Garth Brooks surprises 2016 CMA broadcast awards winners

Garth Brooks wasn’t calling Baton Rouge, but he was dialing Houston, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, and Springfield today to alert winners of the CMA Broadcast Awards.
Brooks, who is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, has received 32 career CMA Awards nominations including Entertainer of the Year in 2016. He has won 11 CMA Awards beginning with the Horizon Award in 1990 (now New Artist of the Year) and Entertainer of the Year four times (1991, 1992, 1997, 1998).
“Radio plays an integral role in our format,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “These winners are advocates for Country Music in their markets and we are honored to be able to recognize their accomplishments and valued contributions to our industry.”
The winners of the 2016 CMA Broadcast Awards are:
2016 CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year Winners
National – “Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Westwood One
Major Market – “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Jeff “Maverick” Bolen, and Kia Becht) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
Large Market – “The Big Dave Show” (David Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, and Jason Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
Medium Market – “The Gator & StyckMan Program” (Gator Harrison, Greg “StyckMan” Owens, and “Cowboy” Kyle Croft) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Small Market – “The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Sharon Green) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
2016 CMA Radio Station of the Year Winners
Major Market – KKBQ – Houston-Galveston, Texas
Large Market – WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
Medium Market – WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Small Market – KTTS – Springfield, Mo.
The categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Arbitron. Entries for Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and biographical information. Candidates for Station of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and format leadership.
CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities and CMA member radio stations in the United States and Canada were eligible. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.
CMA Broadcast Award winners are not eligible to enter in consecutive years; therefore, those who received trophies in 2015 were not eligible in 2016. The professional services organization Deloitte & Touche LLP tabulates scoring by the judges.
Winners will be recognized at “The 50^th Annual CMA Awards” to be held Wednesday, Nov. 2 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and broadcast live on the ABC Television Network from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return to host Country Music’s Biggest Night™.