2DU sports presenter Geoff Mann took out the best sports presenter award, while 93.5 Star FM Dubbo’s Damien ‘Will’ Willoughby won best program director and Josie Hand was awarded the best newcomer off-air.

Commercial Radio Australia CEO, Joan Warner, congratulated the winners on their commitment to providing quality radio to regional listeners and said Dubbo had a history of producing good radio talent.

“All the sections were hotly contested and these winners came up trumps against all other country radio stations in the nation - Dubbo should be very proud,” Ms Warner said.

Missing the awards on the Gold Coast due to undergoing major neck surgery in Sydney, 2DU Dubbo presenter Geoff Mann said he was “chuffed’’ to hear the news of his win.

Mr Mann’s ACRA awards are piling high in his home. This is the fifth year he has taken out the best sports presenter award, a feat he attributes to “loving’’ his job.

“I love what I do, it’s a hobby more than a job and I love being able to bring local sport to people,” Mr Mann said.

“I’m just really chuffed that we get recognised here in the country.”

Mr Mann started his broadcast career in 1990 after injuries tainted his love of playing sport.

“Injuries put me out of sport so I started to broadcast the night cricket, then I started to broadcast league in 1992 and in 1994 I started to commentate the union where I called the grand final between Dubbo and Bathurst,” he said.

93.5 Star FM Dubbo were nominated for seven ACRAs and came away with two.

Mr Willoughby said it was a rare thing for a regional station to be nominated for a swag of awards.

“Among the nominations were Ali and Dazza for best on-air team, Annwen Hughes or ‘Hughesy’ for best music director, the Star FM choc fugitive was nominated for best station promotion and Brooke Munroe for news presenter,” Mr Willoughby said.

“For a little station out of every other station in the country we are the top of our game.

“We are really proud of the Star FM team. It’s a reflection on the talent in Dubbo and the hard work we do,” he said.

The awards were presented at a gala Gold Coast ceremony on Saturday night, hosted by Australian Idol’s Andrew G.

UK reality television producer Nigel Lythgoe, well known as a judge on the American hit show So You Think You Can Dance, was a special guest.

The awards, organised by Commercial Radio Australia, include all metropolitan, provincial and country commercial radio stations.

belinda.galloway@ruralpress.com