Midlands 103 celebrating biggest-ever success at IMRO Radio Awards

Midlands 103 is celebrating its biggest-ever success at the All-Ireland IMRO Radio Awards winning multiple awards at the prestigious event.

The station’s flagship Midlands Today Show won Radio Moment of the Year – becoming only the second local radio programme ever to receive this honour in the long history of the event.

The winning entry featured grieving mum Chelsea Brereton, who told presenter Will Faulkner how her wishes were not honoured following her son’s postmortem, despite her refusal to consent to the retention of his organs.

The team also took Gold for News Story of the Year, overcoming both local and national competition for their in-depth and sensitive coverage of the Justice for Joe Drennan campaign.

Joe, a Laois student, was killed in a hit-and-run incident in October 2023. His sister, Sarah Drennan, has since called for mandatory consecutive sentencing rather than lenient concurrent terms. The station also attended a public march in Camross, where hundreds of people gathered to support the family’s campaign.

Journalists credited for the winning coverage include David Hollywood, Sinéad Hubble, Courtney Callaghan, Caoimhe Killeen and Will Faulkner.

Midlands 103 also celebrated individual success, with Courtney Callaghan receiving a Silver Certificate for Newcomer of the Year, an award named in honour of the late Gay Byrne. The station continues to lead in talent development, with David Hollywood taking Silver in 2023 and Tara McCormack winning Gold in 2021. In the past decade, Ben Finnegan and Michael Brophy have also been recognised.

Ann Marie Kelly maintained her remarkable record, earning her 11th IMRO nomination and continuing an unbroken run of shortlists every year since 2018.

There was also success for sister station South East Radio, where Alan Corcoran received Silver for Local/Regional Speech Broadcaster of the Year.

Rebecca Donnelly, Group Operations Director, said, "These awards mean so much because they recognise the heart of what local radio is about — telling people’s stories with care, shining a light on issues that matter, and being there for our communities on their toughest days. I’m so proud of our teams and grateful to our listeners for trusting us with their stories.”

The IMRO Radio Awards are the biggest night of the year for the Irish radio industry, celebrating excellence across stations in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. The 2025 ceremony took place at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny.