2005 CMA Broadcast Awards Winners

ACountry salutes 2005 CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year winners Lia Knight, Lisa Dent, Gerry House and The House Foundation, Andy & Alison and the Morning Crew, and Dex & Kim. Congratulations are also in order for CMA Radio Station of The Year winners KEEY (Minneapolis), WSIX (Nashville), KSSN (Little Rock), and WUSY (Chattanooga).

News Update: 2005 CMA Awards winners

The 2005 CMA Broadcast Awards winners were notified today when Lee Ann Womack called the winners on-air to personally deliver the exciting news. The CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year, including National Broadcast Personality of the Year and CMA Radio Station of the Year recipients will be recognized during the The 39th Annual CMA Awards, Tuesday, Nov. 15 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) live on the CBS Television Network from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Womack, who is nominated for six CMA Awards in 2005, called the CMA Broadcast Personality and CMA Radio Station of the Year winners on the stations’ studio hotlines. In early September, the CMA Broadcast Awards finalists were announced in a press conference in New York City by Curb Records duo Blue County and Epic Records artist Miranda Lambert.

“I’m always excited to be part of something big with radio,” said Womack. “Radio has been instrumental throughout my career and I was glad to share this good news with some of the best folks working in Country radio today.”

Every year since 2000, a CMA nominated artist has graciously delivered the good news to CMA Broadcast Award winners, including Dierks Bentley in 2004; Terri Clark in 2003; Kenny Chesney in 2002; Brooks & Dunn in 2001; and Brad Paisley in 2000.

“Country Music artists and broadcast professionals have meaningful and long-standing relationships, so it’s only fitting the artists make these phone calls to celebrate together,” said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. “Getting the call from a top artist really adds to the prestige and honor of winning this award.”

Lia Knight, host of “The Lia Show,” with Jones Radio Networks is getting her first CMA Award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2005. “I’ve been in Country radio for 19 years and this represents the highest achievement in my career,” said Knight. “I’m so humbled by this whole experience.”

In addition, station KEEY in Minneapolis, Minn., earns its very first CMA Award in 2005 for Major Market Station of the Year. “This is really one of the greatest moments in the history of K102. Just to be mentioned with other legendary stations in our category was a thrill,” said Greg Swedberg of KEEY. “This will keep us warm all winter long!”

Nominees are not eligible to win in consecutive years. For National Personality of the Year, syndicated, short-form and hub-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 2005 CMA Broadcast Award Winners:

CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year

*National – Lia Knight – “The Lia Show” – Jones Radio Networks

*Major Market – Lisa Dent – WUSN – Chicago, Ill. (Lisa Dent)

*Large Market – Gerry House and The House Foundation – WSIX – Nashville, Tenn.(Gerry House, Mike Bohan, Duncan Stewart, Al Voecks)

*Medium Market – Andy & Alison and the Morning Crew – WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.(Andy Ritchie, Alison West, Jimmy Holt)

*Small Market – Dex & Kim – WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn. (Bill Poindexter, Kim Carson)

CMA Radio Station of the Year

*Major Market – KEEY – Minneapolis, Minn.

*Large Market – WSIX – Nashville, Tenn.

*Medium Market – KSSN -KSSN/Little Rock, Ark.

*Small Market – WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.