Did You Make The ’22 Benztown 50?
• Benztown has released its ninth annual Benztown 50 List of Radio’s Biggest Imaging Voices, the industry’s exclusive listing of the top 50 voiceover artists in the U.S. and Canada. Benztown enlisted P1 Media Group to compile and analyze industry data that was the foundation for the list.
The Benztown 50 list for 2022 reflects increased industry participation and interest, with more than 300 U.S. and Canadian radio groups providing information for this prestigious annual list, and, as always, the Benztown 50 was analyzed and evaluated by P1 Media Group’s proprietary algorithm, and is based on several criteria, including number of station affiliates, station size and market.
A special highlight of this year’s Benztown 50 is the presentation of the voiceover industry’s highest honor, the Chris Corley Lifetime Achievement Award — to legendary voiceover talent, Earl Mann. A prolific voiceover artist from Canada, Mann (pictured) started his career as a singer for the ’60s American folk band, The Gaslight Singers. He was also the overnight jock on CKEY and CHFI/Toronto in the 1960s-’70s. Sports fans will recognize Mann as the “Voice of the NFL” through his work for NFL Films, as well as the voice of college football programs and multiple NFL franchises. Mann has also voiced numerous high-profile radio stations throughout North America and spent 20 years as the voice of CTV television networks in Canada. Mann has voiced countless commercials, appeared in a series of TV promos for Late Show with David Letterman in 1998, and has also narrated The Simpsons.
Benztown President Dave “Chachi” Denes said, “Today, we celebrate the 50 top voiceover professionals in the U.S. and Canada — as well as the other world-class VO talent who haven’t made the list just yet. The best audio branding captures and holds listeners’ attention, in a bustling, hyper-connected world with more distractions than ever. Great VO defines the very best brands in a captivating and instantly recognizable way through their unique audio brilliance. As an industry leader in producing the highest quality radio voiceover, imaging, and audio branding, we launched the Benztown 50 nine years ago not only to recognize our industry’s finest, but to highlight the critical role that all VO talent plays in connecting with audiences and building powerful audio brands. We congratulate the remarkable people who comprise this year’s Benztown 50 and applaud them for their truly outstanding achievements in voiceover and audio branding.”
Denes added, “We are also incredibly excited to present the esteemed Earl Mann with the Chris Corley Lifetime Achievement Award for his monumental contributions to our industry and profession. He continues to raise the bar of excellence for all of us and we are proud to honor him today.” Meet the 2022 Benztown 50 at Benztown.com/bz50.
