CRA has named Kelsey Grammer as special guest at this year’s Australian Radio Conference and Awards, to be held on the Gold Coast in October. Best known for his portrayal of ‘psychiatrist of the air-waves’, Dr Frasier Crane, Mr Grammer has played the character for over 20 years in three different sitcoms, Cheers, Wings and Frasier.

Mr Grammer will speak at the Radio Conference about the power of speech. He will also present an Award at the ACRAs.

He has won five Emmy Awards and also two Golden Globe Awards for his television and voiceover work. The most recent was in 2006 when he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice –Over Performance, for the voice of Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons.

He recently finished a year long run in the musical “La Cage Aux Folles” in New York and was nominated for a 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical for his role as Georges in this production.

He is currently filming a drama series for Starz Television, called “The Boss” where he plays the Mayor of Chicago.

This will be Mr Grammer’s first visit to Australia.

Chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner said the industry was looking forward to having Mr Grammer as special guest and welcoming him to Australia. “Mr Grammer’s extensive experience with acting, voice-over work, directing and producing should be highly informative and entertaining. We are greatly looking forward to his participation in our events,” Ms Warner said.

The Awards were last held at the Gold Coast in 2008 when British television talent, Nigel Lythgoe, and renowned Pakistani cricketer, Imran Khan, were the guest presenters.