Winner of First BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting Announced
The BMI Foundation is delighted to announce 20-year-old Messiah College student Mikaela Mummert as the winner of the inaugural, nationwide BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting scholarship competition. The award was presented by Broadcast Music Inc.’s (BMI) Vice President of Industry Relations and scholarship Director Dan Spears, along with BMI Foundation Executive Vice President David F. Bills, at the 41st annual Conclave Learning Conference on July 14, 2016, in Minneapolis, MN.
Launched in 2015, the BMI Founders Award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded BMI in 1939 with a groundbreaking open-door policy supporting songwriters, composers, and publishers of all genres of music. The program aims to encourage students who will further this legacy as future innovators of broadcast radio, awarding a $5,000 scholarship annually based on an applicant’s original essay response and academic record.
Mikaela’s winning essay, entitled “Streaming Services and Social Media: Advancements Helping the Radio Industry,” discussed the ways in which digital streaming, mobile phone apps, and social media platforms have enabled modern radio to develop increased engagement with a broader audience of listeners and artists alike. The judges praised her entry for its clarity, cohesion, and strength as an overview of radio’s place in the rapidly changing media landscape.
“I just want to say a huge thank you to the BMI Foundation for this award, it means the world to me with my ever-growing passion for radio,” said Mikaela. “Whenever I think about my future opportunities in radio, I can’t contain my excitement. I can’t wait to see how I will eventually fit into the radio industry!”
Mikaela Mummert is a junior at Messiah College in Graham, Pennsylvania, studying Broadcast and Media Production. She developed a passion for radio through her love of music. Currently, she serves as Radio Station Manager at 90.7 Pulse FM: Messiah College Radio, training student DJs, working with record promoters, and planning music for campus events. She also hosts her own on-air show, “MC Country,” in which she plays country music, old and new. In the future, Mikaela hopes that radio will play an even more significant role in her life and career.