South Africa has opened applications for the Telkom Radio Awards 2026 for radio stations, presenters, journalists, producers and audio content creators. As TimesLIVE reports, entries can be submitted until 2 October 2026.
The award was established in 2010, and in 2026 it will be held for the sixteenth time. Telkom has been the partner after which the award is named for the fourth consecutive year. The award recognizes achievements in various areas of South African radio broadcasting.
Updated categories
The organizers reviewed and consolidated a number of categories to align them with modern radio broadcasting and content production. New categories include On-Air Personality for on-air presenters, Broadcast Journalist for journalists, and a separate Specialist Music Show category for specialized music programmes.
The structure of several programme categories was also simplified for university, community, commercial and public broadcasters. At the gala evening in Gauteng on 5 December 2026, 54 winners are expected to be announced across 22 main categories.
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Jury and listener voting
In 2026, the awards are launching an initiative to expand the jury: experienced radio industry professionals will be able to apply to take part in judging through a separate platform. Candidates will be assessed against established criteria to ensure expertise, impartiality and integrity in the process.
Grant Nash will remain chair of the awards jury. He will oversee the selection of jury members, category allocation, assessment procedures and the moderation of results. BDO South Africa will again serve as the independent auditor of the Telkom Radio Awards 2026.
Voting is also underway in the My Station competition. Listeners can support their favourite radio stations until 23 October 2026. The station with the most votes will receive the My Station Award, while one voting participant will be randomly selected for a cash prize of 40,000 rand.
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