ACRAs canceled over cost concerns as Kyle Sandilands calls decision a 'bad look' for radio

The Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) will not proceed in 2025, the Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA) board announced Thursday, citing cost concerns and a focus on long-term sustainability for the industry. In a statement, CRA said resources would be redirected to initiatives such as Sound Start, CRA Audio ID and HEARD, as well as regulatory matters like Radio Prominence, and noted that individual networks would continue to recognize the work of their staff through internal programs. The decision, the board stressed, was not taken lightly and stems from a need to place the industry on a firmer footing financially and strategically.

On Friday's Kyle & Jackie O show, Kyle Sandilands delivered a blistering take on the cancellation. Speaking with co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson, he said the public at large would not lose sleep over the move: “No one cares.” Yet he cautioned that axing the awards sends a troubling signal about the industry’s health, saying, “But it doesn’t send a great sign to the industry for me, if our awards nights are cancelled.”

Sandilands did not stop there, describing the decision as a problematic development for industry morale. “That’s a s*** situation, I think,” he remarked when asked if there would be replacement recognition for industry achievements. Jackie Henderson admitted she was not “mad” about the decision, but Sandilands reinforced his stance, adding that while he preferred not to attend such events, the broader optics remained unfavorable for radio’s standing among peers and observers.

The two hosts have a storied history with the ACRAs. Kyle and Jackie O were inducted into the ACRA Hall of Fame in 2022, and the program has collected a record eight Best On-Air Team prizes. Over the years, the show has accumulated a total of 28 ACRA awards, underscoring its enduring popularity and influence within Australian radio culture.

CRA chief executive Lizzie Young announced the cancellation on Thursday, saying cost concerns were not a decision taken lightly. “Our focus on long-term sustainability across the industry needs to be our number one priority,” Young said in a statement. She added that axing the awards would allow the organization to direct resources toward initiatives such as Sound Start, CRA Audio ID and HEARD, as well as regulatory matters like Radio Prominence, where CRA believes it can have the greatest impact supporting the industry’s future. She also noted that networks would continue to celebrate the industry’s achievements through their own recognition programs and stressed a bright future for radio in Australia, stating, “I firmly believe radio has a bright and exciting future in Australia, and this positions us to build that future.”

Industry insiders had hoped to revive the event in 2026 after the 2025 cancellation, a sentiment tempered by the rationale offered by CRA. The ACRAs have long been likened to TV’s Logies—though they are not televised—and are famed for their informal, celebratory atmosphere rather than a formal red-carpet broadcast. The most recent ACRA ceremony took place in Sydney in October 2024, a night that proved successful for Kyle and Jackie O even as they did not attend the event in person.

In April, CRA had already signaled that the 2025 ACRA Awards would not proceed, leaving room for a potential return in 2026. The latest decision thus marks a shift in how the industry balances celebration with fiscal prudence, as the radio sector navigates a rapidly changing media landscape.