG
• PAW & 8CCC – The Heat

WINNER: PAW & 8CCC – The Heat

Excellence in Multicultural Content & Engagement

• 2MFM
• PBA-FM – Siempre Lunes
• Alive 90.5FM – Alive with Cultural Diversity
• 9 WynFM
• Radio 4EB – TUNOGLOKAL QLD Project

WINNER: 88.9 WynFM

Best Program: News & Current Affairs (Sponsored by AVC)

• 3BBR FM – West Gippsland Week
• 2DRY FM – Water Watch
• Ngaarda Media – Ngaarda Statewide News WA
• Vision Australia Radio – Studio 1
• 3CR – Global Intifada: Operation Inglenook Episode

WINNER: Vision Australia Radio – Studio 1

Outstanding Presenter News & Current Affairs (Sponsored by Deutsche Welle)

• 3BBR – Paul Strickland and West Gippsland Week Team
• 4ZZZ – Alexis Pink
• Lofty 88.9 – Johnny Emanuele
• Vision Australia Radio – Peter Greco
• Bay FM 99.9 – Mia Armitage

WINNER: Vision Australia Radio – Peter Greco

Excellence in Production

• 3ZZZ
• 96five – The Rad-Vent Calendar
• Casey Radio 97.7FM – Storytellers @ The Station
• Vision Australia Radio
• Bay FM 99.9 – Bay FM Community Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness Campaign

WINNER: 96five – The Rad-Vent Calendar

Outstanding Production Contribution

• RTRFM – Eddie Curtis
• JOY 94.9 – Elliot Attard
• Bay FM 99.9 – Bay FM Community Disaster Recovery and Emergency Preparedness Campaign
• 2DRY FM – Water Watch Production Team
• 9 WynFM – Stephen Kernohan

WINNER: JOY 94.9 – Elliot Attard

Excellence in Fundraising & Sponsorship

• RTRFM – RTRFM’s Fundraising and Sponsorship Team
• VOX FM – Judy Clare, Billy Harvey Carmel Collins, & Kevin Barron
• Alive 90.5 FM
• 9 TheLight – PositiveMedia Donor Engagement & Business Development Teams
• Fresh 92.7

WINNER: 89.9 TheLight – PositiveMedia Donor Engagement & Business Development Teams

Outstanding Fundraising & Sponsorship Contribution

• 96five – 96five’s Building Hope Appeal
• Fresh 92.7 – Fresh 92.7 Sales Team
• Vision Australia Radio – Jason Gipps
• 4RFM – Brianna Baggow

WINNER: 96five – 96five’s Building Hope Appeal

Excellence in Special Events & Outside Broadcasting

• 3ZZZ – FIFA Women’s World Cup Broadcast
• MainFM – MAIN Game
• Ngaarda Media & 3KND Kool N Deadly – Tamworth Country Music Program 2024
• 2DRY FM – 2024 Broken Hill Christmas Pageant
• 3CR – Camp Sovereignty

WINNER: Ngaarda Media & 3KND Kool N Deadly – Tamworth Country Music Program 2024

Excellence in Community Engagement

• Sonshine (98.5FM) – Sonshine’s Heart For The Homeless
• 9 TheLight – Connecting with the Community
• Bay FM 99.9 – Young Legends
• Vision Australia Radio
• Fresh 92.7

WINNER: Bay FM 99.9 – Young Legends

Excellence in Station Resilience & Development (Sponsored by the CMTO)

• 3ZZZ – Building an Eth(n)ical Business Model for 3ZZZ
• 5THE FM – Rising Out of the Ashes of its Former Self
• 2MIA FM 95.1 – Station Leadership Committee
• 9 WynFM – Trudy Burkes
• Collie Community Radio – Transition to New Studio

WINNER: 5THE FM – Rising Out of the Ashes of its Former Self

Outstanding Technical Contribution

• Phoenix FM – Peter Williams
• TripleT 103.9 – Warren Ray
• Alive 90.5 FM – Alive 90.5FM Tech Team
• Three D Radio
• SWR 99.9 FM – Alex Agaciak and Matt Reid

WINNER: SWR 99.9 FM – Alex Agaciak and Matt Reid

Outstanding Youth Contribution

• RTRFM – Sharlene Baloch and IJ McKenna
• 2MIA FM 95.1 – Brodie Legge – Youth YAP & Midweek Madness
• 2NURFM – Olivia Dillon
• Switch Brisbane – School Yard Sounds
• CAAMA Radio – Briana Alexander

WINNER: CAAMA Radio – Briana Alexander

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution

• 3WAY-FM – Ann Morris
• Eastside Radio 89.7FM – Elliott Wallace
• Alive 90.5 FM – Rosh Vee
• CMS Radio FM 91.1 – Santhosh Nagaiah
• Fresh 92.7 – Cassandra Johns

WINNER: Alive 90.5 FM – Rosh Vee

Outstanding Station Leadership

• 3ZZZ – Jon King
• Alive 90.5 FM – Andsley Dennis
• 9 WynFM – Peter White
• Casey Radio 97.7FM – Nia McMartin
• 2DRY FM – Megan Williams

WINNER: 2DRY FM – Megan Williams

Tony Staley Award for Excellence in Community Broadcasting

WINNER: 2DRY FM

Michael Law Award

WINNER: Phillip Randall, CEO of Hope 103.2

And the CBAA has initiated a new Community Radio Honour Roll for those who have worked at a station for twenty years or more. Added to the Honour roll:

Peter Weeks OAM: UGFM Murrundindy

Lorraine Clifford and Jane Armstrong: RTR FM

David Marshall OAM: Harvey Community Radio 96.5 FM