Once a year, a few superlative student radio DJs earn campus-wide prestige by receiving a “WCFMMY” award, a note of recognition from WCFM. The official ceremony is set for this Friday; in the meantime, dozens of nominated DJs are buzzing with anticipation.
The brainchild of WCFM General Managers Giulianna Bruce ’25, Julian Spiro ’25, and Sasha Tucker ’25, the event arose in 2023 out of a desire to recognize the effort student DJs put into curating their shows, Tucker explained. “We wanted [them] to know that [they aren’t] just talking into the void,” Tucker said. “It was like, ‘We’re listening, and we’re glad that you love radio too: We recognize you, we appreciate you, and we want to honor you.’”
“How are the nominees selected?” one might ask.
“The board spends the entire year listening to everybody’s shows constantly,” Spiro said. “And we come up with a bunch of totally original categories, like best show, best duo, and best sophomore show.”
Many nominated DJs were surprised by this recognition. “I’m feeling very flattered,” said Francesca Castellanos ’26, the host of “Hysterical Woman,” a nominee for best junior show.
Part of the beauty of college radio is its authenticity, stemming from the imperceptibility of the audience, Castellanos explained. “I talk on air as if I’m just talking to a friend, and I don’t know who’s listening, which is sometimes really scary, because sometimes I’m very real,” she said.
While many nominated DJs echoed Castellanos’ surprise, others said they had long been expecting their nomination. Co-host of “The Way Too Early Show” Bobby Verhey ’25 — colloquially known as “Bobby from Minnesota” — detailed his campaign to win the “trucker’s choice” award, for which he is the sole nominee this year. “Every time I saw the general managers of WCFM, I would say, ‘truck driver’s choice,’ and [my co host] DJ JR [Jacob Rivet ‘25] would do the same,” he said “I think, over the year, we broke them down.”
In addition to insider pressure, Verhey credited the show’s success to its weekly broadcast of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and other classic rock songs. “I think it appeals to the people who like ’80s rock, country music, [talking] about sports, and [hearing] some jokes, and that’s definitely a different vibe than a lot of the other shows on WCFM,” he said.
Rebecca Gross ’25, host of “Pink Super Moon” and nominee for best show, spoke to the beauty of college radio’s ephemerality. “It’s something that only happens in that moment. If you tune in at the right time, maybe you hear a song that resonates with you,” she said. “That can feel very cosmic.” She cited Carole King’s “The Legendary Demos” and the Monkees’ “Pleasant Valley Sunday” as her latest lunar luminations to emerge from “Pink Super Moon.”
The ‘most interesting conceit’ award, is important to nominee Lyla Butler ’28, host of “Poetry & Motion.” “It is especially exciting to me because it means someone out there was interested in my show, conceptually. Honestly, the way the show works — bringing poetry and music together on air — is often the part I am most proud of,” she said.
The award for best specialty programmer, given to a DJ who guest hosted one of the station’s weekly themed programs, represents WCFM’s recognition of risk-taking, said nominee Ella Hegarty ’28. “I love covering Jazz Hour. I wouldn’t normally play jazz on my own show, so it’s nice to get that opportunity to try out other genres in a different setting,” she shared.
For the class of 2025, this year’s WCFMMYs will be the last radio event of their time at the College. According to board member Charlie Nicholas ’25, the goal is to “pull out all the stops for some showmanship: Display some serious disk jockeying, some real MCs. Some live music. Just all the sorts of skills we don’t really get to tap into.”
Editor’s note: Tahlia Gerger, a nominee and an arts editor, and Phoebe Pallesen, a programming director at WCFM and a managing editor at the Record, were not involved with the writing or editing of this article.
