A massive year of hard work has been rewarded for Muswellbrook girl Kelli Paun who, only a year ago, entered a radio talent competition at Power FM and went from pumping petrol to pumping out the hits.

A year and a half ago Kelli Paun managed a local petrol station, but at Saturday night’s ACRAs she became the proud winner of the Best Newcomer On Air award for her time at Power FM and 2NM Muswellbrook.

Kelli’s introduction to radio was through the station’s ‘who wants to be a jock on air’ competition. While she didn’t win the job on offer, she made such a huge impression at Power FM that they started training her so they could offer her the next spot available.

“Kelli is such a driven and passionate person. She knew she wanted the job here and would come in after work at her old job just so she could learn the equipment and practise talk breaks. From the moment she started here she set the Best Newcomer ACRA as her goal and we’re all so unbelievably proud of her,” the station’s current PD Jacqui Pfeffer told radioinfo.

Kelli’s talent has now taken her to a role in the breakfast show ‘The B Team’ on fellow Grant Broadcasters Station K-Rock in Geelong.