Newstalk ZB was named station of the year for the fourth straight year and More FM’s Bevan Chapman won the biggest individual prize at New Zealand’s annual radio and podcast awards on Thursday evening. 

Many of Newstalk ZB’s hosts, producers and journalists and NZME support teams were honoured with individual and team awards and Chapman, More FM’s Wairoa and Gisborne host, was named the Sir Paul Holmes Broadcaster of the Year for his around-the-clock work during Cyclone Gabrielle last year. 

NZME - which owns Newstalk ZB and a suite of entertainment stations including ZM and The Hits - won seven of the 10 premier awards. 

Newstalk ZB’s news team won the award for best team coverage for their Cyclone Gabrielle work. 

NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley accepts the award for station of the year (metropolitan) for Newstalk ZB. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

ZM’s Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley were named best music network breakfast show and The Rock Drive was awarded best network music team. 

Other big winners included The Breeze, Hawke’s Bay, named local station of the year, while ZM’s Girl Math team won the Blackie Award. 

Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking was named best talk presenter (breakfast or drive), and ZB’s Marcus Lush shared the best presenter (non-breakfast or drive) award with RNZ’s Kim Hill in the fast-paced, fun and spirited awards ceremony at SkyCity in Auckland. 

It is the eighth straight time Lush has won the award. 

Joint winners of the best talk presenter (non-breakfast or drive) Marcus Lush and Kim Hill. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

He paid tribute to fellow nominees Kerre Woodham, Simon Barnett and James Daniels, and Hill herself. 

Hill, who retired last year as RNZ Saturday Morning host, thanked her own team and joked the award was for longevity. 

“I don’t mean to give a speech, but it’s been a really sad year for the media and I’ve been sitting this morning talking to industry people and I feel survivor guilt. So I hope things improve - all the best to you all.” 

Hosking was not present for the awards - in a video acceptance speech he joked that it was colonic irrigation night. “You know what they say about healthy pipes, eh.” 

He noted that Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith was in the audience. 

“Just remember of all the people who are falling by the wayside at the moment in the media, all the people who are having the trouble, all the people who are looking for the handouts and the free money that you don’t have because the Labour Government buggered the economy ... radio ain’t one of them. 

Mike Hosking accepted his award remotely. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

“Radio is doing well. Radio’s fantastic. 

“All we need is a hand up, not a handout. 

“So, Minister go forth, solve radio’s problems and help us be brilliant and maybe I’ll see you next year.” 

Two Mikes - Mike West (More FM) and Mike Regal (Radio Wanaka) - were honoured for their outstanding contributions to radio. 

More FM's Bevan Chapman. 

A swag of podcast awards were added to the line-up this year, with Podcast of the Year awarded to Tom Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal (iHeartRadio NZ). 

Ethan Sills and the NZ Herald podcast network team were named best podcast producer or producing team. 

Newstalk ZB news boss Scarlett Cvitanovich with the award for best news or sports story, for her team's coverage of Cyclone Gabrielle. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

NZME chief audio officer Jason Winstanley said he was thrilled. 

“I’m so proud of our team at NZME for a fantastic result tonight. The breadth of our award wins really showcases the talent we have across NZME not just in our teams that produce excellent radio, digital audio and podcasts each and every day, but the people across the business that support them to succeed.” 

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs paid tribute to the entire radio industry. 

“While we compete hard every day, coming together to celebrate our people as an industry is always an annual highlight. I’m so proud of our awesome NZME team – to see such a wide range of awards not only across our news, music and sport radio and digital audio networks, but also celebrating our teams across the business that help further drive that success.” 

MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer said: “I’m so proud of the talented team we have at MediaWorks and it’s fantastic to shine a light on their incredible work from last year. 

“Bevan Chapman being acknowledged for his incredible mahi during the devastating storms of 2023 shows the unrivalled ability of our local radio brands to connect with their communities, especially in times of need.” 

Vaughan Smith and Carl Fletcher of ZM collecting the best music network show award. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

All the winners: 

Associated craft award: NZME Vision team, NZME 

Best new broadcaster - Journalist: Jimmy Ellingham, RNZ 

Best new broadcaster - Off-Air: Sophie van Soest, The Edge 

Best new broadcaster - On-Air: Cal Payne, The Edge 

Best content director: Ross Flahive ZM 

Best show producer or producing team - Music Show: Mai Morning Crew, Troy Scott 

Best show producer or producing team - Talk Show: The Mike Hosking Breakfast Sam Carran, Sydney Epps, Glenn Hart 

Best network station promotion: ZM’s Girl Math 

Best single market station promotion: More FM Northland’s Boots ‘N All 

Best station imaging: The Edge Network 

Best station trailer: The Edge Oompa Loompa 

Best video, short-form: Gig-A-Little, Radio Hauraki 

Best video, longform: Unsocial Media: Following the Trolls, Wilhelmina Shrimpton, Simon Morrow, Today FM 

Best digital content: ZM Online, Megan Sagar, Kaitlyn Bolton 

Best podcast technical production: Tom Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal 

Best podcast producer or producing team: NZ Herald Podcast Network, Ethan Sills 

Best independent podcast: The Dom Harvey Podcast 

Best society and culture podcast: Between Two Beers, The ACC 

Best business podcast: Cooking the Books with Frances Cook, BusinessDesk 

Best comedy podcast: Tom Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal, iHeartRadio 

Best podcast by a radio show: The Matt & Jerry Show, Radio Hauraki 

Best news and current affairs podcast: The Detail, RNZ 

Best history and documentary podcast: No Such Thing as Normal, NZ Herald/iHeartRadio 

Best health and wellbeing podcast: Sex.Life, ZM 

Best sports podcast: The ACC Agenda Podcast, The ACC and iHeartRadio NZ 

Best true crime podcast: The Trial, Stuff Audio 

Best reo Māori podcast: Whakāmaori S2, RNZ 

Best Pacific podcast: Island Roots, Auckland Ways, Flava 

Best Asian podcast: Unfiltered Drive, Humm 

Podcast of the Year: Tom Sainsbury’s Small Town Scandal, iHeartRadio NZ 

ZM’s Girl Math team wins the Blackie Award. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

The Blackie Award: ZM’s Girl Math, Carl Fletcher, Vaughan Smith, Hayley Sproull, Carwen Jones, Jared Pickstock, Shannon Trim, ZM 

Best children’s programme: In Case You Missed It, RNZ 

Best daily or weekly feature - factual: Country Life, RNZ 

Best documentary or factual talk feature: Conviction: The Christchurch Civic Creche Case, RNZ 

Best music feature: The Rock 2000 

Best Asian language programme: Tarana Drive, Radio Tarana 

Best access radio programme: Cult Chat 

Best Pacific language programme: Special commendation: PMN Cook Islands 

Best music network breakfast show: ZM’s Fletch, Vaughan & Hayley, ZM 

Vaughan Smith of ZM collecting the best music network show. Photo / Sylvie Whinray 

Best music network host: Joint winners: Lorna Riley Coast, Sarah Van der Kley, The Breeze 

Best music network team: Rock Drive with Jay and Dunc 

Best local music breakfast show: The Northland Breakfast Club with John, Flash and Toast 

Best local music host: Bevan for Breakfast, Bevan Chapman, More FM Gisborne and Wairoa 

Best talk presenter - breakfast or drive: The Mike Hosking Breakfast, Newstalk ZB 

Best talk presenter - non-breakfast or drive: Marcus Lush Nights, Newstalk ZB; Saturday Morning with Kim Hill 

Best news or sport journalist: Aaron Dahmen, Newstalk ZB 

Best news or sport story - team coverage: Newstalk ZB for Cyclone Gabrielle coverage 

Best newsreader: Niva Retimanu, Newstalk ZB 

Best sportsreader, presenter or commentator: Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Newstalk ZB 

Best broadcast in te reo Māori: Te Reo Irirangi o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, Matai Smith, Tūranga FM Media 

Best client promotion/activation: Heartland Chip with Backbone, Radio Hauraki 

Best marketing campaign: Matt & Jerry - Xmas Podcast on Vinyl, Radio Hauraki; Sex.Life podcast, ZM 

Best commercial campaign: Confinement Escape Rooms Taupo - Find Out... The Hits Taupo 

Sales team of the year: NZME Christchurch 

Best sponsorship and partnership: NZME Warriors 2023 Partnership 

Best community campaign: Tummy Rumble in the Jungle, The Rock 

Local Station of the Year: The Breeze, Hawke’s Bay 

Network/Metropolitan Station of the Year: Newstalk ZB 

Sir Paul Holmes Broadcaster of the Year: Bevan Chapman, More FM Gisborne and Wairoa 

Oustanding contribution to radio: Mike West, Mike Regal 

Services to Broadcasting: Alan Beagle, David Allan, Jenny Mulligan, Tim Dower, Foufou Hukui, K’Lee, Sefita Hao’uli 

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.