Kyle Sandilands has weighed in on the decision to axe the Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs).
Commercial Radio and Audio (CRA) revealed the news on Thursday, pointing to cost concerns.
Speaking about the decision on Friday’s Kyle & Jackie O show, the radio king, 54, said that it was news the general public wouldn’t lose sleep over.
‘No one cares,’ he said.
Despite this, Kyle added that the decision to scuttle the long-running awards did not send a great message for the health of the Australian radio industry.
‘But, it doesn’t send a great sign to the industry for me, if our awards nights are cancelled,’ he said.
Kyle Sandilands has weighed in on the decision to axe the Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs). Kyle is pictured with KIIS FM co-star Jackie ‘O’ Henderson
‘I understand it costs a lot of money and they think the money can be better spent elsewhere, that’s fine.
‘But it reeks of… it doesn’t look good as an industry on the whole when they say, listen, we’re not going to celebrate you.’
Kyle then asked co-star Jackie ‘O’ Henderson and newsreader Brooklyn Ross if there were plans to still hand out awards in place of a ceremony.
When they replied in the negative, Kyle added: ‘That’s a s*** situation, I think.’
Jackie then admitted that she was not ‘mad’ about the decision, and Kyle agreed, adding the caveat that it’s still not a ‘good look’ for the industry as a whole.
‘I’m not mad about not having to go, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a bad look to the rest of the media industry – it looks like the industry’s failing,’ he said.
‘A bloody hairdressing awards still happens every year. Like, you’ve got to celebrate your achievements.’
Kyle and Jackie are certainly no strangers to ACRA success, having been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
Kyle and Jackie O were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022
The pair have also won the Best On-Air Team ACRA a record eight times, and, in total, the show has won 28 awards.
Breaking the news about the awards show cancellation on Thursday, CRA CEO Lizzie Young said the decision to scrap the industry’s biggest celebration was due to cost concerns.
‘Our focus on long-term sustainability across the industry needs to be our number one priority,’ she said in a statement.
Continuing, Ms Young said that axing the awards event was a decision not taken lightly.
‘After careful consideration, in consultation with our Board and Members, we’re directing our resources into initiatives like Sound Start, CRA Audio ID and HEARD, and regulatory matters such as Radio Prominence where we can have the greatest impact supporting our industry’s future,’ she said.
‘Individual networks continue to celebrate the amazing work being done across our industry through their own recognition programs.’
Ms Young continued, saying that moving ahead without the event will place the industry on a much firmer footing.
‘I firmly believe radio has a bright and exciting future in Australia, and this positions us to build that future.’
CRA announced in April that the 2025 ACRA Awards would not proceed, but industry officials were hopeful the event would return in 2026.
Often likened to TV’s night-of-nights, the Logies, the ACRAs served as a celebration of excellence in Aussie radio.
Unlike the Logies, the ACRAs are not televised, and the ceremonies are renowned for their informality and spirited atmosphere, fuelled by an open bar and a lengthy awards line-up.
The most recent ACRA Awards were held in Sydney in October 2024, and Kyle and Jackie won big on the night, despite not showing up for the event.