The New York Festivals® (NYF) 2026 Radio Awards® announces that Steve Ahern OAM, Publisher of radioinfo and Radio Today Australia, and an internationally recognized trainer, digital media expert, and broadcast management consultant, has joined the New York Festivals Radio Awards Advisory Board.
Steve Ahern brings more than four decades of leadership, innovation, and influence across the global audio and broadcasting industry to the Advisory Board. His extensive experience will further strengthen the Radio Awards’ mission to honor groundbreaking storytelling and celebrate excellence across all genres of audio content.
“Every year, we work with our advisory board and industry thought leaders to make sure that our categories recognize the innovative audio content being created today world-wide and reflect our commitment to the power of the individual voice,” said Rose Anderson, Executive Vice President, New York Festivals. “With Steve’s addition to the Board, we gain the 360-degree perspective of someone who is on top of all the new developments in the world of sound in our ever-changing and interconnected world.”
“The NYFestival Awards are held in high esteem around the world. I know that from the response of our radioinfo readers who are always anxious for news about the Festival. It is a privilege for me to be part of the advisory board, I hope to be able to contribute new ideas, the latest technology trends and information about how our industries are evolving to continue the grand tradition of these amazing awards into the future.”—Steve Ahern OAM, Publisher, radioinfo and Radio Today Australia
Steve launched his media career as a presenter and producer at commercial and community radio stations across Australia, later managing ABC stations in Newcastle (2NC), Canberra (2CN), and Melbourne (3LO).
His career highlights include serving as Manager of ABC Radio Sydney, Director of the ABU Media Academy in Kuala Lumpur, and Director of Radio at Australia’s prestigious AFTRS. Steve is also the founding editor of the radioinfo publications in Australia, Asia, and Africa and the author of Making Radio, widely regarded as a definitive industry text. The latest edition of his textbook, Making Radio and Podcasts, will be released this year.
Beyond his leadership roles, Steve has been instrumental in building and shaping media organizations worldwide. He was a founding consultant for South Africa’s National Electronic Media Institute (NEMISA) and Afghanistan’s Nai Media Institute (NMI), and he developed training curricula for broadcasters in Singapore and India. His influence extends to startup ventures, board leadership, and guiding media companies toward sustainable growth and success.
Awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2009 for his outstanding contributions to media and training, Steve remains a sought-after international speaker and consultant. His career reflects not only his broadcast expertise but also a deep commitment to innovation and excellence across the global audio community.
As a member of the Radio Awards Advisory Board, Steve Ahern joins a distinguished group of industry leaders whose insights and expertise help shape the future of the competition. His global vision and lifelong commitment to advancing audio make him a valuable addition to the board.
Each year, the New York Festivals Radio Awards provides a platform to honor world-class storytellers from every corner of the globe. The competition recognizes creative innovation and outstanding achievement in broadcast and audio content across all genres and platforms.
The annual Storytellers Gala, held on May 22, 2025, at 6 PM EDT, celebrated the Radio Awards’ winning entries in a virtual event anchored from New York City’s iconic Central Park. The program featured global highlights of the winning entries, winners’ acceptance speeches, and spotlights on some of the world’s most renowned storytellers. The 2026 Storytellers Gala will be held in May 2026. View the 2025 Storytellers Gala: HERE.
New York Festivals® Radio Awards welcomes entries from radio stations, networks, independent producers, publishers, and podcast creators in over 30 countries, honoring the world’s most innovative audio storytellers.
NYF welcomes accomplished award-winning leaders from the world of audio content creation across six continents to join its distinguished 2026 Radio Awards Grand Jury. Recruitment for this year’s jury will soon begin. Entries are evaluated on creativity, production quality, writing, direction, content presentation, effectiveness, and audience relevance.
All the 2026 competition’s award-winning entries will be proudly featured in the Radio Awards winners’ showcase. To see the outstanding work honored in 2025, visit the winners’ showcase: HERE.
The entry deadline for the 2026 Radio Awards competition is January 31, 2026. To enter the 2026 Radio Awards visit: HERE. For additional information on the 2026 competition visit: Rules and Regulations.
To be eligible for the 2026 competition, entries must have been produced, released, screened, aired, published, issued, or streamed from January 1, 2025, until the deadline of January 31, 2026, and were not awarded a trophy in the same category for the same episode in the 2025 Radio Awards.