The New York Festivals Radio Awards 2026 has opened for entries. Since 1957, NYF has celebrated innovation and excellence in audio across every genre and platform, receiving entries from radio stations, networks, independent producers, publishers, and podcast creators in over 30 countries. Each year, the competition evolves with new categories that reflect the future of audio-driven storytelling.

The 2026 Radio Awards welcomes entries across 14 category groups including News Programs, Documentaries, and Talk Programs to On-Air Talent, Craft, and Entertainment. Specialised groups spotlight groundbreaking work in Digital, Podcast, and Audio Book content, while Programming Formats and Promotion/Open & ID celebrate the creative standards of radio.

This year, the Radio Awards expands its reach with the introduction of a new Video Podcast category, reflecting the growing role of visual storytelling in audio-driven media.

“For nearly seven decades, NYF’s Radio Awards has championed the art of storytelling across every platform. Each year we’re inspired by the creativity and innovation that push audio forward, and with the addition of new categories like Video Podcast, we’re proud to continue celebrating the evolving ways storytellers connect with audiences worldwide,” stated Rose Anderson, executive vp & executive director, New York Festivals Radio Awards.

View 2026’s NYF Radio Awards categories here.

NYF’s Radio Awards’ categories for investigative journalism, nonfiction series, documentaries, and social justice storytelling celebrate the power of individual actions to inspire change and the resilience of the human spirit. Partnering with JusticeAid, New York Festivals honours storytellers and filmmakers whose work is moving audiences and making a real-world impact.

Through its partnership with the National Press Club, New York Festivals applauds audio journalists and reporters who use their craft to shine a light on the stories that matter most. Since its inception in 2023, the National Press Club Award has honoured the top-scoring news program across the Breaking News Story Coverage, Continuing News Story Coverage, Nonfiction Series, and News Podcast categories. In 2025, Master Plan (The Lever) – Investigative Journalism Podcast – received this prestigious recognition.

The New York Festivals Radio Awards 2025 Grand Award winners were: The Man Who Fell to Earth (Bafflegab Productions) – Entertainment: Drama Special; Tested (Bucket of Eels) – Podcast: Sports Podcast; and Buried: The Last Witness (Smoke Trail Productions Limited) – Documentary: Environment & Ecology. These exceptional programs set the bar for creativity and excellence.

Lesley Visser, pioneering sports journalist and broadcasting trailblazer, received the New York Festivals 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring her lasting impact on the industry. Donna de Varona, Olympic champion and sports journalist, made the presentation.

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. 

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. 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. View the 2025 winners’ showcase here.

The entry deadline for the 2026 Radio Awards competition is January 31, 2026. Enter the 2026 Radio Awards here. Find additional information on the 2026 competition in Rules and Regulations.

Recruitment for this year’s jury will begin in the coming weeks.