RadioFr. Fribourg with 23.8 % CH-Music

Sonart awards the prize to private radio stations that are committed to Swiss music. According to the data collected by Suisa for all Swiss private radio stations, Radio Fribourg (the German-language edition of the bilingual station) broadcast a record-breaking 23.8 % of Swiss music in 2019. Only Radio BeO was higher, but the Bernese Oberland radio station already received the award for 2016. Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to present the award last year, which is why it is now called the "#SwissMusicOnAir-Award 2021".

23.8 % is a remarkable figure, because the average for Swiss music in Switzerland is otherwise only around 10 %. In addition to the high proportion of Swiss music, a survey of Swiss indie labels was also decisive. The label promoters surveyed all rated the collaboration with Radio Fribourg as very good. No other radio station in Switzerland reported so often on unknown bands, invited so many newcomer artists for interviews and gave Swiss music so much space.

On Friday, September 24, 2021, the symbolic prize, a wooden radio, was presented at a festive ceremony. This is the last time Sonart will be presenting this award, as Nick Werren, Head of Pop/Rock Projects, confirms: "Unfortunately, with Radio BeO, Kanal K, Radio Canal 3 français and now Radio Fribourg, all private radio stations (with the exception of special-interest radio stations such as Tell, Eviva, Maria or JAM) that are particularly committed to Swiss music have already received the award. The figures for all other stations were shockingly low. This makes it extremely difficult for unknown, regional acts to reach the public, and the majority of copyright fees are thus going abroad instead of into the domestic scene." Sonart continues to campaign for a higher proportion of CH music on Swiss private radio stations.