Visible Music College's WVZM & Rick Tarrant Productions Earn 2 Gold ADDYs

The results are in for the 2018 AAF Memphis American Advertising Awards competition, and Visible Music College's community radio station, WVZM(100.3 FM) was a big winner, walking away with a pair of Gold Addy awards for its WVZM Memphis Music History campaign.

Produced by Rick Tarrant Productions for Visible Music College's WVZM radio station, the campaign was awarded the prestigious Gold ADDY for Radio Public-Service Campaign, and a second Gold ADDY for Radio Self-Promotion Campaign.   Focusing on WVZM's mission to honor the past, present and future of Memphis music and Memphis radio, the award-winning campaign highlights the career accomplishments of a number of Memphis famed musicians, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash, Sam the Sham, and Carl Perkins, and is part of a larger, on-going series of vignettes that tell the stories of people who have been important to Memphis music and Memphis radio.

"I am excited to receive these ADDY Awards because it serves as an affirmation that our vision for WVZM at Visible Music College is relevant and on track," says producer Rick Tarrant, WVZMstation manager. "I am not an academic; I am a radio producer. But when I played our ADDY submissions for a friend who runs a parochial school, his response was, 'You're a teacher!' Our goal with these productions is to spark an interest in those who have gone before and contributed to Memphis' music legacy."

	Respected voice over talent/producer and WVZM station  manager Rick Tarrant (L) and his wife Kristy Tarrant (R) display the two Gold Addy Awards he won for his work on behalf of Visible Music College's radio station WVZM during the 51st Annual AAF Memphis American Advertising Awards. (AAF photo)

The 51st annual AAF Memphis American Advertising Awards for Creative Excellence was recently held at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, and was attended by over 400 professionals from local advertising, marketing, graphic design, and media companies. More than 700 entries were judged by creative directors from Nashville, Austin and Dallas, and 24 different agencies, organizations and individuals were honored with 72 Gold ADDYs, 64 Silver ADDYs, and 10 "Best Of" awards during the gala event.

"Our mission is to inspire, empower and celebrate the work of advertising and marketing professionals in Memphis," says AAF Memphis President Jen Swearingen, director of marketing at Elvis Presley Enterprises. "We were thrilled to see participation in this year's American Advertising Awards competition from all areas of our industry--and we're honored to be able to recognize the outstanding work of the Memphis creative community at our annual ADDY Awards event."

"WVZM is a tasty blend of the many different flavors of Memphis music. Much like the different flavors of cuisine Memphis is famous for, listeners might not want a steady diet of any one dish, but who can resist a smorgasbord?" says Tarrant. "If you're lucky enough to be in downtown or midtown Memphis, you can hear us at 100.3 FM or you can listen online from anywhere in the world at player.broadcastradio.com/vsmu-memphis-u-s-a. You'll hear a 50/50 mix of songs from current Memphis artists and Legacy artists. Where else can you hear Star & Micey, Johnny Cash, Don Bryant, The Bo-Keys, Elvis, Big Star, Motel Mirrors, and North Mississippi Allstars back-to-back?" 

Some Memphis music history that WVZM listeners might hear includes the first million selling Black Gospel song, "Move On Up A Little Higher," which was recorded by Mahalia Jackson and was written by Memphis' Rev. W. Herbert Brewster. Or you might be treated to "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs, which was recorded in Memphis and was the first American song to hit #1 after the Beatles' long chart dominance. You might even hear "666," the Memphis-created song by legendary Christian rock band DeGarmo & Key that spawned the first music video banned from MTV for being "too violent." Or you might catch a track from the pioneering, platinum-selling rock band Skillet, which was formed in Memphis and whose original guitar player, Ken Steorts, would go on to found Visible Music College.

"The goal of our Memphis Music History campaign is to educate and remind listeners of our Memphis music roots," says Tarrant. "Our mission at WVZM is to provide an outlet for Memphis music fans from around the globe to hear our rich musical heritage past, present and future. We believe they will be entertained by the music, engaged with stories and exposed to the next generation of M-Town music!"

For more information about WVZM, visit WVZM.org. For more information about Visible Music College, visit visible.edu. 

For more information about AAF Memphis or AAF Memphis American Advertising Awards, visit aafmemphis.org.

 

 

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