What’s happening?
So Bae Party Mix, the Redland City program on Bay FM 100.3, has been named a finalist in the inaugural 2026 Australian Audio Awards. The show is up for Best Non-Commercial Program, with winners to be announced on 28 May 2026 at Carriageworks in Sydney during Mumbrella360.
The nomination puts the local program into a national field that includes ABC, SBS and other well-known broadcasters. Radioinfo’s shortlist names So Bae Party Mix alongside Nightlife, Regional Queensland Drive, SBS Chill and other finalists in the category.
Why it matters?
A community radio show from Redland City is being recognised on the same awards stage as much larger national outlets. It is also a strong nod for queer programming, local storytelling and non-commercial radio at a time when the new awards are aiming to recognise the full Australian audio sector.
Producer and host Tony Tranter felt like a “pinch-me moment” and a “dream come true”. He said the national recognition was overwhelming after years of carrying playlists in his head.
Local Impact
For Redland City, the nomination gives a local Bay FM show a much wider national profile. Bay FM says So Bae airs every Sunday from 6 pm to 10 pm, and the station broadcasts live and local from Thornlands.
The program has also helped build local media talent. Bay FM backed So Bae as a training ground for new announcers before they moved into their own programs.
By the numbers
- Six finalists are competing in Best Non-Commercial Program, which places So Bae Party Mix in a tight national field.
- The program fills a four-hour slot each Sunday, airing from 6 pm to 10 pm on Bay FM 100.3.
- In the past year, the team delivered 17 Australian radio-first moments, a run that helped secure the nomination.
Zoom In
So Bae Party Mix has been on air since January 2021 and has grown into a regular Sunday night fixture with music, interviews and queer-centred conversation. Bay FM’s own listing still notes Tony T and Cal C, while QNews reports the current line-up rotates around Tony Tranter with co-hosts and contributors including Richie Le Strange, Frenchie Darling, Ruby Wergs and Mandi Smeelie.
Previous co-hosts include Callum Cantrill and Jasper Manfield, who first pitched the So Bae concept to the then-station manager Ted Seymour. Tranter also said he did not hear gay voices on radio in the 1990s and never expected a show like this to exist, adding that he wished Seymour were here to see the nomination.
He said, “We’ve celebrated so many incredible artists and art forms over the years,” from singers and songwriters to drag performers, pole dancers and even Magic Men.
Zoom Out
A major part of the show’s recent rise came in November 2025, when So Bae Party Mix produced a live broadcast linking Bay FM with 4ZZZ and JOY FM. QNews described it as a history-making moment for queer radio, and the shortlist itself credits the entry as Bay FM 100.3, 4ZZZ and Joy FM for LGBTQIA+.
That broadcast featured Brody Hayes from 4ZZZ alongside Wayne Garner and Raena Armitage from JOY, and it grew from conversations that followed Brisbane Pride 2024. Tranter said the idea had been building for some time, and that bringing the stations together created an unforgettable show.
This latest recognition also builds on the program’s 2025 nomination for Event of the Year at the 64th Annual Queens Ball Awards.
What To Look For Next?
The winners will be announced in Sydney on May 28. No matter the result, the shortlist has already given Bay FM and Redland City a stronger place in the national audio conversation.
