Radio doesn’t hand out trophies easily. You can spend years building a loyal audience and still never see a single formal acknowledgment of the work. So when one of New York’s most recognizable voices and Colin Kaepernick’s wife, Nessa, finally earned one of broadcasting’s most coveted honors, it was long overdue. And the loudest cheer came from home.

“The greatest!!!🏆🏆🏆” commented Colin Kaepernick on Hot 97’s Instagram post that announced Nessa winning the Gracie Award.

Kaepernick’s support might be easy to dismiss as a husband being a husband until you understand how much runway it took to get here. Nessa has been one of the anchors of HOT 97, New York City’s legendary hip-hop station, for over a decade. Her “Nessa On Air” show dominates the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekday drive-time slot and has earned the distinction of being the No. 1 afternoon hip-hop show nationally among 18–34-year-olds. It’s now syndicated across more than 10 major markets, from Portland to Hartford to Richmond.

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation announced her as one of the 51st Annual Gracie Award winners on March 22, 2026. They recognized her in the “Host Non-Morning Drive Entertainment Personality, Large/Major Market” category. The Gracies are widely regarded as the premier honor in women’s media. They celebrate outstanding achievements in broadcasting and entertainment by women and about women, making this the most meaningful industry validation of a career that Nessa has spent over two decades building.

The couple has been together since 2015, the year she got a job at HOT 97. Kaepernick has witnessed her wife overcoming all the obstacles and hitting the bullseye. So, he is right in saying that she is “the greatest.” And the support from her husband isn’t lost on Nessa, either.

Nessa is thankful to Colin Kaepernick for supporting her throughout

Nessa has been in this business for over two decades, but this is the first time she has won an award of this stature. As a result, she thanked the organizers and all the important people in her life for helping her get to that stage. Among all of them was also her husband, Colin Kaepernick.

“@kaepernick7 thank you for being the foundation of our family and for loving me the way you do,” posted Nessa on Instagram. “Because of YOU, I’ve been able to keep showing up and doing what I love every single day.”

Kaepernick was drafted in 2011 but hung up his cleats after the 2016 season. Despite fully focusing on being a civil rights activist, he was always there for Nessa. Although they are from different professions, the couple has worked together on multiple projects, from co-authoring a children’s book, We Are Free, You and Me, based on them and their children, to co-founding a nonprofit organization dedicated to the Black and Brown community. So, support goes both ways for the couple.

It was both a surprise and a humbling experience for Nessa. She has already inspired many through her voice. Now, the award will further inspire her to work better in the future. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of her award-winning days.