Commercial Radio Australia has informed its stakeholders that this year’s Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAS) won’t be going ahead due to an ongoing legal battle over music royalties.

In the note to its members, obtained by Mumbrella, CRA said the awards will be paused for 2025, in order to “reallocate resources” towards “crucial priorities, including significant cost pressures incurred from ongoing legal matters with the PPCA.”

CRA will also use the time to “review and refresh our awards categories, judging process, and events execution”.

The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) and CRA have been battling over the Fair Pay for Radio Play Bill 2023. The bill would remove the existing royalty cap paid by Australian commercial radio stations.

Current copyright legislation caps the total to 1% of a station’s yearly revenue. PPCA, representing musicians and rights holders, argues that the cap is unfair and outdated, having been introduced over half a century ago. The CRA argues an increase in royalty rates for music played will “threaten the sustainability of our stations”.

CRA told its members the awards hiatus “was not an easy decision” to make, and that it will take the time to “re-image how we recognise excellence in Australian audio”.

The annual ceremony was set to be held in October, with last year’s event at the Star in Sydney seeing over 70 category winners announced. Back in April, the CRA confirmed the 2025 ACRA event would not go ahead.

Story courtesy of Mumbrella.