The Hits Bay of Plenty host Will Johnston is a winner, again, at this year's New Zealand Radio Awards. Photo / File
The Hits Bay of Plenty host Will Johnston is a winner, again, at this year's New Zealand Radio Awards. Photo / File
For the second time in as many years, Bay of Plenty radio host Will Johnston has been recognised in the New Zealand Radio awards.
Johnston was named Best Music Host - Local in this year's awards. Covid-19 precautions meant winners were announced online today , in the absence of an awards event. The Bay of Plenty Hits host gathered with his radio peers via Zoom this afternoon instead to celebrate.
It was a role Johnston said he was privileged to have.
"Sometimes I feel like a vehicle connecting someone in Pāpāmoa who might be feeling a certain way about something to someone in Otumoetai who might be feeling the same way."
Speaking with Johnston, the words "connect" and "community" feature frequently.
The Hits host Will Johnston with fiancee Tiffany Wilkinson and their puppy Bear in a photo taken as part of The Front Steps Project. Photo / Alisha Taylor
Johnston referred to a current fundraising campaign called The Front Steps Project.
Tauranga photographer Alisha Taylor visits local homes and takes photos of occupants for donations to the Tauranga Community Foodbank.
"I saw what Alisha was doing on Instagram and gave her a call. I know her from my other work as a celebrant. Anyways, we had a chat on about three or four minutes. Then she featured in the Bay of Plenty Times, next thing you know she's on Seven Sharp as part of their Good as Gold thing ... and she's raised something like $10,000 for the foodbank already. It's just incredible. And it's all for a good cause.
"It all started by someone having a bit of a chat."
Johnston said such an example reflected the heart of a community that wanted to be connected and "I hope I do a good job of helping that".
Johnston's show runs from 9am to 3pm each weekday and when he's not on-air, often he's MCing events or keeping people informed via social media. That's when he was not also working as a wedding celebrant. What drove him was the listeners, he said.
"It's people in the Bay who care about what's happening here and how other people feel about it."
Johnston's win was judged on material provided from last year.
"It was pretty cool last year. We had lots of stuff to give away to reward people who have done amazing things in our community. Being about to give something to deserving people, when they're not expecting it, that's pretty special."
In addition to the giveaways, last year also included the fun of interviewing children at the AIMS Games and the heartbreak of talking to people affected by the Whakaari / White Island tragedy.
The win is Johnston's second in a row.
"It makes me realise that I'm continuing on the right track. To me, that's more important than a one-off win. It shows it wasn't just a good year or a fluke."
The New Zealand Radio Awards began in 1978 and were created with the aim of supporting and recognising excellence in radio broadcasting in New Zealand.
Other NZME stations and hosts were also recognised, including ZM breakfast hosts Fletch, Vaughan and Megan and ZM producers Ben McDowell and Ellie Harwood.
Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking won Best Talk Presenter for a Breakfast Show while Marcus Lush Nights won for Best Presenter "Other" - marking his fourth win in a row.
New Zealand Radio Awards chair Jana Rangooni said: "It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate all the great talent in our industry, not just those who won today."
"Around 3.6 million New Zealanders listen to radio every week and the small selection of audio that makes the finals every year gives you an indication of the incredible range of content they consume and enjoy."
