Wendy Williams

Wendy Williams is one of the nation’s pre-eminent history making leaders. Setting standards and breaking records are nothing new in her career as she is currently the general manager of the number one Jazz station in the Southeast, Jazz 91.9 WCLK. Never one to rest on her laurels, Wendy is set to executive produce the first ever Jazz Music Awards (JMA) in Atlanta, Georgia. The star-studded Jazz Music Awards showcase is the manifestation of her long-held vision that jazz deserves to be lauded, applauded, honored, cherished, celebrated, and recognized among the masses for its tradition and for the mark it has stamped on the fabric of our musical lives. It will be a dynamic presentation that recognizes the iconic spirit of jazz by shining a spotlight on mainstream and contemporary jazz musicians who continue to make a mark on the music and the entertainment industry.

The inaugural Jazz Music Awards, “Celebrating the Spirit of Jazz,” will take place, Saturday, October 22, 2022 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. For five decades this premier venue has been home to Broadway shows, ballets, concerts, operas, and more. The JMA is presented by Jazz 91.9 WCLK, a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliated station licensed to Clark Atlanta University and known as “Atlanta’s Jazz Station.”

“Jazz deserves to be seen in all its many fabulous forms, flavors, colors, and instrumentation.”

Wendy’s career in broadcasting spans more than 36 years covering both commercial radio and television, as well as nonprofit public radio and encompassing formats including hard-hitting news, country, and jazz music. Williams’ decisive and steady leadership at WCLK for the past 27 years has helped to earn WCLK a solid reputation as a world class jazz radio station. During her tenure, Jazz 91.9 WCLK has received repeated recognition in “Best of Atlanta” and “Creative Loafing” magazines as the “Best” Jazz Station in Atlanta.

Williams has received numerous awards for her achievements including:

• A proclamation from the City of Atlanta
• Atlanta Tribune:  The Magazine’s Hall of Fame Inductee
• Black Women in Radio Honoree
• Atlanta Business League’s 100 Women of Distinction Honoree
• Who’s Who in Black Atlanta Honoree for the past 20 years
• Black Brilliance Awards Recipient

Williams is a founding member and chair of the African American Public Radio Consortium, Inc. (AAPRC), a national organization that represents the interests of radio stations licensed to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The AAPRC also represents audiences served by public radio through the development of programming for diverse communities.

She is also a member of the Clark Atlanta University Guild, an organization that provides scholarships to students. A native of Pennsylvania, Williams received her communication degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and holds an MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Williams is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She loves family, worshipping in her Christian faith, traveling, cooking, and meeting people.