2016 TOP TEN Radio Race finalists

Could you hear the roar of the crowd last weekend? Teams from around the world – including Turkey, the Russian Federation, and the USA – souped their engines for KCRW’s 4^th Annual 24-Hour Radio Race, presented by the Independent Producer Project. Our tireless producers worked around the clock – chasing stories across state lines, through karaoke bars, and into the neighbor’s yard – to craft a compelling short radio story in a single day.

Once again, we are humbled and blown away by the quality, breadth, and creativity on display this year. Starting with a simple, three-word theme – “Out of Range” – 107 teams pinned the needle on all four of our judging criteria: creativity, storytelling, technical skill, and incorporation of the theme. After much deliberation, we finally chose ten pieces to move on to our panel of expert judges: Ave Carrillo (New Yorker Radio Hour), Jenny Lawton (Studio 360), Eleanor McDowall (Falling Tree Productions), and Daisy Rosario (Latino USA).

All winners – including the recipients of the Social Butterfly and UnFictional Awards – will be announced on the August 26episode of KCRW’s UnFictional.

Now, without further ado, meet the finalists.

Top ten finalists

Blue Hawaii (Jon Earle, Mark Bramhill)

The Diva Sheep

Cosmic Rodeo

Route 104

Prickles & Larg (Nicki Stein, Laura Cramer)

After Evan

RE

RE: Louie

Slow Jog (Jess Shane, Sara Peters)

Finding a Happy Medium

The Canadian Tuxedoes (Vanessa Greco, Debbie Pacheco, and Fabiola Carletti)

The Kidnapping

Third Base

Builder Bill

Lady Bits (Megan Jones, Claire Mullen)

Hi-Lo My Name Is Music

Team Red Dog (Laura Harbert Allen, Jeff Allen)

Flooded Out

The J Team (Joanne Upton, Jennifer Macey)

A Secret Garden