I’m going to start off by saying I am a little biased when talking about Jamie “Gunner” Smith.

I owe a lot of my media career to his bald, shiny head. He gave me a position as head of the INDI intern crew when I was a little whiney high school girl. That was 6 years ago, and I haven’t looked back.

Strangely, in all the time I’ve known Gunner, he gets nominated for a plethora of Hamilton Music Awards every year, and every year, he walks away empty handed.

This became somewhat of a running joke among the Hamilton music scene. HMA host Tom Wilson would frequently joke at every year’s festivities about Gunner’s lack of awards. All of us did.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Hamilton music, INDI 101 and particularly Gunner, is that you’re always in for a surprise. That’s why, when Gunner walked away with an HMA this year for Radio Show of the Year, I was both floored, and unabashedly proud.

I’ve been listening to Gunner’s award winning show, Sound of the Hammer, for years, and not just because he’s my friend.

I have always seen Sound of the Hammer as THE place to hear new, fresh and exciting music not only from Hamilton, but around the world. The show really encapsulates everything INDI 101 is and has ever aspired to be.

You may already be a Sounds of the Hammer listener and not even know it. Not only is the show broadcast from 12-6pm every Friday afternoon on INDI 101 (101.5FM) and online at indifm.ca, but it can also be heard piping through the hallways, between the bookstore and the F-wing Tim Hortons.

After more nominations than anyone could fathom, I am proud to say Gunner has finally got physical proof of the pride his friends and listeners feel every Friday, from 12 to 6pm.