Broadcaster of the Year

Kyle Cantrell, IBMA's Broadcaster of the year.

Kyle Cantrell was born just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where he grew up listening to the sounds of Noontime Neighbors and the Grand Ole Opry on his grandmother's tube-filled radio.After studying broadcasting and the recording industry at the University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State, Cantrell landed his first radio job in the summer of 1980 at Murfreesboro's WMTS. By 1982, he had joined the staff of WSM, and in 1985 he took his place on stage as an announcer of the Grand Ole Opry.Cantrell's other broadcasting credentials are equally impressive. At WSM he produced numerous shows and features built around country music's rich history. His extensive knowledge of the genre has led him to be used as an on-camera expert on numerous network television shows, such as A&E's Biography and TNN/CMT's Life and Times. As a part of WSM's management team, he helped rebuild the station's historic stature, pioneering its first classic country format; and, since 2003 he has hosted, produced, and syndicated Classic Country Gold, which by the fall of 2005 was heard on more than 160 stations nationwide. While his 2003 Golden Voice Award as Outstanding Radio Personality honors his achievements in the industry thus far, Cantrell continues to live his dream and bring country and bluegrass music's heritage to listeners everywhere on Bluegrass Junction - XM 14.