Nationally known radio personalities Ryan Seacrest and Ellen K are among the nominees for the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, presented by the National Association of Broadcasters. The nominees were announced on Tuesday (July 28) during a livestreamed presentation hosted by Toby Knapp and Chilli Amar, co-hosts of Toby + Chilli in the Morning on 97.1 WASH-FM in Washington, D.C.
Seacrest, who works for Premiere Radio Networks Inc. in Los Angeles, is nominated for network/syndicated personality of the year. The other nominees in the category are Anna & Raven, WEZN-FM, Cumulus, Metro Fairfield, Conn.; El Free Guey Show, TelevisaUnivision, Houston; Ryan Fox, Westwood One, Dallas; and The Bob & Sheri Show, WKQC-FM, Beasley, Charlotte, N.C.
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Ellen K, of KOST-FM in Los Angeles, is nominated for major market personality of the year, alongside The Andie Summers Show, WXTU-FM, Philadelphia; Patty Jackson, WDAS-FM, Philadelphia; Karson and Kennedy, WBMX-FM, Boston; and Riggs, Katelyn & Erica, KKBQ-FM, Houston.
Winners of the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Awards will be announced during a dinner program sponsored by Xperi on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. The annual event brings together broadcasters from across the country to recognize the year's outstanding stations, personalities, podcasts and industry leaders. Established in 1989, the NAB Marconi Awards were named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi. To learn more, visit the NAB site.
The awards will be held the night before NAB Show New York 2026 begins. NAB Show New York is set to take place from Oct. 21-22 at the Javits Center in New York City. Registration is now open. Learn more at the NAB site.
Here's a complete list of the 2026 NAB Marconi Radio Award finalists:
Legendary station of the year 
   KFI-AM, Los Angeles, CA 
   WCBS-FM, New York, NY 
   WIVK-FM, Knoxville, TN 
   WJR-AM, Detroit, MI 
   WLW-AM, Cincinnati, OH 
Legendary radio manager of the year 
   Joey Cummings, South Seas Broadcasting Inc., Pago Pago, AS 
   Tery Garras, KXLY-FM, Spokane, WA 
   Julie Koehn, WLEN-FM, Adrian, MI 
   Mitch Rosen, WSCR-AM, Chicago, IL 
   David Yadgaroff, Audacy, Philadelphia, PA 
Network/syndicated personality of the year 
   Anna & Raven, WEZN-FM, Cumulus, Metro Fairfield, CT 
   El Free Guey Show, TelevisaUnivision, Houston, TX 
   Ryan Fox, Westwood One, Dallas, TX 
   Ryan Seacrest, Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., Los Angeles, CA 
   The Bob & Sheri Show, WKQC-FM, Beasley, Charlotte, NC 
Major market personality of the year 
   The Andie Summers Show, WXTU-FM, Philadelphia, PA 
   Ellen K, KOST-FM, Los Angeles, CA 
   Patty Jackson, WDAS-FM, Philadelphia, PA 
   Karson and Kennedy, WBMX-FM, Boston, MA 
   Riggs, Katelyn & Erica, KKBQ-FM, Houston, TX 
Large market personality of the year 
   Paul Castronovo, WBGG-FM, Miami, FL 
   Rebecca Cressman, KSFI-FM, Salt Lake City, UT 
   Karen Dalessandro, KSLX-FM, Phoenix, AZ 
   Heather & Matty, WWLI-FM, Providence, RI 
   Justin, Scott and Spiegel, WIYY-FM, Baltimore, MD 
Medium market personality of the year 
   The Blake Show with Kelly and Todd, WMGX-FM, Portland, ME 
   Buzz Jackson, KIIM-FM, Tucson, AZ 
   Joe & Tina Mornings, WZSR-FM, Crystal Lake, IL 
   Ron Olson and Karen Perrin, WRVR-FM, Memphis, TN 
   Ben Davis & Kelly K, WDJX-FM, Louisville, KY 
Small market personality of the year 
   The Cosmo & Kat Show, KTXY-FM, Columbia, MO 
   Chris Lawrence, WCHS-AM, Charleston, WV 
   Ian Rambo, KQRQ-FM, Rapid City, SD 
   The Ryan Smetzer Show, WIKZ-FM, Hagerstown, MD 
   Stafford and Frigo, KDXY-FM, Jonesboro, AR 
Major market station of the year 
   WBEB-FM, Philadelphia, PA 
   WBMX-FM, Boston, MA 
   WCBS-FM, New York, NY 
   WSCR-AM, Chicago, IL 
   WTMX-FM, Chicago, IL 
Large market station of the year 
   KTMY-FM, Saint Paul, MN 
   WALK-FM, Long Island, NY 
   WHQG-FM, Milwaukee, WI 
   WWRM-FM, Tampa, FL 
   WYXB-FM, Indianapolis, IN 
Medium market station of the year 
   WBTJ-FM, Richmond, VA 
   WHBC-AM, Canton, OH 
   WMFS-FM, Memphis, TN 
   WPOR-FM, Portland, ME 
   WYCT-FM, Pensacola, FL 
Small market station of the year 
   KBHP-FM, Bemidji, MN 
   KMMX-FM, Lubbock, TX 
   KNDE-FM, College Station, TX 
   WIOG-FM, Saginaw, MI 
   WYOT-FM, Rochelle, IL 
Adult contemporary station of the year 
   KBIG-FM, Los Angeles, CA 
   KRWM-FM, Seattle, WA 
   KSTP-FM, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN 
   KUIC-FM, San Francisco, CA 
   WKJY-FM, Long Island, NY 
Best radio podcast of the year 
   Flying Through Fog: A Podcast for PANS/PANDAS Caregivers, WTRC-FM, South Bend, IN 
   Purple Daily, KSTP-AM, Saint Paul, MN 
   Supporting Sobriety, WIBC-FM, Indianapolis, IN 
   The Install with Greg Cosell, WGFX-FM, Nashville, TN 
   Uinta Triangle, KSL-FM, Salt Lake City, UT 
CHR station of the year 
   KNDE-FM, College Station, TX 
   KQMV-FM, Seattle, WA 
   KRBE-FM, Houston, TX 
   KTXY-FM, Columbia, MO 
   WBLI-FM, Long Island, NY 
Classic hits station of the year 
   KONO-FM, San Antonio, TX 
   KOOL-FM, Phoenix, AZ 
   WCBS-FM, New York, NY 
   WGTZ-FM, Dayton, OH 
   WSRV-FM, Atlanta, GA 
College station of the year 
   WHPC-FM, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY 
   WMSC-FM, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 
   WOLF Radio, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA 
   WRRC-FM, Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ 
   WSOU-FM, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ 
Country station of the year 
   KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO 
   KFGE-FM, Lincoln, NE 
   KIKV-FM, Alexandria, MN 
   KKBQ-FM, Houston, TX 
   WUSY-FM, Chattanooga, TN 
News/talk station of the year 
   KFI-AM, Los Angeles, CA 
   KXL-FM, Portland, OR 
   WHPT-FM, Tampa, FL 
   WLW-AM, Cincinnati, OH 
   WSB-AM, Atlanta, GA 
Religious station of the year 
   WFMV-AM, Columbia, SC 
   WGTS-FM, Washington, DC 
   WJOU-FM, Huntsville, AL 
   WLVU-FM, Nashville, TN 
   WMCA-AM, New York, NY 
Rock station of the year 
   WIIL-FM, Chicago, IL 
   WIYY-FM, Baltimore, MD 
   WNCX-FM, Cleveland, OH 
   WPLR-FM, New Haven, CT 
   WXTB-FM, Tampa, FL 
Spanish language station of the year 
   KOVE-FM, Houston, TX 
   WAMR-FM, Miami, FL 
   WLZL-FM, Washington, DC 
   WZTU-FM, Miami, FL 
Sports station of the year 
   KTCK-FM, Dallas, TX 
   WEEI-FM, Boston, MA 
   WGFX-FM, Nashville, TN 
   WIP-FM, Philadelphia, PA 
   WJOX-FM, Birmingham, AL 
Urban station of the year 
   WCFB-FM, Orlando, FL 
   WDAS-FM, Philadelphia, PA 
   WDZZ-FM, Flint, MI 
   WEDR-FM, Miami, FL 
   WHQT-FM, Miami, FL 
