The Museum of Broadcast Communications today announced the nominees for the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame. The 24 nominees were chosen by the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee, with input from the radio industry and listeners.
Voting for inductees begins on Friday, April 24, and runs through Friday, May 8. The top six vote recipients will become part of the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame Induction class. The additional inductees that will make up the induction class will be selected by the Radio Hall of Fame nominating committee. This is a mechanism for ensuring balance in each year’s class.
Nearly 1,000 industry members will receive a ballot on Friday (April 24) to cast votes for up to six nominated individuals. The confidential ballot will be conducted by Votem.com and overseen by Miller Kaplan‘s Andrew Rosen.
The 2026 inductees will be announced on Wednesday, May 20, and be honored at the 2026 Radio Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Information on tickets for the event will be available soon.
Dennis Green, co-chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame, said, in a statement: “This year marks the 38th class of inductees as we celebrate those who have made a lasting impact on the industry — many of whom continue to shape it today. Congratulations to all the nominees.”
Kraig T. Kitchin, co-chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame, added: “This special group of individuals and programs nominated for induction in 2026 epitomizes the wide spectrum of talented individuals our industry is fortunate to rely on and build large audiences around. My congratulations to each of them.”
Ten of this year’s nominees also appeared on last year’s ballot: Big D & Bubba, Bob Stroud, Enrique Santos, Funkmaster Flex, Joey Reynolds, John & Ken, Kevin Matthews, Kid Leo, Larry Elder and Raul Brindis.
The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. The Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations of the Hall in 1991.
Here’s the complete list of 2026 nominees:
- Andie Summers
- Big D & Bubba
- Bob Stroud
- Boomer Esiason
- Charlie Van Dyke
- Enrique Santos
- Fred Winston
- Funkmaster Flex
- Helen Little
- Joey Reynolds
- John & Ken
- Johnny Magic
- Kevin Matthews
- Kid Leo
- Larry Elder
- Lee Arnold
- Monica May
- Pat Hughes
- Raul Brindis
- Rickey Smiley
- Ryan Cameron
- Shotgun Tom Kelly
- The Electrifying Mojo
- Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
The 2025 inductees were:
- Tom Carballo (Mojo), Mojo in the Morning – WKQI FM / Detroit
- Alice Cooper, Nights With Alice Cooper/Alice’s Attic
- Colin Cowherd, The Herd with Colin Cowherd
- DeDe McGuire, DeDe in the Morning
- Mike McVay, McVay Media
- Martha Quinn, The Martha Quinn Show, iHeartMedia
- Bob Lacey and Sheri Lynch, The Bob & Sheri Show
- Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Saturday, National Public Radio
- Shelley “The Playboy” Stewart
- Julie Talbott, Premiere Networks
