Radio Mercury Awards names next chief judge

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mercuryThe Radio Mercury Awards said Matt Eastwood, chief creative officer, DDB NY is the Chief Judge for the 23rd annual awards competition. 2014 Call for Entry is now open; entries are being accepted for outstanding creative spots and campaigns from advertising agencies, radio stations, production companies, colleges, universities and advertisers.


New to this year’s competition is the $6,000 Spanish Language Campaign Award, along with two Showcase Awards.  The first, Radio Promotion of the Year, will award a creative radio promotion that leveraged radio’s assets to drive results for an advertiser, radio station/network event or programming initiative. Secondly, the Innovative Use of Radio Showcase Award will recognize an agency, advertiser or radio station/network that used radio in a unique, highly creative way that could be considered ahead-of-the-curve, non-traditional, and even revolutionary.  The Innovative Use of Radio Showcase Award will also be open to international entries.

Eastwood’s career has spanned numerous agencies, specialties and countries, including Australia, the UK and US. Having spent three years at DDB earlier in his career, Matt rejoined DDB Australia in 2006 as National Creative Director and Vice Chairman. He then joined DDB New York in 2010 as Chief Creative Officer. During his seven-year career with DDB, the agency has been named Campaign Brief Agency of the Year, Australian Creative Hotshot, Adnews Agency of the Year, B&T Agency of the Year, Spikes Network of the Year, and Campaign magazine Network of the Year. DDB New York is currently Creativity Magazine’s “Agency to Watch”. Most recently, Matt was just named the 5th most awarded Chief Creative Officer worldwide in AdAge’s annual Awards Report.”

“We’re so privileged to have Matt Eastwood as this year’s Chief Judge for the Radio Mercury Awards,” said Erica Farber, RAB CEO and chair of the Radio Creative Fund. “Matt has a true appetite for exceptionally creative radio and has shown a commitment to transport the medium to new levels of excellence.”

Thirteen prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Agency Production Single, Radio Station Produced Single, Student Produced Single, Public Service Announcement, Spanish Language Single, Radio Campaign, Spanish Language Campaign, Integrated Campaign with Radio, Innovative Use of Radio, and Radio Promotion of the Year, along with the $50,000 Best of Show. The deadline for this year’s call for entry is Tuesday, April 1, 2014.  This year’s awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 6/4 in NYC.