The National Association of Broadcasters announced its 2026 Marconi Radio Awards nominees on July 28, recognising on-air personalities and stations across every tier of American radio — from syndicated heavyweights to small-market morning shows. Billboard

Toby Knapp and Chilli Amar, co-hosts of "Toby + Chilli in the Morning" on 97.1 WASH-FM in Washington, D.C., revealed the nominations via a livestreamed presentation. The awards, presented by the NAB, are named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi and have been handed out since 1989.

In the network/syndicated personality of the year category, Ryan Seacrest — on the air via Premiere Radio Networks in Los Angeles — is up against Anna & Raven (WEZN-FM, Cumulus, Fairfield, CT), the El Free Guey Show (TelevisaUnivision, Houston, TX), Ryan Fox (Westwood One, Dallas, TX), and The Bob & Sheri Show (WKQC-FM, Beasley, Charlotte, NC).

Major market personality of the year nominees span the country: The Andie Summers Show (WXTU-FM, Philadelphia), Ellen K (KOST-FM, Los Angeles), Patty Jackson (WDAS-FM, Philadelphia), Karson and Kennedy (WBMX-FM, Boston), and Riggs, Katelyn & Erica (KKBQ-FM, Houston).

The large market category features Paul Castronovo (WBGG-FM, Miami), Rebecca Cressman (KSFI-FM, Salt Lake City), Karen Dalessandro (KSLX-FM, Phoenix), Heather & Matty (WWLI-FM, Providence, RI), and Justin, Scott and Spiegel (WIYY-FM, Baltimore).

Medium market nominees are 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), and Ben Davis & Kelly K (WDJX-FM, Louisville, KY).

In the small market bracket, the nominees are 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), and Stafford and Frigo (KDXY-FM, Jonesboro, AR).

Five stations are up for legendary station of the year: KFI-AM in Los Angeles, WCBS-FM in New York, WIVK-FM in Knoxville, WJR-AM in Detroit, and WLW-AM in Cincinnati. Legendary radio manager of the year nominees are Joey Cummings (South Seas Broadcasting, Pago Pago, AS), Tery Garras (KXLY-FM, Spokane, WA), Julie Koehn (WLEN-FM, Adrian, MI), Mitch Rosen (WSCR-AM, Chicago, IL), and David Yadgaroff (Audacy, Philadelphia, PA).

Winners will be announced at a dinner program on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Edison Ballroom in New York City, with the reception starting at 6 p.m. EDT. The dinner is sponsored by Xperi. The ceremony falls the night before NAB Show New York 2026, which runs October 21–22 at the Javits Center.

The nomination window had been open through June 2, according to the NAB (NAB press release). Under the awards' entry rules, stations and personalities who won a 2025 Marconi are ineligible for nomination in the same category until 2027 (NAB entry rules) — a rotation system that keeps the field from repeating itself year after year.

The Marconi categories cut across market sizes and roles, which means a personality talking to listeners in Rapid City, South Dakota sits on the same ballot as one broadcasting to Los Angeles. For anyone who has worked in radio, that structure is the point: the award recognises the connection between a voice and its audience, wherever that audience happens to be.