Rutland and Stamford Sounds has reached the final five in two Community Radio Awards categories, putting its radio broadcasting work in line for national recognition. The shortlist covers both its fifth-birthday celebrations and its daily digital output.
Rob Persani said the station had made the top 5 out of over 300 community radio stations across the country in two categories. “To have made the top 5 out of over 300 community radio stations across the country in two categories which both show how valued we are locally is just fantastic!” he said.
Two categories, one local station
The station was shortlisted in Celebrating and Championing Community Radio of the Year and Digital Content of the Year. The first nomination centres on its fifth birthday celebrations earlier in the year, when the team boarded the birthday bus for a tour around Rutland and Stamford and met community groups and local figures.
The second nod tracks the station’s daily social media and website content, built around written and video journalism on local news, events and travel. That mix is the point of the shortlist: the station is not being judged only on one-off celebrations, but on the regular output it uses to serve Rutland and Stamford every day.
Rob Persani and volunteers
“At 5 years old this year, it does seem like we have come of age, and I can't thank all our volunteers and supporters enough for their contribution,” Persani said. His comments place the shortlist squarely on volunteer effort, not just on the station name itself.
The Community Radio Awards celebrate the work and time volunteers put into running stations and curating shows, so the competition rewards both public service and consistency. Rutland and Stamford Sounds has landed in the final five from more than 300 community radio stations nationwide, which means the station is being measured against a field far larger than its local footprint.
Birmingham on 24th October
The awards will be presented at an evening in Birmingham on 24th October after a conference on Community Radio. For Rutland and Stamford Sounds, that gives the shortlist a clear finish line: the station already has the recognition, and the remaining question is whether it can turn two top-five places into a trophy.
