New York Festivals names 2027 Radio Awards grand jury as competition marks 70 years

New York Festivals has announced the 2027 Radio Awards Grand Jury, a group of more than 100 audio professionals from over 20 countries. The competition will open judging online for entries ahead of the May 20, 2027 Storytellers Gala, with the entry deadline set for January 31, 2027.

Why it matters: - The 2027 Grand Jury brings global decision-making power to one of audio’s longest-running competitions as New York Festivals marks 70 years of radio awards. - The jury’s size and international mix signal how broad the audio market has become across podcasting, broadcast, documentary, news, sports and branded content. - The awards remain a visible benchmark for craft, originality and audience impact in audio storytelling.

What happened: - New York Festivals Radio Awards announced the 2027 Radio Awards Grand Jury on November 5, 2026. - The jury includes more than 100 leading audio professionals from over 20 countries. - Members include producers, directors, journalists, writers and sound artists working across documentary, entertainment, news, sports and corporate audio. - The jury represents organizations including BBC, SiriusXM, CBC, Radio Television Hong Kong, Aramco-MPD, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, News Corp Australia, The Times & Sunday Times, Formula 1, Penguin Random House UK and RTV Vojvodina. - The full jury list includes broadcasters, publishers, studios and podcast companies from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and Oceania. - More information is available here.

The details: - New York Festivals says the Grand Jury will evaluate entries on production excellence, creative execution, content presentation, direction, writing, achievement of purpose and audience relevance. - The judging process is online. - The competition accepts entries from radio stations, networks, independent producers, publishers and podcast creators. - The Radio Awards have recognized work across broadcast audio and emerging platforms since 1957. - The 2027 edition marks the awards’ 70th anniversary. - The National Press Club partnership, started in 2023, recognizes the highest-scoring news program across five categories: Coverage of Breaking News Story, Coverage of Ongoing News Story, Nonfiction Series, Investigative Journalism Podcast and News Podcast. - The 2027 National Press Club honoree will be announced at the Storytellers Gala in May. - JusticeAid will again present The JusticeAid Award for the highest scoring submission across all Social Justice categories in the NYF TV & Film and Radio competitions. - New for 2027, AwareNow Media will present the AwareNow Award for the highest-scoring submission across the Health/Medical Information Documentary and Health/Medical Documentary categories in the NYF Radio and TV & Film competitions. - Award-winning work will appear in the Radio Awards Winners’ Showcase. - New York Festivals also points entrants to the 2026 Radio Awards Winners’ Showcase.

Between the lines: - The jury roster shows New York Festivals leaning into global representation and cross-platform audio expertise rather than a narrow broadcast-only lens. - The partnerships with the National Press Club, JusticeAid and AwareNow Media broaden the awards’ reach into journalism, social justice and health storytelling. - Rose Anderson, executive vice president at New York Festivals, said the organization works with its Advisory Board to keep categories aligned with innovative audio storytelling and the power of the individual voice. - Anderson said the jury’s experience gives the awards a 360-degree perspective on an interconnected world.

What's next: - New York Festivals will announce winners at the Storytellers Gala on Thursday, May 20, 2027. - The virtual event will include global highlights, winners’ acceptance speeches and behind-the-scenes commentary from industry storytellers. - The entry deadline for the 2027 Radio Awards is January 31, 2027. - New York Festivals will continue updating the 2027 Grand Jury list as needed.

The bottom line: - New York Festivals is using a large, international jury and new partner awards to position its 2027 Radio Awards as a global snapshot of where audio storytelling is headed.