Newstalk dominates at 2026 IMRO Radio Awards

The 2026 IMRO Radio Awards, hosted by Dermot Whelan at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, saw Newstalk win several top honours.

Key wins for Newstalk

Off The Ball secured the Sports Programme of the Year award, beating RTÉ Radio One’s Inside Sport, while broadcaster John Duggan was named Sports Broadcaster of the Year, surpassing a fellow Off The Ball colleague.

Newstalk’s podcast Let Me Explain with Sean Defoe also took home the Radio Station Podcast of the Year award.

Other winners included Spin 1038 as Music Station of the Year and Today FM as National Station of the Year. Bauer Media Ireland’s Teena Gates was honoured as one of the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees.

Chair of the IMRO Radio Awards Committee Chris Doyle praised the “bold ideas, brilliant storytelling and an extraordinary understanding of audiences” displayed across the entries. IMRO Chair Tom Dunne highlighted the sector’s imagination and professionalism, noting IMRO’s continued sponsorship since 2017.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Hugo Polo / Pexels.