The station has made the shortlist in two categories at the national Community Radio Awards, for Male Presenter of the Year and Sports Show of the Year.

The awards celebrate the best of the community radio sector, with stations from up and down the country selecting their best of their output from the past year, alongside consideration for those team members deserving of special recognition. More than 360 entries were submitted from 77 stations, from every corner of the UK. 

Dan Richards has been nominated for the Male Presenter of the Year. Dan has looked after our Saturday afternoon show for over three years and is regularly out and about across the Black Country and beyond. His showreel showcased not only studio broadcasts but also interviews with local community groups, outside events with the Black Country Living Museum, interviews with Joe Lycett and and a special broadcast for Local Radio Day.

The stations sports team have been nominated in the Sports Show of the Year category. Black Country Sport is very much a team - with a group of 20 people providing input from sporting events and full live commentary from local football and rugby matches, having a notable reputation for in-depth commentaries and understanding of the local sports scene.

The team have been nominated for their coverage of the Birmingham Senior Cup, played at St. Andrews - home to Birmingham City. Stourbridge FC beat four teams to get to the final, including local rivals Halesowen Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion. The match was played in front of a crowd of over 1,250 of which, it is thought, over 1,000 were Stourbridge supporters.

After a poor season one of Britain's longest serving football managers, Gary Hackett, was rewarded with an end-of-season trophy and Black Country Radio provided exclusive radio commentary for this fixture. Alex Totney, CEO of Black Country Radio, said:

“We are delighted to have been recognised among the large number of other local stations doing great work across the UK. We’re really proud that our Sports Team, and Dan, have been recognised and shortlisted in this year’s awards.

"Black Country Radio wouldn’t be what it is without the hard work and dedication of all our members and the support we have from a range of organisations from across the Black Country.  Everyone from the station wishes them the best of luck in September.”

The Awards Ceremony will take place at an evening event at Sheffield Hallam University on 15 September 2018. Martin Steers, Awards Chair, added:

"Now in their third year, the entries are getting better and better, and we’re really able to show off the diverse broadcasting that the countries stations undertake for the benefit of their communities.

“We wish Black Country Radio luck and can’t wait to host the ceremony in Sheffield in September.”