Storme Warren and Monta Vaden Earn Industry Honors - BIG 615 Host and Music Director Recognized by Peers at the Annual Country Radio Seminar

(pictured L to R – Maurice Miner, SEVENS Radio Artist & Industry Relations; Bob Richards, Program Director/The BIG 615; Monta Vaden, Music Director/The BIG 615; Storme Warren, Host/The Storme Warren Show; Joe Wills, Producer/The Storme Warren Show; Jonny Jazzno, Program Director/Tailgate Radio; Sinead Burgess, On-Air Personality/The BIG 615; Blake Carter, Program Director/The Garth Channel)

‍

It was a BIG night for The BIG 615 at the culmination of the annual Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville Friday (March 1, 2024) as channel personality Storme Warren and Music Director Monta Vaden were honored alongside other country radio pros from coast-to-coast with CRS/Country Aircheck Awards!

Storme and The BIG 615’s Storme Warren Show were named this year’s top daily National Personality/Show. Monta took home the award as this year’s leading National Programmer/Curator. Both were first-time nominees among radio veterans from across the country. Winners were selected by members of the country music industry in voting conducted prior to CRS.

Additionally, Storme was a recipient of this year’s Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award in recognition of his years of service to a variety of causes. Over the course of his career, it’s estimated that Storme’s work of behalf of various charitable endeavors has cumulatively raised some $50 million while also building awareness. The award is presented on a merit basis – not annually – recognizing individuals in the country radio industry who demonstrate a magnanimous spirit of caring and generosity in serving their community.  

“Giving back is one of the most important parts of why we’re here on Earth. I always looked for my own place to do that,” Storme said onstage accepting the honor, equating “the art of giving back” with “the heart of giving back.” “All I wanted to do was be part of giving back,” he noted, recalling the early days of his broadcast career and the joy he’s experienced in doing just that. “If you’re at a place where you can do something, do it,” he urged the hundreds of seminar attendees gathered. “All I ask for all of us as we move forward in life – can we think less with our heads and more with our hearts? If we can do that, the world will be a much better place.”

“Sometimes good things happen to good people. And sometimes people just ‘get it right.’ And this is one of those times,” BIG 615 Program Director Bob Richards says.

“I am proud of Storme – his humanitarian side has been there as long as I’ve known him. And I am proud of Monta for her tireless hours and her love for Country Music,” SEVENS Radio Network creator Garth Brooks says. “But I’m also very proud of the members of the country music industry who voted and made Monta the first female ever to win this award. She is breaking barriers for all the hard-working women in this business.”

Storme and Monta are part of The BIG 615 and SEVENS team that Garth assembled less than a year ago to play a part in his dream of launching a truly global country music station in conjunction with TuneIn.