What's New September 21, 2015

ACRAs Finalists Fever – #7

There are thousands of hard-working, dedicated and amazingly creative people throughout the radio industry – and every year a small fraction of those people make the short list as a finalist in the ACRAs.

Just like we did last year, over the next few weeks, Radio Today will shine a spotlight on the best of the best.

Today we feature Dave Williams, Adam Barrat & Jess Eva and Amin “Nims” Azoor .

Let’s Roll Out the Red Carpet….The ACRAs Finalists Fever – counting down the days to the big event on October 10 by profiling the finalists across all categories. You can get involved by emailing us here.

ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC PRESENTER

Dave Williams; Triple M, Melbourne VIC, Southern Cross Austereo M

Where did this crazy radio ride start…

First job on air was back in 1992 at 2LM then worked at 2ZZZ FM(Lismore), SUN FM (Shepparton), FOX FM(Melbourne), NOVA 100 (Melbourne), 2DAYFM (Sydney), TRIPLE M MELB.

About your entry…

It’s a couple of breaks from my show that a staff member said..’Dange you should hold that for the ACRA entry’. So I did and got nominated! Thanks Lucy Morling.

Best part of your job..

Working with the best product team in the country. Oh and the free concert tickets

You get the ACRA, what’s your speech..

After becoming what one staff member described me as’ the Susan Lucci of radio’ (You’ll need to google her impressive non strike rate). I finally won one!

BEST STATION PRODUCED COMEDY SEGMENT

Bachelor Lines; Adam Barrat & Jess Eva, Sea FM, Maroochydore QLD, EON Broadcasting P

Alright you two… what’s the go with your careers so far..

BarRat: Been around the joint a bit:
Started out at 3WM in Horsham from there Coffs, Townsville, Gold Coast and Sydney where I was AMD at floater at 2dayFM before moving to Triple M Sydney.
Then spent a few years working in radio in the UK.

Jess: Breakfast Radio in Bendigo, a radio show under a coconut tree in the Maldives for 12 months. Breakfast in Cairns for a couple of years and now the wonderful Sunshine Coast.

Tell us about your ACRAs Entry for Best Produced Comedy Segment…

Is a piss take of Blake the old loser Bachelor from last series. BarRat dared Jess to call blokes up and use Blake’s exact lines… to see if his smoothness transcended onto men.

The Big Moment… go..

BarRat: Wouldn’t – and thank god there are no speeches at the acras.. Could you imagine how blind everyone would be by the time the last award got handed out.

Jess: I have had the best time working for EON! An independent station, who love radio, love content and the people that work in it. How many radio professionals get to have a red wine and a laugh with the owners of the station. Whilst they tell you they appreciate you within the company?

ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC PRESENTER

Amin Azoor; Mixx FM, Horsham VIC, ACE Radio Broadcasters C

Nice.. hang on… what the hell is on your head? Nvermind… about you… go..

I’ve always wanted a job in radio since the day I first heard Martin/Molloy and went through endless amounts of BASF C90 cassette’s taping Ugly Phil & Jackie O on the Hot 30, and in November 2010 that dream came true when I started off doing breakfast for the RadioWest Network based out of a beautiful little place called Esperance. January 2012 I moved to Bunbury to become a workday jock for HOT FM WA, and a promo car driver for the very talented duo of Cliff and Dougie on RadioWest.

November 2012 I joined the ACE Radio Network as a copywriter then became their workday jock until July 2013 when I did network breakfast with my co-host Emma Elsom, but I still keep my toe in the workday/weekend jock water by doing music shifts on Mixx FM and Coast FM Warrnambool, plus I’m also extremely lucky to have the privilege of being a casual at Nova 100 on the weekends.

Best Music Presenter… tell about your entry..

I’m sure every single music jock’s been told to death to “be who you are off air, on air”, so that’s basically what I did. A very wise APD once told me be real and relateable so that’s what I try to make most of my breaks be. So in my entry I literally just found the grabs of my shift that I personally loved and hoped for the best!t

Here’s your moment… the speech.. let rip

There would be a lot of thanks handed out I can guarantee that! I’ve had the benefit of having a huge range of people in my time in radio offer me some fantastic advice and tips not just for my career but my life off air, but at the same time I don’t want to be captain namedrop here. So I’ll just keep it brief and thank Mickey from SCA for the advice he gave me to be a better jock from my time in WA, and I’ve also gotta give a huge thanks to Scott from Nova who’s been an incredible influence on my career with his feedback and patience to really nurture you as a talent, and whom to this day seems to know how to get chicken salad out of you when all you seem to be offering him is chicken sh**!

I’ve also got to thank Chris Holland (@TheSongNerd on twitter if you’re not following him) who very early in my radio career told me to aim big, never be complacent and don’t be afraid to fail! He did say that too me much more colourfully back in the day but you get the gist!