Liberty Radio Awards announces nominees for 2017

The adjudication process saw a panel of 65 judges review and evaluate more than 1,600 hours of audio entries received from over 110 radio stations. The adjudication results of which have been reviewed by chartered accountancy firm Mazars.

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“We congratulate the nominees and look forward to celebrating excellence in a few weeks’ time when the winners are finally announced. It being the first year that we’re involved with the Radio Awards, we are happy with the results thus far. The overwhelming response following the call to entry, to the quality of the submissions, and the industry’s genuine excitement about the Awards, we’re proud to be the title sponsor of the Liberty Radio Awards,” says Sydney Mbhele, CMO of Liberty Group.

“For the past 60 years, Liberty has built a legacy of changing the realities of millions of South Africans and pioneering financial freedom for them. We hope that by using South Africa’s most ubiquitous medium, we can continue to share knowledge for social transformation in the country.”

CEO of the Liberty Radio Awards, Lance Rothschild says, “It really is gratifying to have access to the expertise of many seasoned radio experts who so generously gave of their time to adjudicate the entries. I am quite confident that the best of the entries rose to the top in each of the categories and that they will motivate and inspire the industry to keep on improving their programming and content to ensure that listeners remain committed to their respective stations, and almost more importantly, to the medium of radio.”

From the onset, the Liberty Radio Awards was designed to acknowledge the talent and innovation in the radio broadcasting space, with the underlying intent to maintain and elevate the quality. The panel of adjudicators have identified this during their reviews, and one of the adjudicators shared the following feedback: “It’s been a superb journey adjudicating my bit for the radio awards. I don’t think I had this much fun in a long while. I enjoyed listening to the vast number of SA Radio stations and learning about the potential talent and future on-air voices. Trust me, I will keep an ear out for them. What fascinates me most are the number of young South Africans who have a passion for radio. It’s also quite comforting to know that South Africans have a wonderful relationship with radio – the kind of relationship that will never wane. Radio’s reach and 'friend-appeal' makes it such an apt, immediate medium for the SA market. Lots of potential here and a bright future.”

Congratulations to all the finalists. The organisers say these entries are amongst the best of the best. They thank all those who entered and encourage those who didn’t make it through to continue to raise the standard of radio to ensure a bright future for the industry.

Click here for a list of the finalists.

FINALISTS