2AY's Kathryn Hallinan, Gus MacLeod, Blake Escott award finalists

She has joined the AM station's football commentators Gus MacLeod and Blake Escott in being nominated for on-air gongs in the Australian Commercial Radio Awards which will be presented in Sydney on October 14.

Hallinan is vying for best new talent on air in the provincial category.

Her four rivals include country music star Gina Jeffreys and former Saddle Club actor Lara Jean Marshall who co-host breakfast shows in Gosford and Ballarat respectively.

"It's amazing, it was an unexpected surprise with me having only been in this industry for six months," Hallinan said.

"To be the only journalist nominated in our Ace radio network is a nice feeling, it makes those early morning starts worthwhile."

Hallinan grew up in Bendigo and worked at a community station in that city as a teenager, but her professional break came after moving to Albury to be closer to family and working at the Jaycar shop which is next door to the 2AY studios.

It's also the first time MacLeod has been a finalist.

He is shortlisted, in the non-metro division, for best sports presenter and best sports event coverage along with Blake 'Panda' Escott for the broadcast of the 2022 Ovens and Murray league grand final.

MacLeod believes the inclusion of netball coverage assisted with the recognition.

"It's helped the nomination but it's also given listeners and our broadcast so much more," MacLeod said.

"It's called the Ovens and Murray Football Netball League and for 11 years we only covered footy, it has breathed new life into netball and it's given the broadcast a more inclusive feel."

MacLeod grew up in Melbourne and first hit the airwaves on a community station calling an Eastern Football League match as a 15 year-old.

He joined 2AY in 2018 and now manages the O&M Live coverage which involves two teams broadcasting on the Albury station and Wangaratta sister outlet 3NE as well as podcasts and live streams.

"I'm incredibly lucky to get paid for what I do, but I believe I've still got a lot of work to do, I don't believe I'm the broadcaster I need to be," MacLeod, who also works in the station's sales department, said.

"I always feel there is a need to constantly improve."

MacLeod spends six or seven hours each week watching matches, saying the great lesson he has received from broadcasting influences Rex Hunt and Jack Heverin is the need to be well prepared.

Escott will be seeking his third ACRA after having won best sports presenter and best community service project categories in the 2022 edition.

The 2AY content manager is also in the running this year for most creative station promotion alongside Tyson Witham for an Elf on a Shelf promotion for Wangaratta sister broadcaster Edge FM.

Rounding out the Ace network nominations are best music host for 3NE's afternoon announcer Matt Hobbs and best station produced commercial for 2AY pair Cassie Aldridge and Mark Stevens for a North East Bin Hire advertisement.

Aldridge, who worked for Southern Cross Austereo in Albury for a decade, has been an unsuccessful finalist 17 or 18 times.

"It always nice to get a nomination, but it would be even better to get a win," Aldridge said.

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