03/26/2025
Michelle Southern Honored with Prestigious Gracie Award
Baton Rouge, LA – March 25, 2025 – Michelle Southern’s highly decorated media career has claimed yet another prestigious honor.
The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation voted Southern a Gracie Award winner as the outstanding host in non-morning drive among small market radio stations.
Southern has been the host of “Southern Rock” in afternoon drive on WDGL—Eagle 98.1 in Baton Rouge, La. since 2018. During that time, she has been recognized by the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters as the Best Radio Personality in the state three times: 2020, 2021 and 2023.
Eagle 98.1 is a heritage rock station that has dominated the market for 40 years and serves as the flagship for the LSU Sports Radio Network. It has been recognized by LAB as Large Market Station of the Year seven times since 2012. In addition to her duties as afternoon drive DJ, Southern is also the station’s program director and was recently promoted to Operations Manager of Guaranty Media’s cluster of stations.
The Gracie Awards are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2025. Past winners include iconic women in the industry such as Carol Burnett, Kathy Bates, Norah O’Donnell, Hoda Kotb, Keke Palmer, Maria Shriver, Deborah Roberts, Ellen K, Christina Applegate, Ava DuVernay, Angela Yee, Melissa McCarthy, Robin Roberts, Taylor Swift, Gayle King, Barbara Walters and so many more.
“For 50 years, the Gracie Awards have honored the storytellers who push boundaries and redefine what’s possible,” said Becky Brooks, President of AWMF. “This is more than an awards show—it is a movement that has championed inclusion, representation, and truth in the media. The women we celebrate today are shaping the next 50 years, ensuring that our narratives are not just seen or heard, but felt and remembered.
For Southern, her Gracie Award will go alongside her many other accomplishments, including:
-2013 Best Broadcast On Air Talent from Women in Media Baton Rouge
-2014 Best Feature from National Association of State Radio Networks
-2016 Best Newscast and Best Spot Coverage from National Association of State Radio Networks
-2020, 2021, 2023 Best Personality from Louisiana Association of Broadcasters
-2023 Celebration of Service to America from National Association of Broadcasters
The award will be presented at the Gracie Luncheon on June 18 in New York City.
Full release here.
