Sony Radio Academy Awards 2007

01/05/07

Presented on Monday 30th April 2007 at The Grosvenor Hotel, London

Award presenters included: Amanda Holden, Dom Joly, Katie Derham, Joan Bakewell, Greg Rusedski, Natasha Bedingfield, Joan Armatrading, Sir David Frost, Beverley Knight, Jamelia, Carol Vorderman, and Richard E Grant.

It was announced at the 25th Sony Radio Academy Awards, the UK’s most prestigious radio accolades, that the late great John Peel is The Broadcasters’ Broadcaster, a special one-off award to mark the anniversary year. The posthumous Award to John Peel, himself a multiple Sony Gold winner across three decades, was collected by his wife Sheila, and was voted for by UK broadcasters from a short-list of 25 radio icons drawn up by the Sony Radio Academy Awards Committee, chosen to reflect the names most quoted by today’s broadcasters as being their greatest influence.

During the course of a memorable evening, not least because Terry Wogan surprised guests by hosting part of the proceedings, the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze 2007 Sony Radio Academy Awards were honoured across 30 categories. The annual Gold Award went to Paul Gambaccini, veteran broadcaster and longtime host of the Awards ceremony: "for his role truly as the renaissance man of UK radio, his comprehensive understanding of music and music makers, for his wide ranging contribution to our output and to our industry."

A new Lifetime Achievement Award recognising a regional broadcaster, was presented to BBC West Midland’s Tony Butler: "a broadcasting legend, one of a kind, and a passionate presenter whose programmes are essential listening" by supporter and former colleague, Richard Park.

Radio 2 had much to celebrate with its haul of five Sony Golds, including a double Gold win for Chris Evans for The Entertainment Award, where Heart’s Jamie Theakston and Harriet Scott took the Silver and Radio Clyde’s Bowie @ Breakfast the Bronze, and The Music Radio Personality of the Year, where Andy Kershaw won Silver and Mark Radcliffe Bronze. In their citation, the judges said of Evans: "… he shows a rare ability to connect with audiences at all levels with warmth and insight…High production values, quirky ideas and great interviews."

Classic FM was a popular winner of the blue riband UK Station of the Year, triumphing over its Radio 1 and Radio 2 rivals. In the words of the judges: "It’s back on top form, oozing enjoyment of the music thanks to imaginative use of celebrities not generally known for their love of classical music, and polished, approachable presentation."

Station of the Year: Under 300,000 went to Isle of Wight Radio, Station of the Year: 300,000 – 1 million was won by BBC Radio Derby and Radio City 96.7 got Station of the Year: 1 million plus. Gaydar Radio picked up Digital Terrestrial Station of the Year.

Francis Currie, for the Heart Network, won Gold for one of the evening’s biggest awards, The Station Programmer of the Year. The judges commented: "Francis Currie devised the programming strategy which has taken Heart to success in all of its three territories, including taking the top spot in the UK’s most competitive market: London."

Colin Murray was Radio 1’s sole Gold winner, picking up the highly prestigious Music Broadcaster of the Year. The judges were impressed with his "fierce passion for music…this is a broadcaster with a winning blend of charisma and charm who proves that the best broadcasters are big enough to foreground music rather than themselves." The Mark Radcliffe Show won The Music Programme Award – Smooth Operations for Radio 2 - and The Music Special Award went to Malcolm McLaren’s Musical Map of London - Just Radio for Radio 2.

The Today Programme on Radio 4 had an outstanding evening, not only winning Gold in the highly prized Breakfast Show Award but also seeing their senior presenter, John Humphrys, pronounced The News Journalist of the Year. Eddie Nestor at BBC London 94.9 prevented Humphrys doing the double by winning Gold in The Speech Broadcaster of the Year where John Humphrys took the Silver and LBC’s Anna Raeburn the Bronze.

The news awards were a reminder of the year’s headline events: The Breaking News Award went to BBC London 94.9 for their coverage of the London Tornado, The News Feature Award was won by Whistledown Productions for Radio 4 for Letters from Guantanamo Bay and The News & Current Affairs Programme Award was scooped up by Five Live Breakfast. The judges said of the Five Live news team: "This programme cleverly weaves the serious with the humorous and involves its listeners on so many levels that they are an integral part of it."

The Gold for the first ever Internet Programme Award went to Wise Buddah Talent for the Firin’ Squad Unsigned Podcast. Planet Rock won a Sony Gold for the second year running with The Station Imaging Award and Virgin Radio struck Gold with their 2006 signing, Christian O’Connell, winning The Competition Award for Who’s Calling Christian?

The popularity of sport on radio grows apace and was reflected in the Awards: The Sports Programme Award went to BBC Radio Five Live for Sportsweek, and sport won through again with The Live Event Coverage Award going to Magic 1152 for The Alan Shearer Testimonial and Five Live Sports Extra won The Promo Award for The Ashes.

Tim Blackmore, Chairman of the Sony Radio Academy Awards Committee said: "The ongoing power of audio communication is more than amply demonstrated by the breadth and depth of these Awards. Whatever platform was used to distribute their work, every one of our winners has demonstrated the kind of creativity, credibility, or objectivity that has come to exemplify a quarter century of ‘the Sonys’."

Click here for press contacts