Winners of The Radio Awards 2020 were celebrated in an online awards ceremony hosted by popular comedian Loyiso Madinga on Friday afternoon. Now in its tenth year, The Radio Awards celebrates outstanding talent in the South African radio industry.
[Business Day TV, on DStv channel 412, will re-broadcast the online show, hosted by comedian Loyiso Madinga, on Saturday and Sunday at 4pm and 9pm.]
This year’s Station of the Year Awards went to Kaya 95.9 FM (Commercial), Hot 91.9 FM (Community), Radio 2000 (PBS), and Tuks FM (Campus).
Station of the Year winners were determined by the number of times they appeared as a finalist across all general categories of The Radio Awards. Each of the finalists submitted a further motivation which spoke to the station’s innovation, audience growth, community outreach, general achievements, as well as their ‘X-factor’. This motivation was then scored by The Radio Awards advisory panel. This score accounted for the first half of a station’s final score, and the second half of the final score was determined by a station’s success in the other categories.
“Congratulations to all of the finalists, and especially the winners for producing dynamic, captivating radio for the South African listening audience,” said Taryn Westoby, head of Arena Events which manages The Radio Awards.
“It’s been a challenging period in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and making The Radio Awards happen this year – albeit on an online platform – has meant that the tireless work of radio stations around the country can be highlighted at a time when good news is really welcomed,” she added.
A record number of entries (more than 2 000) were received from a record number of stations (more than 160) in this year’s edition of The Radio Awards. Entries were adjudicated by a team of 54 judges, and reviewed by BDO South Africa, the newly appointed auditors for The Radio Awards.
More than 80 award winners were celebrated across 25 categories. Seven Bright Stars were announced, and five industry stalwarts were inducted into the Hall of Fame, including Brian Oxley, Gabriel Urgoiti, Neil Johnson, Peter Wise and Rev. Prince Zulu.
In the two listener’s choice categories, the My Station Most Votes Award went to Ligwalagwala FM, which received the most online votes from the listening public. The My Station Loyal Listeners Award went to Hot 91.9 FM for receiving the most public votes as a ratio against its RAMS figures.
This was also the first year for the Station Manager’s Choice Award – an award recognising the contributions made by behind-the-scenes station employees. The inaugural award was presented to two individuals: Marika de Jongh of OFM, and Linda van Schalkwyk of Pretoria FM.
The recipient of The Radio Awards Bursary Award is Nthapeleng ‘Tsholo’ Moteka
“This year’s awards would not have happened as successfully without the firm commitment from numerous individuals. We’d like to thank the members of our advisory board, the adjudication panel, BDO South Africa and the NAB for giving of their time to ensure The Radio Awards remain relevant, credible and independent. A high bar has been set for 2021, and we look forward to the year ahead,” Westoby said.
To view the complete list of 2020 winners, please visit www.radioawards.co.za or check them out below.
The Media magazine is the proud publication partner for The Radio Awards 2020. To book advertising space in this exciting edition that will be distributed to a broad audience of brand owners and marketers, contact fagank@themediaonline.co.za or tiddyv@themediaonline.co.za
