MediaWorks Radio (MWR) scooped 21 of the total 52 awards up for grabs at yesterday’s 2012 NZ Radio Awards. With 67 finalists, MWR staff took top awards across on-air talent, news and programming, production, promotions, creativity, sales and community involvement.
Chief executive officer MWR Belinda Mulgrew says: “I am absolutely delighted at the success achieved by our talent and our teams at these prestigious awards.
“MediaWorks prides itself on creating world class radio, and last night’s wins, as well as the outstanding number of finalists – more than double that of any other radio operator – is great recognition of the hard work, creativity and talent of our people.”
MWR had a clean sweep of the coveted Station of the Year categories, with More FM taking out all three awards. Regional Station of the Year went to 92.2 More FM Manawatu, and Provincial Station of the Year was won by 93.6 More FM Taupo.
More FM Canterbury, an important focal point for the Christchurch community in the wake of the 2010 Earthquake, was named Metropolitan Station of the Year, with MWR stablemates The Rock and The Edge the other finalists in this category.
More FM continued its winning streak with awards for Outstanding Community Campaigns for More FM Canterbury and Dunedin, and Best Individual Radio Promotion for More FM Dunedin.
The most sought after national awards for on-air talent were picked up by The Rock and The Edge. The Edge breakfast show team of Jay-Jay Feeny, Mike Puru and Dom Harvey were awarded Best Music Breakfast Metropolitan, while The Rock’s Robert Taylor and Jono Pryor took out Best Music Non-Breakfast Metropolitan for the fifth year running.
The Rock also picked up the award for Best Website and Best Network Radio Promotion for the popular and controversial ‘Win a Wife’ competition.
Hilary Barry took the top honour in the news category, winning Best Newsreader, for her work on RadioLIVE. The prestigious award, means Barry has achieved a rare triple crown – she was named Best Presenter, News and Current Affairs at the 2011 Aotearoa Film and Television Awards, and TV Guide readers voted her Best News Reader in the 2012 Best on the Box people’s choice awards.
RadioLIVE’s long serving overnight host, Ewing Stevens, was recognised for his services to broadcasting. Stevens, who is 85 years old, is celebrating his 56th year in broadcasting. He joined Radio Pacific as a Talk Back host at the foundation of the station in 1979, and has been with RadioLIVE since it launched in 2005 – but shows no signs of retiring, stating ‘I’m planning on remaining in broadcasting until I’m the oldest broadcaster in the world’.
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