With another solid month of broadcasts behind us, it’s once again time to take stock and honor some of the artists who help make Blast Radio a dynamic and engaging community.
Whether it’s through the music you play, the creativity you share, or the vulnerability you risk by being heard, Blast Radio is nothing without the artists who help give it contour and life.
As a reminder:
- Grant recipients are determined democratically by the Blast Radio community, based on total listener count at the end of each month.
- The artists with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd highest listener counts receive $1,000, $300, and $200, respectively.*
- The program is specifically built to help artists; so venues, pre-programmed radio stations, blogs, and Blast Radio employees are not eligible to receive grants.
Also, as we noted at the beginning of 2022, for the months of January, February, and March, the Blast Radio Artist Grant Program is offering a few additional opportunities for broadcasters:
- For January, February, and March, we’ve added additional grants for the artists with the 4th and 5th highest listenership to receive $150 and $100 respectively.
- We’ve also added a Production Grant to assist one artist with kicking off or improving their Blast Radio broadcasts.
That being said, we have the pleasure to announce Roy Molloy, Hotwaxx, Yann Tiersen, DJ Darryl G, and Osunlade as the recipients of the Blast Radio Artist Grants for the month of January, and Lavender Suarez as the first Blast Radio Production Grant recipient of 2022.
Roy Molloy
Grant Amount: $1,000
Once again, Roy Molloy was the broadcaster to beat as the Illegal Radio Drive Time Power Hour continued its dominance of the Blast Radio airwaves through the sheer will and tenacity of its fans and fearless conductor. Roy remained at the top of the charts through his wildly entertaining material, breathless promotion, and ongoing commitment to championing a positive ethos within the Blast Radio community.
Going live nearly two dozen times, Roy kept the conversational spark alive in his Discord by posing daily questions to his rambunctious listeners, reading and responding to listener emails in real time, and continuing to deliver on his promise of flawless listener-generated request radio.
Moving into album mode with the announcement of his and Alex Cameron’s new record Oxy Music and the accompanying tour, Roy is far from slowing down. Between daily activity across social media, his personal moderation of an ever-lively Discord channel, and tireless procurement of fresh hot tracks, there’s no wonder listeners keep coming back.
Hotwaxx
Grant Amount: $300
With a history of nurturing burgeoning communities that prioritize fresh sounds and uplifting anthems, it’s no mystery why Detroit’s Godmother of House Music, DJ Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale, has quickly become an institution on the Blast Radio airwaves.
Between featured broadcasts celebrating the unsung and underrated heroes of Detroit music, and her newly minted Hotwaxx Radio, an outlet for old and new mixes that are helping to keep seminal tracks in circulation, listeners across the community are getting a fresh introduction to one of the selectors who helped put Detroit’s house scene on the map.
Going live over 40 times during the month of January, Hotwaxx was a near-daily presence in the community, ready with scorching sets and an ice-cool demeanor on the mic. With Detroit’s musical legacy looming larger than ever, being able to tune in to one of its pioneers is a true blessing.
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Yann Tiersen
Grant Amount: $200
Renowned producer and composer Yann Tiersen has been beaming into the Blast Radio airwaves from Ushant Island in the Celtic Sea, where he’s converted a vacant discotheque into a multi-room studio, performance space, and cultural center that has become the primary hub for his creative and musical endeavors.
With his weekly show My Studio Is a Disco, Yann has been taking a break from production to focus on threading together one continuous mix of dance- and techno-leaning selections that pay homage to all the club-goers and revelers from parties past who crossed the threshold of the former venue.
Listeners are hooked on the consistent, serial-like installments of Tiersen’s show – constructed like a chain, with the last track of each set becoming the first track in the next. And with such a breadth of musical knowledge behind the decks, the party is just getting started.
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DJ Darryl G
Grant Amount: $150
Returning for the second month in a row, Detroit’s DJ Darryl G continued his momentum with another strong month of engaging broadcasts. Having gone live on a near-daily basis, DJ Darryl G’s commitment to consistency, both in the community and on the decks, once again resonated with listeners tuning in.
Known for his deep musical knowledge and roots in the heyday of longtime Motor City institution WDRQ, DJ Darryl G is recreating the the classic comforts of a warm voice on the dial that, even if you’re too young to remember a time before corporate-run media, remains a timeless balm to human malaise.
By delivering on his reputation for curated sets that mix jazz, R&B, house, hip-hop, and more, doing exclusive themed shows that highlight a particular sound or creator, and peppering his sets with anecdotes and recommendations, DJ Darryl G continues to be a testament to the interwoven legacy of artists, genres, and the listening communities who keep them alive.
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Osunlade
Grant Amount: $100
Prolific producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and founder of the internationally recognized dance label Yoruba Records, Osunlade has been embraced by the Blast Radio community since his inaugural broadcast at the tail end of 2021, and has been a near-daily presence ever since.
Transferring the institution of WYRB: Yoruba Soul Radio to the Blast Radio airwaves has given the St. Louis, MO-based musical polymath a new avenue by which to reach listeners, and continue championing the artists and sounds he’s worked to cultivate through his record label, as well as his expansive, genre-bending mixes that capture a wide array of stylings.
While consistency is the theme of the day for many of this month’s grant recipients, Osunlade’s eclectic tastes and dexterous selections make a strong argument for also subverting expectations. With so much of today’s music curated by black box algorithms, WYRB still remains out of reach for even the most precocious machine learner.
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Lavender Suarez
Production Grant Amount: $250
With wellness apps and self-care suggestions continuing to be in high demand across the cultural zeitgeist, Blast Radio is excited to announce that our first production grant recipient is Brooklyn-based ambient artist and sound healing practitioner Lavender Suarez.
Since hitting the Blast Radio airwaves, Lavender has shared a series of meditative and introspective broadcasts geared towards blocking out life’s unavoidable stressors, while offering guidance on how best to arrive at peace and balance during destabilizing times.
As we continue to deal with winter across the northern hemisphere, listeners can take solace in the fact that holistic broadcasts from Lavender are indeed on the horizon.
Follow Lavender Suarez
Blast Radio Artist Grants for February 2022 are currently available. Download Blast Radio (iOS / Android), follow, and tune in to your favorite artists to help them secure financial support.
*Anyone found in violation of community guidelines will not be eligible for an Artist Grant and is subject to permanent ban from the platform.