The 35th Australian Commercial Radio & Audio (ACRA) Awards are taking over The Star Sydney on Saturday, 12 October.
The ACRAs are carefully slotted into the calendar every year after the AFL and NRL grand finals, and just before SXSW Australia.
This year the organiser Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA) is promising a spectacular celebration of Australia’s top radio and music stars. This will be the first awards night under new CRA chief executive Lizzie Young (pictured above).
ARN’s Jonesy and Amanda with their 2023 ACRA trophy.
Presenters sharing the stage will be some of Australia’s most iconic audio talent, including Brooke Blurton & Matty Mills, Deb Knight, Jimmy Smith & Nath Roye, Katie Woolf, Melissa Doyle & Richard Wilkins, Neil ‘Wilko’ Wilcock & Courtenay ‘Courts’ Kneen, Ray Hadley, Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald & Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli with Kate Richie, Steph Claire Smith & Laura Henshaw, Tim Blackwell & Joel Creasey, and Will McMahon & Woody Whitelaw.
“Radio is at the centre of Australian culture, offering vital information, entertainment, and connection around the clock. This year’s ACRA Awards will unite the industry’s pioneers and rising trailblazers who continue to reimagine the future of audio,” commented Lizzie Young.
The awards celebrate outstanding on-air talent and recognise excellence across content, production, podcasting, sales and marketing.
See also: 2023 ACRA Awards: Jonesy & Amanda win big while Kyle Sandilands takes home Talent of the Year
CRA also announced Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland will make a special appearance to present the awards for Best Community Campaign and Diversity and Inclusion.
Joining the celebrations are prominent voices shaping the Australian music scene. Rock legends The Screaming Jets will bring their signature high-octane energy to the stage, with lead singer Dave Gleeson sharing, “From a listener to a presenter I love everything about radio. I can’t wait to perform at the ACRA Awards, such a great night with all the luminaries of Oz radio in one room.”
Ahead of his sell-out Australian tour and highly anticipated third album, The Epilogue, ARIA & APRA award-winning and 14 billion streaming artist Dean Lewis will also grace the ACRA stage. “I’m looking forward to performing at radio’s night of nights. To be invited to perform at the 2024 ACRA Awards is an honour,” said Lewis.
Also performing this year are Award-winning Yolŋu hip hop artist Baker Boy, and IVANA, the breakout star from Australian Idol.