Get ready for an exciting journey as we dive into Barrett Media's Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows of 2025! This series, brought to you by Strategic Solutions Research, celebrates its 20th anniversary of providing valuable insights to the music industry. We're grateful to Hal Rood and Kevin Cassidy for their support in making this series possible.
Today, we shine a spotlight on the top AC/Hot AC radio shows, offering a comprehensive look at the industry's best. All the results are available on our website, and you can also receive daily updates via The Nooner newsletter. Stay connected with us on various social media platforms to ensure you don't miss a beat!
But here's where it gets interesting... these results are based on the collective feedback of industry voters, with Barrett Media acting as the impartial facilitator. The voting process focuses solely on 2025's performance, ensuring a fair and accurate representation of the year's top shows.
Music radio is a vast landscape, and we acknowledge that some shows may appear on multiple formats. Programmers often manage stations in different cities and formats, and changes can occur without stations updating their information. This complexity makes it challenging to give proper credit where it's due. We strive for perfection, but as humans, mistakes can happen. If you spot any errors, please reach out to Jason@BarrettMedia.com so we can make the necessary corrections.
This series specifically highlights United States terrestrial music radio shows and programmers. Shows and brand leaders associated with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, SiriusXM, YouTube, podcasts, and programming outside the US are not included.
A record-breaking 192 program directors, corporate executives, and format consultants participated in this year's voting, surpassing last year's mark of 173. Our voters represent a diverse range of companies, ensuring a balanced and unbiased result. For this category, 51 programmers, consultants, and executives cast their votes for the Top 20 AC/Hot AC Radio Shows and Program Directors.
A total of 239 AC/Hot AC radio shows were considered in this year's voting process. We utilize a point system, with first-place votes earning 20 points and each subsequent selection earning two points less. While not perfect, we believe this system effectively showcases the industry's top talent.
And the winner is... Karson & Kennedy of Mix 104.1 in Boston! This dynamic duo takes home their second consecutive category victory in the Top 20 series. Congratulations to Karson, Kennedy, and the entire Mix 104.1 team for this well-deserved recognition.
We extend our gratitude to Dylan Barrett for creating the artwork and to all the AC/Hot AC radio voters for their participation. Now, let's unveil Barrett Media's Top 20 AC/Hot AC radio shows of 2025!
Additional notes:
- Karson & Kennedy secured the category victory by a margin of 17 points over Ellen K. They tied with Ellen K and The KVJ Show for the most first-place votes in the category, with five each.
- Spots 21-25 were occupied by Mercedes in the Morning, Kramer & Jess, John Tesh, Wendy Wilde, and Miguel & Holly.
- The closest race saw Bret edging out Sean Copeland by just one point for 19th place.
- Out of the 239 radio shows that received votes, an impressive 27 shows earned at least one first-place vote.
Stay tuned for the remaining schedule of Barrett Media's Music Radio - Top 20 of 2025:
- Wednesday, March 4: BM Top 20 CHR/Top 40 Radio Shows and Program Directors
Barrett Media is your go-to source for daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay informed and receive the latest updates directly to your inbox.
Jason Barrett, the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media, has an extensive background in the media industry. With a launch in 2015, Barrett Media has provided consulting services to top audio and video brands while establishing itself as a daily destination for media professionals. Jason's previous roles include building and programming 95.7 The Game in San Francisco and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, later known as 97.5 The Fanatic. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
