NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 27TH SONY RADIO ACADEMY AWARDS
- Chris Moyles defends his Breakfast Gold.
- Absolute Radio scoops seven nominations.
- Digital Radio Stations BBC Asian Network, Planet Rock and BBC 6 Music score highly with a total of 15 nominations.
- Classical v Pop in Station of the Year: Radio 1, Classic FM and BBC Radio 3
- Vanessa Feltz pitted against Nicky Campbell, Eddie Mair and Stephen Nolan in Speech Radio Personality
- Debut nominees talkSPORT’s, Ian Wright, Classic FM’s Alex James and Radio 4’s Evan Davis.
The nominations for the 27th annual Sony Radio Academy Awards, the UK’s most coveted radio honours, were announced this evening at a launch hosted by 95.8 Capital FM’s Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon. The shortlists for the 34 Award categories were presented to a packed room of radio guests drawn from all sectors of the industry, with stations from around the country tuning in via the live webcast. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will be presented at a gala night on 11th May at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, hosted by Chris Evans.
A look at the 2009 nominations confirms that the UK’s radio industry is creative, diverse, vibrant, sometimes controversial and very much part of the fabric of the nation’s cultural life. Digital Stations are winning loyal audiences, and this year BBC 6 Music has won an impressive ten nominations – four of them for Adam and Joe’s Saturday morning show. DAB Station BBC Asian Network has four nominations, two of which are in The Specialist Music Programme Award.
In the five blue riband categories of stations of the year, commercial and BBC stations lock horns. Commercial get two of the three nods both for Station: under 300,000 with Radio Scilly and Beacon Radio up against BBC Radio Foyle and for Station: (1 million plus) with Kerrang! 105.2 and Magic 105.4 against BBC Radio Ulster. Station: (300,000 – 1 million) sees Lincs 102.2 FM against BBC Hereford & Worcester and BBC Radio Nottingham. Last year’s very popular winner of Digital Station of the Year, Planet Rock, gets a chance to do the double, with competition coming from BBC Asian Network and Fun Kids. UK Station of the Year is an intriguing battle between pop and classical, with contenders for this highly prized title being Radio 1, Classic FM and Radio 3.
The Entertainment Award is a true heavyweight contest, with Absolute Radio weighing in with an impressive three out of the five names as well as earning a total of seven nods. 2007 Award winner Chris Evans is pitted against Absolute’s Christian O’Connell – a six time Sony Gold winner, Geoff Lloyd and Tim Shaw. Also entering the ring, are BBC 6 Music’s multiple nominees Adam and Joe.
Of all the Awards, The Breakfast Show Award, seems to generate the most heat, generally by the personalities that the nation choose to wake up to each morning. The UK has an incredibly diverse range of radio breakfast shows, each with a varying diet to inform, entertain, educate and amuse: this year’s nominees reflect this diversity. Chris Moyles, last year’s Gold Winner, gets a chance to defend his crown against Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogarty’s 5 Live Breakfast, Radio Clyde’s Bowie @ Breakfast, Shaun Keaveny on BBC 6 Music and Kiss 100’s Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie.
There is an especially impressive showing from smaller local radio stations competing against major networks, because they are delivering great programming which resonates with their communities. Oxford’s 106 JACK fm contests three Awards, including The News Journalist of the Year and a new award, The Themed Programming Award. In its first year on air, Liverpool’s City Talk 105.9, has made two shortlists, The News Journalist of the Year and The Station Imaging Award. There were also nods for Beacon Radio, BBC Radio Suffolk, GWR Bristol, Tay FM, Radio Scilly, Lincs and Clyde FM.
talkSPORT scores twice, with Ian Wright competing for The Speech Radio Personality, a new award, while The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast is up for The Sports Award.
The Music Radio Personality Award sees Lauren Laverne against Chris Evans, Scott Mills, Simon James & Hill and Zane Lowe.
The list for Speech Broadcaster of The Year is crammed full with quality and previous Gold winners. Radio 4’s Evan Davis earns a nomination in his debut year and takes on his veteran colleague John Humphrys, while last year’s Award winner Simon Mayo of BBC Radio 5 Live looks to make it two in a row, but not if LBC’s Nick Ferrari has any say in it.
UK Radio Inc. prides itself on its innovation, ability to adopt multiplatforms and the fact that it is indeed a broad ‘church’. This year The Multiplatform Radio Award is contested by 95.8 Capital FM for its iPhone application, Classic FM, BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Radio 4’s World on the Move and Radio 5 Live Wimbledon. The Internet Programme Award illustrates the popularity of the podcast. The category will be decided between Answer Me This!, a weekly interactive comedy podcast hailed by iTunes as podcast of the year, Guardian.co.uk’s ‘Media Talk – The Rout at Radio 2’, ‘ Nature’s Voice’, a monthly magazine podcast on the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) website, rethinkdaily, a podcast for regional fringe theatre groups,and ‘The Budgerigar and the Prisoner’ a moving story podcast on the Clifton Diocese, a website for the Catholic Church covering the West of England. The satellite radio station Electric Radio Brixton, which is based at HMP Brixton and run in association with the Prison Radio Association, has notched up four nominations, including a prisoner’s interview with Jonathan Aitken for The Interview Award.
The 27th Sony Radio Academy Awards are judged by over 100 industry professionals. The judges are required to reach their decisions based solely on the content of the entry submitted, and not based on any wider knowledge they may have. One of the reasons why the Sony Awards are so well respected is that every level of professional radio has an opportunity to shine, as amply demonstrated by this year’s nominees.
Tim Blackmore, Chairman of the Sony Radio Academy Awards said: “I’m particularly thrilled that our new awards for ‘Interview’, ‘Themed Programming’ and ‘Speech Radio Personality’ have won considerable support. Every year we try to adjust the categories to match the continual evolution of our industry and this year’s entries have shown once again that alongside their heritage of 27 years, these awards remain truly contemporary.”
The 2009 Gold Award and the Local & Regional Lifetime Achievement Award are in the gift of the Awards Committee and will be announced at the ceremony on 11 May.
The shortlist for the Sony DAB ‘Rising Star’ Award, a people’s choice award to recognise new radio talent, was announced at the launch by Steve Dowdle, Managing Director of Sony UK. Contenders are: : Chris Younie – The Hits, Katey Wallace – Radio Teesdale, Phil Clifton – Xfm, Rosie Tratt – Oxford’s FM 107.9 and Singing Henry – Kerrang! Radio.
The public can vote at http://www.sony.co.uk/risingstar.
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A full listing of all the 2009 Awards Nominations follows:
THE MUSIC PROGRAMME AWARD
In: Demand – Key 103 for the Big City Network
The Huey Show – Wise Buddah Creative for BBC 6 Music
The Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie Show – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2
Words and Music – BBC Radio Arts and Radio 3 for Radio 3
Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1
THE SPECIALIST MUSIC PROGRAMME AWARD
Andi Durrant: The Warm Up – Distorted Productions & the Galaxy Network for the Galaxy Network
David Rodigan – Kiss Specialist Production Team for the Kiss Network
Friction – BBC Asian Network
Mic Check – Somethin’ Else for the BBC Asian Network
Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
THE MUSIC RADIO PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2
Lauren Laverne – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
Scott Mills – BBC Radio 1
Simon James & Hill – Kerrang! Radio
Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1
THE MUSIC BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Alex James – Classic FM
David Rodigan – Kiss Specialist Production Team for the Kiss Network
Mark Radcliffe – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2
Steve Lamacq – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music, Radio 2 & Radio 1
Stuart Maconie – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music
THE MUSIC SPECIAL AWARD
Absolute Coldplay – Absolute Radio & TBI Media for Absolute Radio
Cut & Paste – Wise Buddah Creative for BBC Radio 1
Gerry’s Danny Boy – BBC Radio Ulster
Vaughan Williams: Valiant for Truth – BBC Radio 3
Who Knows Where The Time Goes, The Sandy Denny Story –
Whispering Bob Broadcasting Company for BBC Radio 2
THE ENTERTAINMENT AWARD
Adam and Joe – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
Chris Evans Drivetime – BBC Radio 2
Christian O’Connell – Absolute Radio
Geoff Lloyd – Absolute Radio
Tim Shaw’s Absolution – Absolute Radio
THE MUSIC PROGRAMMING AWARD
BBC Radio 1
Classic FM
Magic 105.4
THE DRAMA AWARD
Cavalry – BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
Goldfish Girl – BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
Mr Larkin’s Awkward Day – BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
The Color Purple – BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – Above the Title & Woolyback Productions for BBC Radio 4
THE SPORTS AWARD
5 live Olympic Breakfast- BBC News Programmes & BBC Sport for 5 live
Olympics Sportsworld – BBC Sport for the World Service
Sportsweek – Front Page Media for BBC Radio 5 live
The Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast – talkSPORT
The Football Forum – BRMB for Gold (Birmingham, Coventry & Wolverhampton)
THE SPEECH AWARD
America, Empire of Liberty – BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4
Jon Ronson On…. – Unique the production company for BBC Radio 4
Outlook: Black in the USA – BBC Audio and Music Factual for the World Service
Prisoners’ Voices – Prison Radio Association & Electric Radio Brixton for Electric Radio Brixton
Simon Mayo & Mark Kermode – BBC News for 5 live
THE NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS AWARD
5 live Breakfast – BBC News for 5 live
Newsbeat – BBC News for Radio 1
The World Today – BBC World Service News & Current Affairs for the World Service
The Wrap – BBC Asian Network
Today – BBC News for Radio 4
THE NEWS SPECIAL AWARD
Desperate Dreams: The Monday Documentary –
BBC Manchester Current Affairs for the World Service
Driving Into Debt – Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4
Poetry From The Front Line – White Pebble Media for BBC Radio 4
Rhys Jones – Century Radio
The Investigation: Never Too Old To Care – A Stark Production for BBC Radio Scotland
THE NEWS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
106 JACK fm & Oxford’s FM 107.9 News Team – 106 JACK fm & Oxford’s FM107.9
City Talk News Team – City Talk 105.9
Eddie Mair – BBC News for Radio 4
Gavin Lee – BBC News for 5 live
Mike Thomson – BBC News for Radio 4
THE SPEECH RADIO PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Eddie Mair – BBC News for Radio 4
Ian Wright – talkSPORT
Nicky Campbell – BBC Radio 5 live
Stephen Nolan – BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Radio Ulster
Vanessa Feltz – BBC London 94.9
THE SPEECH BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Edi Stark – A Stark Production for BBC Radio Scotland
Evan Davis – BBC News for Radio 4
John Humphrys – BBC News for Radio 4
Nick Ferrari – LBC 97.3
Simon Mayo – BBC News for 5 live
THE BREAKFAST SHOW AWARD
5 live Breakfast – BBC News for 5 live
Bowie @ Breakfast – Radio Clyde for 102.5 Clyde 1
Kiss 100 Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie – Kiss 100
Shaun Keaveny – BBC Audio & Music Factual for 6 Music
The Chris Moyles Show – BBC Radio 1
THE LISTENER PARTICIPATION AWARD
Adam and Joe – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
Electric Radio Brixton: Daily Show – Prison Radio Association & Electric Radio Brixton for Electric Radio Brixton
Iain Lee – Absolute Radio
Sadie Nine’s Loud Women – BBC Essex
Stephen Nolan – BBC Radio 5 live
THE COMEDY AWARD
606 with Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live
Adam and Joe – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show! – Komedia Entertainment & Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 4
Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop – BBC Radio Comedy for Radio 2
The Now Show – BBC Radio Comedy for Radio 4
THE FEATURE AWARD
Anatomy Of A Car Crash – BBC Radio Documentaries for Radio 4
Between The Ears: Staring At The Wall – BBC Radio Documentaries for Radio 3
Giving Way To A New Era – Made in Manchester Limited for BBC Radio 4
Leonard and Marianne – Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4
Lives In A Landscape: Gone East – BBC Radio Documentaries for Radio 4
THE INTERVIEW AWARD
Allison Ferns interviews Reunited Brothers – BBC Southern Counties Radio
Andrew Peach interviews Graeme Murty – BBC Radio Berkshire
Eddie Mair interviews Ken Livingstone – BBC News for Radio 4
Electric Radio interview with Jonathan Aitken – Prison Radio Association & Electric Radio Brixton for Electric Radio Brixton
Feargal Keane interviews Lana Vandenberghe – Taking a Stand, BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4
THE BREAKING NEWS AWARD
Attacks in Mumbai – BBC News Programmes for Radio 4
Body on Arbroath Beach – Tay News Team for Tay FM & Tay AM
Schools Closures – BBC Radio Shropshire
The Rangers Riot – BBC Radio Manchester
The Ray Lewis Investigation – BBC London 94.9
THE LIVE EVENT COVERAGE AWARD
Absolute Coldplay – Absolute Radio & TBI Media for Absolute Radio
Carnival – 1Xtra
Summer Sundae Weekender – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
The Beijing Olympics – BBC Radio 5 live
The Coldstream Guards Come Home To Windsor – The Andrew Peach Show for BBC Radio Berkshire
THE COMMUNITY AWARD
A Sound Fix (Spots) – Prison Radio Association for Electric Radio Brixton
Coventry Market the Musical – BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
Don’t Be A Tosser! – BBC Radio Suffolk
Legsy Gets A Break – BBC Radio Berkshire
Omagh Community Radio Group – Omagh Community Radio Group for Strule FM
THE THEMED PROGRAMMING AWARD
1968 – Myth or Reality ? – BBC Production Departments and Independent Companies for BBC Radio 4
Family Life – BBC Hereford & Worcester
The Chopin Experience – BBC Radio 3
The Forgotten Army – 106 JACK fm
US’08 BBC Bus: Talking America – BBC World Service News for the World Service
THE PROMO AWARD
Absolute Radio Discover Real Music – Absolute Radio
Bristol’s Big Give – GWR Bristol
Kiss The Planet – What Will You Do? – Kiss Imaging Team for the Kiss Network
The My Lai Tapes – BBC World Service Promotions for the World Service
TV Licensing – Students Campaign – Fresh Air Production & Proximity London for BBC Radio 1
THE COMPETITION AWARD
Adam and Joe – Video Wars – BBC Audio & Music for 6 Music
Facebuck$ – Galaxy Network Imaging for Galaxy (Manchester, Birmingham, Yorkshire & North East)
Heart’s Tankety Tank – Heart (West Midlands)
Radio City Makes Your Day – Radio City
Win Your Wedding – CFM
THE STATION IMAGING AWARD
1Xtra
BBC Radio 1
City Talk 105.9
JACK fm
XFM (London & Manchester)
THE INTERNET PROGRAMME AWARD
Answer Me This! – Answer Me This Podcast.com
Media Talk – The Rout At Radio 2 – Guardian.co.uk
Nature’s Voice – Podcats for the RSPB Website
Rethinkdaily – Rethinkdaily.co.uk
The Budgerigar and the Prisoner – Clifton Diocese.com
THE MULTIPLATFORM RADIO AWARD
95.8 Capital FM iPhone Application -
Global Radio Creative Technology for 95.8 Capital FM
Classic FM
Radio 1’s Big Weekend – BBC Radio 1
Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 live Interactive for 5 live
World On The Move – BBC Natural History Unit, Audio & Music Interactive & Airlock for Radio 4
STATION OF THE YEAR: UNDER 300,000
BBC Radio Foyle
Beacon Radio (Shropshire)
Radio Scilly
STATION OF THE YEAR (300,000 – 1 MILLION)
BBC Hereford & Worcester
BBC Radio Nottingham
Lincs 102.2 FM
STATION OF THE YEAR (1 MILLION PLUS)
BBC Radio Ulster
Kerrang 105.2
Magic 105.4
DIGITAL STATION OF THE YEAR
BBC Asian Network
Fun Kids
Planet Rock
UK STATION OF THE YEAR
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 3
Classic FM
For further information contact:
Nadine Bibi/Kate Etteridge@LD Communications.co.uk
T: +44 207 439 7222
Nadine.Bibi@ldcommunications.co.uk Kate.Etteridge@ldcommunications.co.uk
Riza Turner at the Sony Radio Academy Awards Secretariat
riza@radioawards.org
T: + 44 207 723 0106
Sony is a registered trademark of the Sony Corporation, Japan.
www.radioawards.com