Liberty Radio Awards opened up a platform for listeners to show love to the radio station that keeps them informed and entertained all year long by opening up the category of 'My Station' to the public for voting. Listeners could vote for over 200 of the 296 radio stations nationwide by completing an online voting form accessible via an online portal. Those who partook in the voting stood a chance to go into a draw where one lucky winner could win a R40 000 cash prize and two tickets to the Liberty Radio Awards gala dinner. The Liberty Radio Awards are the only industry-wide awards in the South African radio industry.
The lucky winner for the voter's competition was Sabelo Nkwinika from Nkomazi in Mpumalanga, who had voted for Ligwalagwala FM. In his radio interview on Ligwalagwala FM's afternoon drive show, Asambe Drive Show with Fortune and Buhle, Sabelo shared that he would get to the office and start with the voting; and before he slept, he would continue until he passed out. Sabelo says he may have sent anything between 1500 and 2000 SMS' for the competition. Upon receipt of a call from the CEO of Liberty Radio Awards on Friday afternoon, 5 April, Sabelo says he just knew that that prize money was his.
In the same interview with Fortune and Buhle, he was able to hear his own recorded reaction and could not stop laughing over how his first response was "I'm available" when told he would be going to Johannesburg for the awards. He told Ligwalagwala FM listeners that they should take the station's on-air competitions seriously and enter religiously. He was accompanied by one of the station's most loyal listeners, Mshibo when he came for his interview, who agreed with him.
Station Manager, Mr. Rio Mabunda said: "We send our deepest thanks to Sabelo Nkwinika for elevating the station to national conscience and congratulate him on his prize."
Ligwalagwala FM has now been placed as a finalist in the My Station category, along with 6 other radio stations. Over 884 000 votes were cast and voting closed on 2 April 2019. The station also received three (3) additional nominations, which will be judged by a panel of judges. The nominations were for Best Breakfast Show: Kusile Mzansi; Best Breakfast Show Presenter: Madumane and Best Station Imaging: Ligwalagwala FM. "Perhaps Sabelo's win will be a good omen for what is to come next Saturday", Rio Mabunda added excitedly.
The Liberty Radio Awards Gala dinner takes place at the Sandton Convention Center on Saturday 13 April 2019.
Listeners can catch Sabelo Nkwinika's interview on Asambe Drive Show on Ligwalagwala FM's Facebook page: @ligwalagwalafm and Sabelo's short interview on the station's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages on @ligwalagwalafm. Full interview on our Podcast
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