Matt McAllister, the popular radio personality fired from his job in Phoenix a couple of years ago, has something to celebrate: He won the Country Music Association’s major market broadcast personality of the year.

McAllister, one of the Valley’s most-popular radio figures when he worked here, now hosts “The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister” on KKWF, known as “The Wolf,” in Seattle.

“Very surprised,” McAllister said of his reaction to winning. “In fact, pleasantly surprised when we got nominated. And then pretty shocked when we actually won.”

He was also pretty shocked at the way in which he found out he won.

“We found out last Wednesday morning (Oct. 9) when Carrie Underwood called our studio hotline and told us,” McAllister said. “We knew something was coming. When you’re a finalist they let you know … but they don’t tell you who’s going to be calling. So we had no idea Carrie Underwood would actually be calling herself, which was a huge shock.”

McAllister and former on-air partner Ben Campbell made up Ben and Matt at KNIX-FM in Phoenix; they, too, were named CMA personalities of the year in 2015 and by the Academy of Country Music in 2009.

KNIX abruptly killed their show in December 2016 when they let McAllister go.

“Considering the way things ended in Phoenix, which was very disappointing and very bittersweet, this feels way more gratifying than when we won it there,” McAllister said. “Everything about it feels right. Everything about it feels good. The people around me now, there’s just so much positivity around it, where I can’t say that was the case before.”

For subscribers: Here’s what Matt McAllister has been up to since being fired by KNIX

The win this time around is particularly notable, since McAllister has only been at The Wolf for two years.

“I landed on my feet,” he said.

And he plans to keep those feet in Seattle for a long time to come.

Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.

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