Mixcloud Blog

An interview with last year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner DJ MoCity

In case you missed it, the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards are now officially open for submissions. But be quick: there are now only two days left to enter so head over to our new-look website and nominate yourself, or nominate the shows, stations and personalities you love before entries close at midnight on Thursday. Find out more at mora.fm.

The shortlists will be announced on Thursday 10 May.

As part of our series looking back at last year’s winners, we turn to one of the hardest working and most passionate personalities in the entire online radio business, DJ MoCity. Not only is he the host of an award-winning radio show with ‘Motellacast’, DJ MoCity – otherwise known simply as ‘Mo’ – is the proud co-founder of an online radio station based in New Delhi called ‘Boxout.fm‘.

2017 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner DJ MoCity

Entering the scene in April 2017, it’s hard not to be impressed by what Mo and his counterparts at Boxout.fm have achieved in the little time they’ve been on air. From the ‘Boxout Weekender’, which celebrated the city’s first birthday, to hosting a takeover with Boiler Room, the station has become the most forward-thinking radio station in India and is now a gateway to the country’s alternative music and culture scene.

Last year, Mo’s Motellacast show deservedly picked up the gong for ‘Best Online Music Show: Hip Hop / RnB / Afrobeats’. We caught up with him to find out more about the show and his thoughts on the world of online radio:

Tell us a bit about Motellacast.

Having started off as a weekly series, Motellacast is a homage to the sounds that shape my world – music that has defined my life as a DJ, promoter, label-owner and entrepreneur in India and abroad. The show draws inspiration from the likes of Andrew Jervis, Joe Kay and LeFtO.

What do you love most about online radio?

I love how remotely operational the whole idea is. I have pretty much recorded, uploaded and streamed my show from a moving bus, on a plane and inside a club all thanks to the magic of the internet. I never really had access to traditional radio growing up, so for me it all started with online radio. Subnav.com was my first channel of discovery. They even sent me sticker pack once.

What most excites you about the future of online radio?

Being able to collaborate, connect and reach people from all over the world. It’s so amazing when people you have never met or knew about hit you up and say that this show has had some positive impact on their life. With online radio we have a virtual dance space and a virtual listenership that is loyal and up for all kinds of new sounds and vibes. This is great for anyone who might not be able to connect with a fanbase on the dance floor or in their city.

Why does something like the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards matter?

It does for sure. I was able to reach some new folks, discover some other folks, friend up a bunch of people who vibe the same music I do.

What’s next for Motellacast and DJ MoCity?

The show will be moving back to being a weekly show from it’s current monthly frequency.

You can follow DJ MoCity’s Motellacast show on Mixcloud:

Interested in entering this year’s awards? You can also find out more about the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards with our seven reasons you should enter.

An interview with last year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner GonesTheDJ

Don’t panic, but there are now only two days left to enter this year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards. Not only are the awards the biggest celebration of online radio in the world, it’s free to enter and it’ll only take you a minute or two to submit your nomination.

You can nominate yourself or nominate the shows, stations and radio personalities you love. Submissions for this year’s awards close on Thursday 26 April and you can submit your nominations at mora.fm.

Next up in our series shining a light on 2017’s winners, we caught up with GonesTheDJ, whose chart-topping radios show ‘GhettoBlasterShow’ won Best Online Music Show in the ‘Funk / Soul’ category.

2017 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner GonesTheDJ

GonesTheDJ will be no stranger to funk and soul fans on Mixcloud. Now on its 330th episode, the show has built quite the following and makes regular appearances in our charts. We caught up with the French funk and soul aficionado to find out more about his show and what the thinks about the world of online radio.

Tell us a bit about the GhettoBlasterShow.

The GhettoBlasterShow is a weekly funk and soul radio show. It’s a trip from jazz to house, hip hop to broken beat and worldwide sounds. No boundaries, just good music.

What do you love most about online radio?

As a DJ and Podcaster, online radio is the best way to connect and share with people all around the globe. And I as a listener, I like to be surprised and discover new DJs, artists and songs in just one click.

What most excites you about the future of online radio?

What excites me the most is the idea of having even more diversity and quality, along with more and more powerful broadcasting tools. And the hope of having a real professional recognition for content producers.

Why does something like the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards matter?

Beyond the likes and comments posted on my shows, it highlights and rewards all the work that’s required to make this a reality. And once again it helps me connect with my listeners worldwide.

What’s next for the GhettoBlasterShow and GonesTheDJ?

Next September, I’ll be launching the 10th season for the GhettoBlasterShow and this year I celebrate my 30th year behind the turntables. So I’ll be preparing myself for the next 30 years!

You can follow GonesTheDJ on Mixcloud:

Interested in entering this year’s awards? You can also find out more about the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards with our seven reasons you should enter.

An interview with last year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner Ear Hustle

In case you didn’t know, there are now only four days left to submit nominations for the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio awards. The deadline is fast approaching! If you love online radio, from cutting-edge music shows to the hottest new Podcast, you can nominate yourself or nominate the shows, stations and radio personalities you love.

Submissions for this year’s awards close on Thursday 26 April. Entry is free and you can submit your nominations at mora.fm.

As part of our new series shinning a light on 2017’s winners, we caught up with Maggie Taylor from Radiotopia, the network behind the critically-acclaimed Podcast, Ear Hustle, which last year took home the Rising Star award for Best Online Talk Show.

An illustration by Antwan William, one of the co-creators behind Ear Hustle.

Ear Hustle has everything you need from a Podcast: it’s gripping, it’s sincere and it reveals tales from a world we all too often forget about: prison life. It was a very worthy winner in last year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards, and we were excited to find out more from Maggie about what the Podcast has been up to.

Tell us a bit about the Ear Hustle Podcast.

Ear Hustle brings you stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it. The Podcast is a partnership between Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area artist. The team works in San Quentin’s media lab to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny, and always honest, offering a nuanced view of people living within the American prison system.

What do you love most about Podcasts and online radio?

What I love most about Podcasts is their accessibility – anyone can listen to Podcasts anywhere, and for free.

What most excites you about the future of Podcasts and online radio?

I’m excited to see more Podcasts by up-and-coming producers. Inclusivity and diversity are also important and I want to see more underrepresented voices, like the men of San Quentin.

What’s next for Ear Hustle?

This season, Ear Hustle will have new additions to the production team. Nigel and Earlonne are bringing on Pat Mesiti-Miller, a producer for Snap Judgment, to help them produce Ear Hustle’s second season. Pat is also working with a group of incarcerated men at San Quentin, teaching them about sound engineering and design.

Stories will cover sex trafficking, death row, creativity in prison and father/son relationships, among other topics. The team has also brought on David Jassy, the incarcerated Swedish musician who contributed to sound design during season one when Antwan Williams’ privileges were limited.

The show is also adding a new segment called Count Time, this will be bonus content at the end of the episode that will allow us to share what I like to think of as tidbits of sound, curious pieces of audio that we want you to hear: jokes, recipes, music, very short stories — just a little extra to make you think.

We’re also are trying to go to different parts of San Quentin.

You can follow Ear Hustle on Mixcloud:

Interested in entering this year’s awards? You can also find out more about the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards with our seven reasons you should enter.

An interview with last year’s Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner DR MYSTERY

Now in its fifth year, the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards is the biggest celebration of online radio in the world. Each year, thousands of you enter the awards – either nominating yourself, or nominating the shows, stations and personalities you love.

Submissions for this year’s awards close on Thursday 26 April. Submit your nominations at mora.fm.

But what does it take to win a Mixcloud Online Radio Award?

To help answer this question, we thought we’d shine a light on some of last year’s winners, showcasing the finest shows and personalities online radio has to offer.

First up in the series is the fascinating DR MYSTERY, aka Natasha Maximova, who last year won our Rising Star award for Best Online Music Show. The UK-based DJ and radio presenter can be found presenting her show ‘Into Continental’ on Reform Radio, a brilliant community-led station in Manchester.

DR MYSTERY is quickly building a reputation as a selector with a keen ear for cutting-edge sounds from all over the world. Tune into an episode of Into Continental and you might hear ambient sounds from Japan, Gqom club tracks from South Africa and more fascinating examples of music you’ll struggle to find on conventional radio shows.

2017 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner DR MYSTERY

We caught up with the mysterious radio star to ask a few questions about her show and to hear her thoughts on the world of online radio:

Tell us a bit about the Into Continental radio show.

‘Into Continental’ is a bi-weekly show exploring unexpected sounds coming from different countries across the world. Every show I choose a particular country and play music only by artists from that country; digging deep into the underground and beyond.

What do you love most about online radio?

With online radio there is more freedom of expression. There are fewer rules. I find these aspects very attractive and I think the content produced by online radio stations is more versatile and caters to all sorts of listeners.

What most excites you about the future of online radio?

Nothing specific. I’m just excited to see what will be the next step in online broadcasting!

Why does something like the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards matter?

The Mixcloud Online Radio Awards are a great way to connect with the world. You find out about so many new DJs and radio shows, and I think it’s a great tool to get your name out there and attract some attention to the art you create.

What’s next for the Into Continental and DR MYSTERY?

Take over the world, ha.

You can follow Dr Mystery on Mixcloud:

Interested in entering this year’s awards? You can also find out more about the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards with our seven reasons you should enter.

5 Essential Tips For Entering The Mixcloud Online Radio Awards

Give yourself every chance of reaching the shortlists for the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards with these trusty tips. And don’t forget: the deadline to submit nominations is Thursday 26th April. Good luck!

1. Ask your friends and fans to nominate you.

Did you know…not only can you nominate yourself, but you can also ask your friends and fans to nominate you for a Mixcloud Online Radio Award? The amount of nominations you receive will be taken into consideration when producing the shortlists, so we encourage you to reach out to friends and fans and ask them to nominate you!

2. Tell us exactly what makes you, your station or your show different.

You’ll be given 150 words to sell yourself so think carefully and choose these words wisely! Submissions that demonstrate originality, flair and an innovative approach to online radio awards will all have a strong chance of reaching the shortlists.

2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards winner Gonesthedj — It’s free to enter the awards and you can nominate yourself, as well as nominate the shows and stations you love.

3. Pick a genre that you think most accurately describes your show.

Sure, this might sound obvious, but you’ll be surprised by how many submissions are entered into inappropriate genres. If you’re entering a show, take a minute to scan all the available genres and pick whichever one best describes your show. Then tell us why your show is among the best there is in this genre.

4. Submit an example show that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Your latest show might not be the finest example of your work. Look back over the past 12 months and consider what shows will help you stand out. From guest interviews to special themes, make sure you submit the example show you’re most proud of.

5. Don’t forget the deadline.

Add it to your calendar, write it down on a post-it note, tattoo it on your forearm…do whatever is necessary to make sure you don’t forget the deadline to submit your nominations, Thursday 26 April! And remember: every nomination counts, so encourage your friends and fans to nominate you up until the last minute.

Submit your nominations at mora.fm

7 reasons why you should enter the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards

Submissions are now open until 26 April. Don’t miss out!

1. Entry is free.

Entering the awards won’t cost you a penny. It’s our mission is to celebrate the very best independent online radio all over the world, and we want to provide an essential platform for presenters, DJs, stations and Podcasters.

The Mixcloud Online Radio Awards has always been a community-focused awards and we want it to stay that way. We make it as fair as possible for everyone in the online radio community, from bedroom radio presenters to established radio stations.

2. You can nominate a show, station or personality that is not already available on Mixcloud.

We launched the awards back in 2014 because we want to see online radio thrive. Therefore it doesn’t matter where you host your radio show, you will still be eligible to enter the awards if your show or station isn’t already available on Mixcloud (see our FAQ for more information about eligibility).

Although, if you happen to be interested in joining millions of other creators and getting your shows heard by listeners all over the world, then we encourage you to sign up and start using Mixcloud today!

3. If you’re shortlisted, your listeners will get the chance to vote for you in the Listener’s Choice Award.

Along with the new look-and-feel for the 2018 awards, we’re also introducing a brand new Listener’s Choice Award, which will be open to the public.

This award will be separate to the individual category winners, which are chosen by a panel of judges, and will go to the finalists who receive the most number of public votes. Voting for the Listener’s Choice Award will begin when the shortlists are announced, so stay tuned.

4. You will be recognised by some of the finest names and organisations in music and radio.

We’re teaming up with more amazing partners than ever before for the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards. From cutting-edge magazines to leading manufacturers, these organisations will be helping to raise awareness about the awards, as well as judging the categories. This is a huge opportunity to get your nomination in front of some really influential people.

2018’s partners include Chalk & Blade, Crack Magazine, Crooks & Castles UK, Discobelle, Discogs, DJ Mag, Dummy Magazine, EDM.com, gal-dem, Groove Magazine, Hype Machine, London’s Live Comedy, MAEKAN, Magnetic Magazine, MISSBISH, Resident Advisor, Roland, The Quietus, The Vinyl Factory and Wormfood.

5. It will take you less than 2 minutes to submit a nomination.

We’ve made it as simple as possible to submit a nomination. You’ll find links to the entry forms at the bottom of our website mora.fm. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out via our support form.

6. There are 29 categories to choose from.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing which category you want to enter. The 29 categories are split into four groups: Best Online Music Show, Best Online Talk Show, Best Online Radio Personality and Best Online Radio Station.

Tip: think carefully about which category you enter. The more relevant the category, the more likely your nomination will be picked as a finalist for the shortlists.

7. You can also nominate your favorite shows, stations and radio personalities.

Community really matters when it comes to online radio. That’s why not only can you nominate your own shows, but you can also nominate the shows, stations and radio personalities you love. The amount of nominations you receive will be taken into consideration when producing the shortlists, so we encourage you to ask your fans to nominate you for an award!

Submit your nomination now at mora.fm

2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards open for submissions

The wait is finally over. Today we open the submissions for the fifth Mixcloud Online Radio Awards, marking a fresh new direction for the annual event.

The 2018 edition of the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards, which are free to enter, features an entirely new look and feel, including a brand new Listener’s Choice Award that will be open to the public. We’re also proud to announce that this year’s awards will also feature more great partners than ever before, from acclaimed magazines to global brands in music.

Submissions for the awards will remain open through Thursday, April 26, during which DJs, radio presenters, Podcasters and stations can nominate themselves for an award, while fans can also nominate their favorite show station or personality to be shortlisted. The final shortlists will be announced on Thursday, May 10. To submit entries, please visit www.mora.fm.

The 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards include 29 categories, which are split into “Best Online Music Show”, “Best Online Talk Show”, “Best Online Radio Station” and “Best Online Radio Personality”.

Founded in 2014, the awards are the world’s biggest celebration of online radio, with more than 10,000 entries submitted in 2017 — making it the awards’ biggest year yet.

The entries were whittled down to a series of shortlists before an expert panel of industry judges selected the winners, which included 2 Dope Queens – which recently went on to launch as a limited series on HBO – for “Best Online Talk Show: Comedy,” the electronic music radio show The Cookout for “Best Online Music Show: EDM / Big Room,” and Rinse France for “Best Online Radio Station: Europe.”

“Online radio has gone through so much change and growth since we launched the Mixcloud Online Radio Awards in 2014, and so much of that has been in the last year alone,” said Nico Perez, Co-Founder of Mixcloud. “From talk shows on important political and cultural issues to the hottest DJ mixes to the funniest comedy out there, these awards make for an annual who’s-who of online radio, and with the help of our amazing judges and partners, we can’t wait to find out where things stand this year.”

This year’s partners include Chalk & Blade, Crack Magazine, Crooks & Castles UK, Discobelle, Discogs, DJ Mag, Dummy Magazine, EDM.com, gal-dem, Groove Magazine, Hype Machine, London’s Live Comedy, MAEKAN, Magnetic Magazine, MISSBISH, Resident Advisor, Roland, The Quietus, The Vinyl Factory and Wormfood.

Judges for the 2018 Mixcloud Online Radio Awards include WIRED’s Miranda Katz, The Allusionist’s Helen Zultzmann, Ignition’s Stephanie Ng, WHYR-FM’s Marc Cohn and Mixcloud’s David Zhou.

Find out more about the awards at www.mora.fm.