NASHVILLE, TN. (Capitol nashville Records/ www.cmaawards.com) - Country radio heard some sweet music today when Capitol Nashville recording artist
Dierks Bentley called the 2004 CMA Broadcast Award winners on-air to personally deliver the good news. The CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year and CMA
Radio Station of the Year recipients will be recognized during "The 38th Annual CMA Awards" Tuesday, Nov. 9 (8:00-11:00 PM/EST) live from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., on the CBS Television Network.
Bentley, who is nominated for the Horizon Award in 2004 - his first CMA Awards nomination - called the CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year winners on the stations' studio hotlines from the CMA offices in Nashville. Bentley also announced the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists during a press conference in late August.
"Country radio is such a huge part of my life," offered Bentley. "As a singer and songwriter, it's what connects me and my music to Country Music fans. And as a fan of Country Music myself, it's where I go every day to listen and find out the latest news in the Country Music world. I'm excited to be delivering the good news to those stations being honored with a CMA Award. I'm honored my friends at CMA chose me to do so."
2004 marks the fifth consecutive year that CMA has tapped a nominated artist to deliver the news to CMA Broadcast Award winners. Terri Clark phoned winners in 2003; Kenny Chesney made the calls in 2002; Brooks & Dunn surprised winners with the news in 2001; and Brad Paisley called the Award winners in 2000.
"Having a CMA-nominated artist make these calls has become a popular tradition," said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. "This program is successful because Country Music artists and broadcast professionals alike recognize how meaningful it is to win a CMA Award, and both groups have a close, integral relationship. The calls become a shared celebration."
Lon Helton, host of Westwood One's weekly "CMT Country Countdown USA," is picking up his second CMA Award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2004. Helton won the Award in 2002. Nominees are not eligible to win in consecutive years. Syndicated, short-form and hub voice-tracking personalities heard in at least three markets with a minimum of 40 shows per year were eligible.
In addition to the CMA National Broadcast Personality Award, winners were selected in four market categories (Small, Medium, Large and Major) for CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year.
The categories are established by market size based on Arbitron rankings. Entries for CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year were judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement and biographical information. Radio stations were judged on airchecks, ratings history, community involvement and leadership. CMA members who are full-time, Country on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible to enter. Personalities who were not CMA members were also eligible if employed by a CMA member radio station. Winners were determined in two rounds of judging by a panel of broadcast professionals. The accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulated the scoring by the judges.
The 2004 CMA Broadcast Award Winners:
CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year
* National - Lon Helton - "CMT Country Countdown USA"
* Major Market - Kelly & Jonathan with Mudflap - KYGO/Denver, Colo. (Kelly Ford, Jonathan Wilde, Steve McGrew)
* Large Market - JD Cannon - WFMS/Indianapolis, Ind. (JD Cannon)
* Medium Market - The Ron & Becky Morning Show - WBBS/Syracuse, N.Y. (Ron Bee, Becky Palmer)
* Small Market - Holstein & Company Mornings - WIXY/Champaign, Ill. (Steve Holstein, Andy Roberts, Melissa Anfield)
CMA Radio Station of the Year
* Major Market - KMPS/Seattle, Wash.
* Large Market - WFMS/Indianapolis, Ind.
* Medium Market - WIVK/Knoxville, Tenn.
* Small Market - WQXK/Youngstown, Ohio
CMA Broadcast Award winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years. The winning entries will be posted on CMA's official website https://www.cmaawards.com/ in the near future.
For information about the CMA Awards visit our official website at https://cmaawards.com/.
