Canadian Music Week has announced that longtime CKOC Hamilton music director Nevin Grant will be inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame as the 2020 recipient of the Allan Waters Lifetime Achievement Award.
Grant established himself as a hitmaker during his 37-year tenure at CKOC from 1968 until his retirement in 2003. Known for his knack for breaking new hits, he started working at the station in 1966 as a copywriter following his graduation from Ryerson’s Radio and Television Arts program, and worked his way up to music director, assistant program director and eventually program director.
Over the years, Grant helped launch the careers of many broadcasters including Roger Ashby, Ronald J. Morey, Gord James, Dave Charles, Brent Sleightholm, Bob Steele, Mike Jaycock, Peter Jaycock, Franklyn Cooper, “Rock ‘N'” Ray Michaels and Bob Bratina, who would go on to become mayor of Hamilton.
Following his retirement from radio, Grant became an author penning 2015 memoir Growing up with the Hits!: Reliving The Best Time of Your Life – 1955-1989. An avid record collector, his collection includes over 15,000 45 RPM singles alone.
”We are very pleased to announce the induction for Nevin Grant,” said Neill Dixon, president of Canadian Music Week, in a release. “There’s a personal connection here. He always had time for the ‘record guys’ dropping off vinyl 45’s to the station including myself as newbie RCA rep. back in the day.”
Grant will be honoured at the 2020 Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards on May 21, 2020 at the Bluma Appel Theatre (St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts).
He joins previous recipients Marilyn Denis, Roger Ashby, Chuck McCoy, John Donabie, Bill Evanov, David Marsden, John Derringer, Paul Ski, Don Shafer, Bob Laine, and J. Robert Wood.
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