It may not have had the usual glitz and glamour of the live awards ceremony at the annual Radio Show, but this year's virtual reveal of 2021's Marconi Radio Award Winners still packed plenty of surprises, with lots of stations and personalities taking trophies home for the first time, and others adding to their collection of Marconis over the years.
The online ceremony for NAB's awards, honoring radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting, were hosted by Angela Yee, co-host of the Premiere Networks-syndicated “The Breakfast Club” with presenters including Beasley Broadcast Group CEO Caroline Beasley, Townsquare Media Group CEO Bill Wilson, Salem Media Group President, Broadcast Media Dave Santrella, Perry Broadcasting VP/COO Kevin Perry, Cumulus Media Senior VP, Corporate Development & Strategy Collin Jones, Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri President John Zimmer, and outgoing NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, who opened the ceremony with his final State of the Industry Address.
College Station, TX's Bryan Broadcasting picked up four awards during the ceremony, as Ben Downs won for Legendary Manager of the Year, KNDE grabbed a second CHR Station of the Year award and the station's Frito and Katy for Small Market Personality of the Year, and Talk WTAW-AM took the prize for Small Market Station of the Year, an award KNDE took home in 2017.
Hubbard Radio's WTOP added to its trophy collection, as the DC station won its third consecutive and sixth total News/Talk Station of the Year award, along with its 2011 Legendary Station of the Year Award. This year's Legendary Station award also went to a News/Talker, Cox Media Group's WSB-AM Atlanta, a former News/Talk Station of the Year and Major Market Station of the Year winner. 2021's Major Market station prize was also given to a News/Talk station, Audacy's KYW Philadelphia, while Hubbard Talker KTMY Minneapolis won Large Market Station of the Year, and Cox Media News/Talk KRMG-FM Tulsa took Medium Market Station of the Year, for the third time in the past seven years.
Reach Media’s Rickey Smiley picked up his second Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year award, as did KRMG's Dan Potter for Medium Market Personality of the Year, while Cumulus Media's Sports KTCK-AM Dallas' The Musers – Dunham, Miller & Keith won Major Market Personality of the Year – as the station won its third Sports Station of the Year award – while Cox Media Soft AC WDUV Tampa's Ann Kelly won Large Market Personality of the Year.
Among other station winners by format was Atlantic Gateway Communications WGTS Washington, DC, winning for both Religious Station of the Year and Best Radio Podcast of the Year, "We Need to Talk.” Mereulo Media picked up Station of the Year awards for two Los Angeles outlets, rocker KLOS and Spanish CHR KLLI, as did Audacy, taking one for New York Classic Hits WCBS-FM and a second Country Station of the Year prize for Detroit's WYCD. Also winning second Station of the Year awards were Hubbard's WTMX Chicago for AC Station of the Year, and William Paterson University's WPSC in New Jersey for College Station of the Year.
Here is the complete list of the 2021 Marconi Award winners:
Legendary Station of the Year: WSB-AM, Atlanta, Ga. AC Station of the Year: WTMX-FM, Chicago, Ill. Legendary Manager of the Year: Ben Downs, Bryan Broadcasting Best Radio Podcast of the Year: "We Need to Talk," WGTS-FM, Washington, D.C. Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year: Rickey Smiley, Reach Media, Inc. CHR Station of the Year: KNDE-FM, College Station, Texas Major Market Personality of the Year: The Musers - Dunham, Miller & Keith, KTCK-AM, Dallas, Texas Classic Hits Station of the Year: WCBS-FM, New York, N.Y.
Large Market Personality of the Year: Ann Kelly, WDUV-FM, Tampa Bay, Fla. College Station of the Year: WPSC-FM, William Patterson University, Wayne, N.J. Medium Market Personality of the Year: Dan Potter, KRMG-FM, Tulsa, Okla. Country Station of the Year: WYCD-FM, Detroit, Mich.
Small Market Personality of the Year: Frito and Katy, KNDE-FM, College Station, Texas
News/Talk Station of the Year: WTOP-FM, Washington, D.C.
Major Market Station of the Year: KYW-AM, Philadelphia, Pa.
Religious Station of the Year: WGTS-FM, Washington, D.C.
Large Market Station of the Year: KTMY-FM, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
Rock Station of the Year: KLOS-FM, Los Angeles, Calif. Medium Market Station of the Year: KRMG-FM, Tulsa, Okla. Spanish Language Station of the Year: KLLI-FM, Los Angeles, Calif. Small Market Station of the Year: WTAW-AM, College Station, Texas Sports Station of the Year: KTCK-AM, Dallas, Texas Urban Station of the Year: WEDR-FM, Miami, Fla.
Comments