The Edison Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan was alive with familiar energy, the kind that only people who work in radio understand. The National Association of Broadcasters’ 2025 Marconi Radio Awards turned the eve of NAB Show New York into a night that felt part reunion, part celebration of the enduring voices that continue to inform, comfort, and entertain communities across the country.
Danielle Monaro and Medha Gandhi, co-hosts of Elvis Duran and the Morning Show, guided the evening with their natural rhythm, keeping the crowd engaged between tributes and award announcements. The night reached its musical peak when DJ Scratch, a Grammy-winning producer and New York radio legend, took the stage for a short performance that reminded everyone how radio still moves people.
Since their founding in 1989, the Marconi Awards have represented what makes radio special: connection. A veteran producer in the audience described radio as a space where people still hear themselves reflected in the voices they’ve trusted for years, a bond that digital algorithms cannot replace.
This year’s honorees reflected that wide reach. Philadelphia’s WMMR-FM took home both Legendary Station of the Year and Major Market Station of the Year, while its morning hosts, Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison, earned Major Market Personality of the Year. Detroit’s Mitch Albom, who balances novels, journalism, and talk radio, received Large Market Personality of the Year, underscoring how thoughtful, story-driven programs still resonate deeply with listeners.
For a medium often called traditional, the Marconis showed just how adaptive and alive radio remains. Hubbard Broadcasting’s Behind the Song, based in Chicago, won Best Radio Podcast of the Year for its creative blend of music history and storytelling. Hofstra University’s WRHU-FM earned College Radio Station of the Year, signaling that the next generation still believes in the power of a microphone and a well-told story.
Other major winners included WDRV-FM Chicago for Rock Station of the Year, WBAL-AM Baltimore for News/Talk Station of the Year, and KMJQ-FM Houston for Urban Station of the Year, proving that local stations continue to capture the personality and rhythm of their communities.
A panel of industry veterans selected this year’s winners, looking beyond ratings or market size to measure influence – the kind that keeps people company through a power outage, raises funds for families in crisis, or delivers the right song at the right time.
NAB leaders emphasized that while technology keeps evolving, the purpose of radio remains the same: to serve, to inform, and to connect. The organization continues to advocate for broadcasters at every level, ensuring that the medium keeps its reach and resilience even in an age of on-demand everything.
As guests stepped into the cool October air, the feeling wasn’t nostalgic but proud. Radio, in all its forms, has endured by adapting without losing its humanity. Whether through a podcast feed, a car stereo, or a college studio, the voice on the other end still matters.