RTRFM, Perth’s beloved community radio station, has made an unforgettable global achievement by winning the prestigious Webby Award for Best Music Website.
The station’s newly launched website, rtrfm.com.au, surpassed strong competition such as Lady Gaga, Apple Music, and SoundCloud x Billie Eilish, securing its place as the best in the world for 2025.
RTRFM, often dubbed ‘The Sound Alternative’ redesigned the website in August of 2024, showcasing their innovative approach to digital design while still staying true to their community driven identity.
The creative agency behind the transformation, The Start, considered not only an updated brand identity but also offers easy access to live radio, broadcasts, podcasts, and their extensive music archive, while also shining a light on their experimental sister channel, RTR2.
“We’re extremely chuffed and extremely flabbergasted by the win,” said Simon Miraudo, General Manager at RTRFM.
“This project represents everything we love about what we do – creative freedom, cultural significance, and work that stands far apart from the crowd,” said Neil Mason, Managing Director at Start. “It’s an incredible honour to be recognised on this global stage alongside the biggest names in music and tech.”
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The Start took out massive wins at the 2024 Perth Advertising and Design Club Awards, including bronze for the RTRFM Brand refresh and the RTRFM website.
RTRFM and The Start’s achievement will be formally recognised at the 29th Annual Webby Awards ceremony, hosted by Ilana Glazer in New York City on Monday, May 12. Lady Gaga’s website was named the People’s Voice Winner in the same category, which is awarded through a public vote.
The station joins a distinguished group of other 2025 Webby winners, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Walton Goggins, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and many more.
RTRFM extended a light-hearted invitation to Lady Gaga: “Lady Gaga now has a standing invitation to any of our upcoming events, and we’ll even throw in a plus-one for a friend.”
The non-profit community radio station was established in 1977 and broadcasts 24/7, operating on listener subscriptions, donations, fundraising events, and a team of volunteer presenters. Their diverse offering of programmes includes music genres like jazz, blues, rock, metal, experimental, as well as shows covering current affairs, arts, culture and other pressing social issues.
RTRFM is renowned for its support of local and independent artists, providing a platform for emerging talent in the geographically isolated city of Perth while fostering a vibrant music community. The Sound Alternative has truly earned its spot at this year’s Webby Awards.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its
arts funding and advisory body
