The 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards delivered big wins for legendary stations, familiar voices, and hometown broadcasters who continue proving why this industry matters.
By Steven Mills | President and Publisher, On The Dial
For one night in New York City, nobody needed to explain why radio still matters. Nobody needed another consultant presenting a slideshow about the future of broadcasting, and nobody needed a corporate executive reminding the room that the industry faces challenges. The people gathered at the Edison Ballroom Tuesday night already knew all of that. They came to celebrate something considerably more important: the broadcasters who continue making this business extraordinary. And when the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards were handed out, Boston, Houston, and some smaller American communities had plenty of reasons to celebrate.
And frankly, I love seeing the little guys standing alongside the biggest names in broadcasting.
Boston had itself a night.
Audacy’s WBMX-FM took home Major Market Station of the Year, while the station’s Karson and Kennedy earned Major Market Personality of the Year.
That’s a pretty impressive double victory for one building.
And Boston wasn’t finished. Sports powerhouse WEEI-FM captured Sports Station of the Year, adding another trophy to a city that already has plenty of reasons to brag about its sports heritage.
Meanwhile, Houston turned the Marconis into something resembling a family reunion with a trophy table.
Cumulus Media’s 104.1 KRBE earned CHR Station of the Year. Cox Media Group’s 93Q KKBQ won Country Station of the Year, while Spanish-language KOVE-FM claimed its format’s top honor.
Three very different stations, three different audiences, and one market demonstrating the enormous variety of great radio happening across Southeast Texas.
But the awards that particularly caught my attention weren’t necessarily the ones going to the largest cities.
Country powerhouse WIVK-FM in Knoxville, Tennessee, earned Legendary Station of the Year, recognizing a brand that has spent generations becoming part of East Tennessee’s identity.
In Adrian, Michigan, Julie Koehn of WLEN-FM received Legendary Radio Manager of the Year.
And up in Bemidji, Minnesota, KBHP-FM was named Small Market Station of the Year.
Now that’s a win I appreciate.
Because not every broadcaster works in a skyscraper overlooking Manhattan. Some are operating stations in communities where everybody knows the announcer, the advertiser, and probably the person who fixes the transmitter.
Those stations matter every bit as much.
Other major honors included the nationally syndicated Bob & Sheri Show as Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year, Karen Dalessandro of Phoenix’s KSLX-FM as Large Market Personality, Ron Olson and Karen Perrin of WRVR-FM Memphis as Medium Market Personality, and Chris Lawrence of WCHS-AM Charleston, West Virginia, as Small Market Personality.
The evening also celebrated outstanding leadership.
Joel Oxley, the longtime president and general manager of Hubbard Radio’s Washington operations, received the NAB National Radio Award for his decades of work helping establish WTOP and Federal News Network as trusted information sources throughout the nation’s capital.
Nationally syndicated personality Deja Vu hosted the celebration, with Philadelphia broadcaster and 76ers public address announcer Matt Cord providing prerecorded announcements.
Xperi served as title sponsor, with additional support from Quu and ENCO.
But here’s what I take away from the evening.
We spend an enormous amount of time in this business talking about layoffs, ownership changes, consolidation, artificial intelligence, and shrinking budgets.
Those conversations are necessary.
But they aren’t the entire story of radio.
The Marconis remind us that remarkable broadcasting is still happening in big cities, small towns, college studios, morning shows, newsrooms, and radio stations where somebody genuinely cares about the community on the other side of the microphone.
And those people deserve their flowers while they’re still doing the work.
Congratulations to every winner, finalist, and broadcaster who continues believing this industry is worth fighting for.
Because radio’s greatest achievement has never been the technology that carries the signal.
It’s the people who make somebody want to listen.
The Complete 2026 NAB Marconi Winners
Major Honors
- Legendary Station — WIVK-FM, Knoxville
- Legendary Radio Manager — Julie Koehn, WLEN-FM, Adrian
- National Radio Award — Joel Oxley, Hubbard Radio Washington
- Network/Syndicated Personality — The Bob & Sheri Show
Personalities of the Year
- Major Market — Karson and Kennedy, WBMX-FM, Boston
- Large Market — Karen Dalessandro, KSLX-FM, Phoenix
- Medium Market — Ron Olson and Karen Perrin, WRVR-FM, Memphis
- Small Market — Chris Lawrence, WCHS-AM, Charleston, West Virginia
Stations of the Year
- Major Market — WBMX-FM, Boston
- Large Market — WYXB-FM, Indianapolis
- Medium Market — WYCT-FM, Pensacola
- Small Market — KBHP-FM, Bemidji
Format and Specialty Winners
- Adult Contemporary — KBIG-FM, Los Angeles
- CHR — KRBE-FM, Houston
- Classic Hits — WCBS-FM, New York
- College Radio — WRRC-FM, Rider University, New Jersey
- Country — KKBQ-FM, Houston
- News/Talk — WSB-AM, Atlanta
- Religious — WGTS-FM, Washington
- Rock — WIYY-FM, Baltimore
- Spanish Language — KOVE-FM, Houston
- Sports — WEEI-FM, Boston
- Urban — WHQT-FM, Miami
- Radio Podcast — Purple Daily, KSTP-AM, St. Paul
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