SA radio stories strike global chord at the New York Festivals Radio Awards

HOT 102.7FM has once again earned international recognition, picking up top honours at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards (NYFRA) and cementing its place among the world’s leading radio stations. Returning for its third consecutive year, the Johannesburg-based station won a Bronze Award in the News Documentary/Special category for its mental health series ‘Derailed’, and a Finalist Award in the Human-Interest Feature category for ‘Blindspot’, an investigative piece on South Africa’s failing traffic light systems. Both series were produced under the leadership of Tara Penny, Head of News and recent Woman of Stature 2025 awardee.

The NYFRA Storytellers Gala, held virtually on 22 May, is widely regarded as the “Oscars” of global radio. It celebrates outstanding work in news, entertainment, podcasts, and audio documentaries across six continents.

Reflecting on the achievement, Lloyd Madurai, founder and Managing Director of HOT 102.7FM said: “We are excited and honoured to receive these awards. Earning a Bronze puts us in the top 3 in the world.  Seeing ‘Derailed’ and ‘Blindspot’ earn this level of recognition on a prestigious international stage like NYFRA shows the quality of HOT 102.7FM’s programming and proves the power of purpose-driven radio that’s locally rooted, but globally relevant.”

Other awards show that local media is still on top

These wins follow a strong awards track record. In 2024, the station earned a Bronze for its feature ‘Beginner’s Guide to Online Dating’, also produced by Penny. In 2023, it was a finalist in four NYFRA categories — a first for any South African radio station at the time.

Beyond NYFRA, HOT 102.7FM has been named Best Local Radio Station three years running in the Best of Joburg Awards and received the Most Loyal Listeners Award from the National Small Business Chamber. It also ranked among the top five fastest growing enterprises in South Africa’s Growth Champions 2025 report and placed 22nd in Africa on the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies 2025 list.

Veteran broadcaster and NYFRA judge Rina Broomberg praised the station’s storytelling: “Being recognised on such a global stage just four years since launching is no small feat. A special mention to Tara Penny for her superb content creation and hosting.”

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi also weighed in: “This is a testament to South Africa’s world-class creative talent. HOT 102.7FM continues to fly the flag with pride.”

Madurai said the recognition validates the station’s bold content approach: “We’re privileged to receive such honours, and grateful for the feedback from our listeners. They want journalism that respects their intelligence, human stories that resonate, and music that lifts their day. HOT 102.7FM certainly ticks all those boxes!’