The National Association of Broadcasters has announced a significant change for the 2025 NAB Crystal Radio Awards. Instead of being held during the NAB Show in Las Vegas as in years past, the awards will now be presented at the NAB State Leadership Conference on March 4 in Washington, DC.
This shift also shortens the awards season by a month, creating a tighter timeline for entries and judging.
The 2025 NAB Crystal Radio Awards will honor outstanding community service efforts by NAB member stations throughout 2024. Entries will be accepted from January 1-24, with finalists announced in February.
A panel of judges from the broadcast industry and community service organizations will review submissions to select 50 finalists and 10 winners. Stations can participate by submitting their entries via NAB’s member platform, My NAB, detailing their community service initiatives for the 2024 calendar year.
At the 37th annual awards, held earlier this year during NAB Show 2024, ten stations were honored, including KFI-AM in Los Angeles, KKBQ in Houston, and KMVP in Phoenix. Hubbard Broadcasting’s KSTP in Minneapolis received the Crystal Heritage Award for earning five Crystal Radio Awards, joining an elite group of 12 stations with this distinction.
The event also showcased the 2024 Engineering Achievement Awards, which recognized Hubbard Radio’s David Kolesar and consulting engineer Winston Caldwell for their contributions to broadcast engineering. As the NAB Crystal Radio Awards shift to the State Leadership Conference, the focus remains on celebrating radio’s impact in local communities nationwide.
