Jacaranda FM has been named as a finalist in 14 South African Radio Awards across 11 categories at the 2022 SA Radio Awards.
The SA Radio Awards aim to recognize and credit the best talent, content and innovation in local radio broadcasting.
According to the station, the Station of the Year Award cemented Jacaranda FM’s position as Mzansi’s favourite radio station in 2021.
Jacaranda FM says that it has been shortlisted for Best Commercial Station of the Year again, as well as Best Commercial Radio Innovation for its brave and purpose-driven work in the metaverse and digital events hosted throughout the year.
The station’s breakfast show keeps earning fan love and nominations as Martin Bester is nominated for the Best Commercial Breakfast Show Presenter.
Breakfast with Martin Bester show producer Megan Mitchell has been nominated for Best Commercial Content Producer for a show that hosts a morning audience of 850 000 listeners.
Both radio mavens won these industry awards, as well as Breakfast with Martin Bester winning the Best Commercial Breakfast Show in the country in 2021. The popular Breakfast show is shortlisted for the win again in 2022, as well as Best Commercial Radio Innovation.
Jacaranda Program manager, Hennie Myburgh described the show ‘Breakfast with Martin Bester’ as the beacon of radio excellence.
“Whether he’s making a singing teacher’s dream come true by asking Ed Sheeran to sing a song with her, completely changing the life of a single mother who’d given up, engaging with celebrities, or creating a children’s band and helping them co-write a hit radio single, Bester always raises the bar and pushes his team towards radio gold,” Myburgh said.
According to the station, in 2022, a few new names appear as finalists alongside repeating nominations. Newly nominated was Danny Painter who has been nominated for Best Commercial Nighttime Show as she helps bring Jacaranda FM fans’ evening soundtracks to life with her ability to connect with her audience during the Love Songs with Danny Painter show.
“To be shortlisted for so many awards alongside such formidable competitors is extremely rewarding. We have been fine-tuning our brand experience strategy while ensuring that our content, relevance, music and hyper-local information stays central to delivering world-class radio to the Jacaranda FM community,” Myburgh added.
“I think our laser focus on ensuring the best audio experience for our listeners is highlighted through these accolades, and of course, we hope to retain our Station of the Year bragging rights.”
Joe Mann scored the nomination as the Best Commercial Sports Presenter and Owen Crafford got nominated as Bright Star.
Jacaranda FM also received two nominations for Best Commercial Radio Afternoon Drive Presenter, Rian van Heerden and Best Commercial Afternoon Drive Show nomination for The Scenic Drive.
Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels is a well-known community upliftment feature that has been broadcast every week, for the past 16 years, without ever missing a single feature.
This unique track record, combined with the diverse and immediate assistance given to the various communities that plug into Jacaranda FM has given rise to three nominations in the Best Commercial Community Project category
According to Myburgh, the award nominations allow the people behind the music and the shows to take a moment and celebrate their excellence amongst peers and presenters we all look up to. He wishes the finalists all the best of lucks.