Oh what a night: Stories from the ACRAs. Part 1

Just a few short months ago, Victoria’s Grampians region was in the grip of a fire emergency, and it was Emma Clark’s job to get vital information out to the community.

On Saturday night, Emma – from ACE Radio Network station 3WM – paused to reflect on that very challenging time, after winning the ACRA for Best AM News Presenter (non-metro).

“I love my job so much,” Emma (pictured above) told Radio Today as she came off stage at Star Sydney, clutching her award.

“This means so much to me.”

When the fires took hold in February, Emma says her employer really came to the fore.

“They helped me with my kids. They looked after them and got them to school while I  did emergency reports.”

“My General Manager Brendan O’Loughlin supported me in that. He was always there, feeding us information, getting things off the printer.”

Having now been with the network for 22 years, Emma says ACE is a supportive, family-oriented company.

“A lot of us have kids, so they’re really flexible with their hours. They’re just amazing.”

Annabelle ‘AB’ Brett from 102.3 Triple M Townsville – who won Best Sports Presenter (non-metro) –  says it’s encouraging to see radio embracing not just women in sport but women who love sport.

AB – who recently gave birth to her first child and is currently on maternity leave – has been doing extra work in the footy sphere of late, calling her first game last year.

“It’s very exciting for women to be seen as normal in this kind of category, and to progress that space as much as we can, because we’re great at it,” she says.

But she notes that there’s still a shortage of women in this particular area.

When it comes to sports coverage, AB says it’s time to stop exclusively targeting men.

“For any programmers out there that are like ‘Oh, don’t target women in sport’ … that’s bullshit.”

“Women love sport just as much as men do. It’s not just me. It’s my mum, it’s my grandma.”

“This is not a new thing.”

Nova Adelaide’s Andrew ‘Hayesy’ Hayes started his radio journey as a street team member.

More than a decade later, not only has he fulfilled his ultimate a dream of hosting the brekky shift, Hayesy is now the proud owner of his very first ACRA, taking out the Brenno Award for Best New Talent On Air Talent (Metro), although it was the last thing he was expecting.

“This is really, really cool,” he says. “The nomination was an unbelievable honour. There were no expectations to do anything, except be here and meet and be in amongst these unbelievable people. And drink some free beers!”

This year’s ACRAs also shone a spotlight on some of great radio broadcasters we have on the Apple Isle.

Nicholas Groer from ARN’s Chilli North East in Launceston won the ACRA for Best New Talent On Air (Country), while Triple M Hobart Breakfast host Andy ‘Tubes’ Taylor – who won Best New Talent (Provincial) – says “It’s just amazing, the talent coming out of Tasmania. There’s a lot of us.”

As a bloke who wears several different hats, including quiz master, sports commentator and doting dad, Tubes says he’s always trying to bring a bit of authenticity to the airwaves.

“The community is what it’s all about for me. I love Tasmania, I love Hobart, I love our state, I love our country.”

Courtney McIntyre from Mixx FM Hamilton won Individual Talent of the Year (Country).

Courtney’s journey started in outback Queensland.

Today, after much moving around, Courtney, her husband and kids are happily settled in the Victoria’s Western District, where they’ve forged a strong connection with the local community.

“It’s the first place we’ve ever really found home … with the community, with ACE Radio … with everything,” says Courtney.

“I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Now in her tenth year on air, Katie Woolf from Darwin’s Mix 104.9 won the Provincial category of Individual Talent of the Year.

“I’m grateful to have had such a nice, long career on air, and in the media more generally,” she says.

Best Radio Show Producer (non-metro) was won by Hot Tomato’s Monique Cremona.

Having notched up seven years, Monique says “I absolutely love it. We’ve got the best team, I think, in the whole radio industry.”

Monique says it’s definitely not a nine to five to job. But that’s all part of the adventure.

“Your phone goes off at all hours. But it’s what you do. You love it. You work hard … and it definitely pays off.”

Best community campaign (Provincial) was won by i98FM for the Illawarra Convoy

Breakfast host Marty Haynes says “I’m proud of the whole team, and the community who put it together.”

“We’re coming into our 20^th year and we’ve raised over 25 million dollars. Out of a little community of 300,000, that’s not bad. I’ve always said that’s the power of the medium we work in, radio.”

“At i98, we’re a small team, but we certainly give it a go.”

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Oh what a night: Stories from the ACRAs.