Kevin Rolston to Receive MSBC's 2024 Kidd Kraddick Award

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Kevin Rolston

Talentmasters Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC) has announced this year's 'Kidd Kraddick Award' recipient will be Kevin Rolston of the KVJ show from Hubbard Radio's WRMF-FM/West Palm Beach. Named in honor of the late Kidd Kraddick, the award recognizes those of unparalleled success, inimitable style and authenticity, providing exemplary service to their community and serving as a constant source of inspiration to other shows and personalities.

Traditionally, each year's recipient is charged with selecting the following year's honoree. Last year's recipient, Dave Ryan of iHeartMedia's KDWB-FM in Minneapolis, said in selecting Rolston, "The responsibility of choosing the next Kidd Kraddick Award winner is the hardest part of winning this award. So many amazing radio people went through my head like characters on a slot machine. But I owed Kevin for helping me hide that body at Boot Camp 2014 so I knew he was the one."

Ryan added, "Seriously, Kevin is amazing on two important fronts. Of course he's an incredible radio talent. His content is different and fun and innovative and absolutely compelling. He never plays it safe and it pays off. On top of that, he's a visionary. He sees where the industry is going and how to get his show on that same path. If you want to know where to point your show in 2024, follow Kevin. He gets it. I get such a kick out of knowing I had anything to do with Kevin's career and I'm honored to pass this award on to that college student that used to listen to my show back in the day."

On being named as this year's recipient Rolston said, "There isn't an honor I would cherish more. I believe Kidd Kraddick was the most gifted person to ever crack a microphone in our industry. Everyone to have received his award is an industry giant. I don't feel worthy, but I'm not gonna turn this down either! And to receive this award from Dave Ryan is such a cool full-circle moment for me."

"Dave Ryan is the sole reason I'm even in radio in the first place," he added. "Hearing him on the Morning Zoo at WNCI in Columbus as a young impressionable kid at Ohio University who couldn't pick a career path, inspired me and gave me the idea that maybe I could do this too. I wanted to be him so bad. Kind of weird where life takes you."

Past honorees include Bert Weiss of the syndicated 'The Bert Show,' The YEA Network Syndicated 'The Kidd Kraddick Show, The Ace & TJ Show, 97X Quad Cities' Dwyer & Michaels Show, Big 105.9 Miami's Paul Castronovo, BJ Shea, co-host of BJ & Sarah Mornings on KZOK-FM Seattle, Brother Wease Radio 95.1 Rochester, Mojo of Channel 955 Detroit's Mojo in the Morning and, of course, Dave Ryan.

The Kraddick Award will be presented during Talentmasters' 36th Annual Morning Show Boot Camp (MSBC), taking place August 8-10 at The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego.