Today FM has scooped eight nominations in six categories of the New Zealand Radio Awards finalists list, despite it no longer being an operational radio station.
Just over 40 staff and contractors were released from their contracts last week, in a shock cull that played out live on air.
Listeners heard the station’s demise unfold in real time last Thursday morning, after the hosts were told to stop broadcasting and start playing music instead.
This morning, the list of finalists for the annual Radio Awards was released, recognising the best nominated talent in radio mahi from 2022.
Today FM scooped eight nominations despite only being just over a year in as a new player in the highly competitive market.
Listed for its work covering the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September and in two separate categories, covering the fentanyl crisis, Mediaworks chief executive Wendy Palmer congratulated all staff on the achievement.
“Congratulations to all of the finalists in the New Zealand Radio Awards. With 79 finalists from MediaWorks across the 50 categories, it's an outstanding recognition of the hard work all of our teams have put in over the last year,” she said in a statement.
In an email sent in March and seen by 1News, Today FM submitted 49 entries, with former director of news and talk at the station, Dallas Gurney telling staff at the time: “I am sure we will nab plenty of finalists when they get announced".
“It is always a bit of a roulette wheel these awards, with the judging taking place primarily online but we’ve got as good a chance as any,” he said.
Wilhelmina Shrimpton, who was a host, podcaster and investigative journalist at Today FM, told 1News the nominations are a bittersweet moment.
“It’s definitely a bittersweet moment, but a true testament to the hard work and passion we poured into each and every story/project at Today FM. It’s incredible to have that work and the issues within it recognised across the industry.”
Shrimpton has been nominated in four categories, two nods for the Best Video Long Form Category and Best Documentary for HIGH & DIE: The Fentanyl Problem, as well as being individually nominated for Best News Journalist.
“Our documentary team was also just a two-person team - myself and our former Video Production Manager Simon Morrow, who shot and edited each piece. It still blows me away that as such a tiny team, we produced such incredible content,” she said.
“We were a small but mighty team, who firmly believed in the station. I think the nominations prove just how much value there was in the content we were producing, and how much of an impact it had on our listeners and viewers. People tuned into us and turned to us in their time of need, and I’m so thankful for the Kiwis who did.”
Chair of the Radio Broadcasters Association & Radio Industry Awards Committee Jana Rangooni said it’s not uncommon for there to be entries from people each year who have left shows, changed stations or there to have been a station change names or go off air.
It's the latest in a series of media job cuts and there are warnings other industries will follow. (Source: 1News)
“In terms of the specific example of a radio station going off air, it does not happen every year but I can certainly think of a couple of occasions in my time as Chair of the Radio Awards committee including Radio Live and Radio Sport.”
She said the awards celebrate and recognise the best content on New Zealand Radio every year and “you have to be good to be a finalist”.
“I have of course worked with many of these people in the past and personally I know how talented many of them they are.”
Rangooni said the fact that Today FM is now disestablished will not affect decisions on who wins each category.
“Judging for finalists and winners is done at the same time and is already completed,” she said.
She noted it was likely a challenging day for those at Today FM who were nominated.
“I imagine it is a very difficult time for everyone concerned but I can’t speak for how everyone would feel in terms of being recognised as a finalist today. The awards are designed to recognise the great radio produced every year in New Zealand and that includes the people and their work.”
The winners of the Radio Awards are announced on 1 June 2023.
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