The NZ Radio Awards 2022. Video / Radio Broadcasters Association
Newstalk ZB has taken top honours at the annual Radio Awards, winning Station of the Year for a second consecutive year - while many of the nework's top talent snared the night's biggest individual prizes.
ZB Breakfast host Mike Hosking won the Sir Paul Holmes Broadcaster of the Year Award - for the third time in his career - while Heather du Plessis-Allan was awarded Best Breakfast/Drive Presenter and Marcus Lush won Best Non-Breakfast or Drive Presenter.
Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan. Photo / Greg Bowker
Hosking, who celebrated 40 years in radio broadcasting this year, accepted his award, saying: "What I've enjoyed in this very difficult time for our country is how wonderfully well the radio industry is doing. I put it down to the magic and simplicity of radio – the ability to turn the radio on wherever you are and hear an opinion, an idea, some information, some entertainment – that's what makes our industry so wonderful."
Newstalk ZB won 11 awards in total, while station owner NZME was celebrating all-round success, winning six of the overall seven premier awards.
As well as Hosking, du Plessis-Allan, and Lush's big wins, ZB's Niva Retimanu was named Best Newsreader, D'Arcy Waldegrave was named Best Sportsreader, Presenter or Commentator and ZB's news team was honoured for Best News Coverage for its work on the 2021 Covid/Delta outbreak.
NZME Chief Radio Officer Jason Winstanley - who, along with ZB's Edward Swift and Laura Heathcote was named Content Director/Team of the Year - said he could not be prouder.
"Our teams are incredibly hard-working – so much goes on behind the scenes to present the world-class news content and entertainment that our radio hosts and teams broadcast across Aotearoa each and every day. To be recognised like this, with such huge success in tonight's awards is so exciting, and truly humbling," he says.
NZME's popular ZM network celebrated seven awards in total, including Fletch, Vaughan and Megan taking out the hugely competitive Best Network Team Show – the fifth year in a row the breakfast show has won. ZM also won the esteemed Blackie Award for host Hayley Sproull's Driver's Licence segment.
Radio Hauraki and The Hits both won two awards each, with Hauraki's Matt and Jerry Podcast winning Best Podcast by a Radio Show, and The Hits winning Best Client Promotion/Activation for Jono & Ben's Battery Operated Torch Tour with The Warehouse. Gold AM – now Gold Sport – also took out an award for its coverage of the ICC World Test Championship.
NZME Taranaki - Nikki Verbeet, Tracey Blake, Colleen Deegan, Carole Morgan and Julie Petley - was named Sales team of the year.
And in a special individual award, NZME's Iona McHenry was recognised with a Services to Broadcasting Award.
McHenry first slipped her feet under the desk at Radio New Zealand in 1986 and since then has enjoyed an impressive career within the radio industry, and now as one of NZME's receptionists her voice and smile are synonymous with the company.
The latest Covid outbreak meant this year's awards were held virtually, delivered via a live webcast, with teams across New Zealand tuning into the industry's biggest night of the year.
