Good Radio Awards recognise and celebrate talent

Botswana’s first radio awards, dubbed ‘The Good Radio Awards’ were launched last week in Gaborone in order to appreciate the impact that the radio has in the community, thereby recognising the best radio personalities. 

The Good Radio Awards is the brainchild of the renowned public speaker and radio personality, Oratile Jazelle Kebakile and her partner Tammi McAllister from The Confidence Office. The Good Radio Awards is the signature event for The Confidence Office and forms part of the Good Radio Project. 

According to Kebakile, The Good Radio project aims at celebrating the best radio personalities, share what constitutes excellent radio practices, encourage innovation amongst the youth through competition and show Batswana what it takes to create a radio show. Kebakile said that she has long wished that there could be such a platform to recognise the voices behind the radio since they touch different people’s lives on a daily basis. “Communication is my passion and therefore I know very well that we need something like this in this industry and I am really honoured that we are finally launching this good initiative,” she said. 

 Kebakile said that meeting McAllister was a blessing because now they no longer talk about the dream of radio awards, but the actual concept. McAllister also added that talent needs to be recognised and most often the radio personalities are not known, compared to television personalities.

“Those who are doing well on the radio also have to be awarded. Fresh thinkers and innovators who can make a real impact in the economy if they are given the necessary support power our creative industries. It is therefore crucial that we encourage talent to seek out careers in the creative industries and that we develop platforms to award outstanding performance.

The Good Radio Awards is one of those platforms,” McAllister said.  On the first occasion of the awards, the initiative will start by honouring only five categories including; Best Radio station, Best Presenter, Best News Reader, Best Sports Reader, Best Show and Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominations for the various categories will be open for all radio stations in Botswana.

Tumisang Mothei, a radio personality at Duma FM applauded the initiative, saying that they really need that to stay motivated. “Radio can shape reality and it is one medium of communication that is popularly used from way back before even television sets were introduced,” Mothei said.  The competition will soon open the lines for the viewers to nominate their favourite radio personalities through SMS votes.