Are you ready? Entries open for the 2024 Telkom Radio Awards

It’s a milestone year as the radio industry celebrates 100 years in SA. Entries for the 14th annual Telkom Radio Awards open on March 19, and stations are invited to start preparing their submissions.

Entries close on June 14.

Gugu Mthembu, chief marketing officer at Telkom, says radio is here to stay.

“As we commemorate 100 years of radio, we proudly celebrate its timeless influence resonating worldwide. Telkom, like radio, has been a connectivity enabler for over a century, bridging distances and bringing people together. Our commitment to connectivity is not just a part of our history, but a cornerstone of our future,” says Mthembu.

“The Telkom Radio Awards honour radio's profound impact on meaningful connections and excellence amplification. We invite all to embrace radio's enduring power in forging deep connections, contributing to a more connected world. We applaud the outstanding impact, innovation and influence brought by our radio contributors, who continue to turn up the dial of excellence in the radio space.”

The Telkom Radio Awards continues to honour and recognise exceptional and innovative excellence in the SA radio industry, setting a benchmark for all radio stations and professionals to strive towards.

The complete list of entry categories for 2024 can be viewed on the Telkom Radio Awards website, where stations are advised to ensure their entry fits the required criteria.

To assist stations with their entries, an insights session will be held on March 27, where more will be shared about how to enter, handy tips and what judges are looking for.

There is no entry fee, and stations may edit their entries right up until the June 14 deadline.

The fan favourite, the My Station competition that gives radio audiences the opportunity to vote for their favourite station, will take place later in the year, and more information will follow.

How to enter:

• Get familiar with the T&Cs;

• Read up on the guidelines and tips; and

• Want to know what the judges are looking for? Find out here.

Step 1 — Register

Click here to register your profile for the Telkom Radio Awards 2024. All previous profile registrations have been cleared, so stations will need to create a new profile to gain access to the entry system. When registering your profile, stations will need to select the respective broadcasting licence category — internet, campus, community, PBS or commercial. 

Step 2 — Login

Click here to log in to the Telkom Radio Awards 2024 entry system once you have registered and verified your profile, and access has been approved by the system administration team. Use your registered username and password to log in to the entry system. You will then be redirected to the Telkom Radio Awards dashboard. Use the toolbar on the left side to navigate your way around the entry system.

Step 3 — Submit your entry 

Select and complete the appropriate entry form for the category you wish to enter by clicking the New Entry button on the side toolbar. Ensure that you complete all of the fields required for each entry you wish to make.

For enquiries about 2024 entries, contact Zandi Nhlapo at Nhlapoz@arena.africa

Judging panel

Judges for the Telkom Radio Awards are selected each year based on their relevant experience and expertise, and contribute countless hours towards reviewing the entries.

In a continuous effort to expand diversity and practice fairness in judging all station entries in their different languages, the organisers welcome suggestions for new judges.

Suggestions for the judging panel should be directed to Nhlapo at Nhlapoz@arena.africa 

BDO South Africa have again been appointed as the auditors of the 2024 Telkom Radio Awards programme. 

For more information, visit the Telkom Radio Awards website.

Stay up to date with the latest news on the Telkom Radio Awards by following @SARadioAwards on X (Twitter), Instagram and Facebook, and use the hashtag #TelkomRadioAwards.

This article was sponsored by Telkom.