The RAB has found its chief judge for the 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards. Bandits & Friends Co-Chief Creative Officer and co-founder, Danny Gonzalez, will oversee the jury in 2026, honoring excellence in radio and audio creative.
The 2026 awards mark Gonzalez’s return to the competition, having previously earned a Radio Mercury Award earlier in his career. Gonzalez co-founded Bandits & Friends in 2022 with partners David Suarez and Courtney Berry. The independent agency’s clients include Schick, The Athletic, Angi, Care, The Weather Company, Show Me Organics, and Liberty Mutual.
In 2025, Highdive Advertising Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Chad Broude led the selection process.
Awards categories for the 35th annual Radio Mercury Awards will be announced in December, along with Call for Entry guidelines and deadlines.
RAB CEO and Radio Creative Fund Chair Mike Hulvey said, “As we walk into the 35th annual awards we want them to be as celebratory and relevant as always and indicative of radio in all its forms. Danny’s been a great friend to the awards and will do a great job of leading the charge for this year’s event.”
Gonzalez said, “From being a Radio Mercury Awards winner to now being named the 2026 chief judge is a real honor to me. I am looking forward to working with an incredible final round jury to hear the best of the best that gets entered.”
