ZM and NewstalkZB headline stellar night for NZME Radio at awards night

Music network ZM has been named Station of the Year, as New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) scooped nearly all the major awards tonight at the New Zealand Radio Awards held at the SkyCity Theatre, Auckland.

ZM’s breakfast show hosted by Carl Fletcher, Vaughan Smith and Megan Papas was named Best Music Breakfast Show (Network). The ZM breakfast team also received the coveted “Blackie Award”, given in recognition of “funny and entertaining” radio excellence.

The ZM team also won awards for its work with clients and in the marketing, promotion and new broadcaster categories.

“To be named Network Station of the Year is a great honour and well-deserved recognition for ZM’s on-air and production teams who all put an extraordinary effort into producing world class radio for our audiences and our advertisers,” said ZM’s Content Director Ross Flahive.

NewstalkZB continued its talk-radio dominance in New Zealand. Breakfast host Mike Hosking was again named Best Talk Presenter (Breakfast or Drive), the network’s Night host Marcus Lush is also a repeat winner, named Best Talk Presenter (Other), with Lush’s producer Helen McCarthy named Best Talk Show Producer.

NewstalkZB’s news team also won several awards - Barry Soper (Best Journalist), Raylene Ramsay (Best Newsreader) and its news team (Best Team Coverage) for its handling of the Jami-Lee Ross story.

“Consistently delivering news our audiences can trust and rely on is the backbone of any great talk network,” said NZME Head of Talk Jason Winstanley and NewstalkZB Content Director Nadia Tolich. “It’s awesome to see our on-air and news teams continue to be recognised for the great work they deliver together”.

Two of the biggest names in radio were also recognised, NewstalkZB’s former Drive host Larry Williams - Services to Broadcasting and new ZB Afternoon host Simon Barnett - Outstanding Contribution to Radio.

“I’m very proud of all of our winners and finalists who’ve been recognised here tonight,” said NZME CEO Michael Boggs. “Our amazing radio teams are a huge part of our business. They are industry leaders in the content they create for their listeners and the audiences they deliver for our advertisers. With the combined strength of our radio audiences, massive readership numbers we deliver through print and our growing digital audiences, NZME has much to celebrate,” said Mr Boggs.

ENDS.

(See attached for a full list of New Zealand Media and Entertainment’s 2019 Radio Award Winners).

For further information please contact:

Cliff Joiner, GM Communications, NZME +64212709995 / cliff.joiner@nzme.co.nz