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Winners & Nominees 2021

The nominees for the 2021 ARIAS were announced on Wednesday 21st April, with an awesome video featuring presenters from across UK radio.  The Gold, Silver and Bronze winners were announced in the ceremony on 26 May.

BEST NEW PRESENTER, supported by Big Red Talent

  • GOLD: Poppy Begum - BBC Asian Network
  • SILVER: Khalid Dovie - VENT, by VICE & Brent 2020
  • BRONZE: Daniel Rosney - BBC Newsbeat
  • Elle Osili-Wood - Front Row, on BBC Radio 4
  • Josie Bevan - Prison Bag, on National Prison Radio
  • Zakia Sewell - NTS and BBC Radio 4

BEST NEW SHOW

  • GOLD: The YUNGBLUD Podcast - BBC Radio 1 on BBC Sounds
  • SILVER: The Skewer - Unusual Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • BRONZE: VENT Documentaries - VICE & Brent 2020
  • KISS Breakfast with Jordan & Perri - KISS FM
  • Maddie’s Sound Explorers - Rethink Audio for Magic Star
  • This Game Changed My Life - BBC Audio for BBC Sounds

BEST NEWS COVERAGE

  • GOLD: 100 Days of Lockdown - BBC Newsbeat
  • SILVER: Stories of our Times: The Monkey Vaccine - Wireless Studios for The Times
  • BRONZE: My Mother's Murder - Tortoise Media
  • The Great Post Office Trial - Whistledown Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • News Team - Greatest Hits Radio
  • The NHS Front Line - BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service

BEST SPEECH BREAKFAST SHOW

  • GOLD: talkSPORT Breakfast
  • SILVER: Breakfast on BBC Radio Nottingham
  • BRONZE: Times Radio Breakfast with Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell
  • 5 Live Breakfast - BBC Radio 5 Live
  • The Julia Hartley Brewer Breakfast Show - talkRADIO
  • The Vanessa Feltz Breakfast Show - BBC Radio London

BEST SPEECH PRESENTER

  • GOLD: George the Poet - Have You Heard George's Podcast? for BBC Sounds
  • SILVER: Anushka Asthana, Today in Focus - Guardian News & Media
  • BRONZE: Elis James and John Robins - Audio Always for BBC Radio 5 Live
  • Cathy FitzGerald - White Stiletto Productions
  • Gavin Esler, The Big Steal - Fresh Air Production for GML
  • Manveen Rana - Wireless Studios for The Times

BEST SPORTS SHOW

  • GOLD: Coming In From The Cold - Unedited for talkSPORT
  • SILVER: The Women’s Sports Show – BBC Radio London
  • BRONZE: The High Performance Podcast - Rethink Audio & Jake Humphrey
  • F1: Beyond The Grid - Formula 1 and Audioboom
  • Fighting Talk - Worlds End Television for BBC Radio 5 Live
  • Gloucestershire's Record Breaking Rowers - BBC Radio Gloucestershire

THE 2020 SPECIAL AWARD

  • GOLD: Life on Lockdown - White Stiletto Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • SILVER: Absolute Radio 40s – TBI Media for Absolute Radio
  • BRONZE: Coronavirus Newscast - BBC News for BBC Sounds
  • Rethink - BBC Radio 4
  • Radio Wanno - HMP Wandsworth
  • Magic with the Musicals - TBI Media for Magic Radio

THE COMEDY AWARD, supported by Pure

  • GOLD: The Skewer - Unusual Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • SILVER: Sketchtopia - Gusman Productions Ltd for BBC Radio 4
  • BRONZE: The Jason Manford Show - Absolute Radio
  • Alan Partridge: From the Oasthouse - Audible
  • Futile Attempts (at Surviving Tomorrow) - Novel
  • The Musical Life of... - The Rubber Chicken Ltd for BBC Radio Wales

BEST MUSIC BREAKFAST SHOW

  • GOLD: Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James
  • SILVER: The Hits Radio Breakfast Show with Fleur East
  • BRONZE: Boogie in the Morning - Forth 1
  • The Chris Evans Breakfast Show - Virgin Radio
  • Lauren Laverne - BBC Radio 6 Music
  • The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show - BBC Radio 2

BEST MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT SHOW, supported by PPL and PRS For Music

  • GOLD: Scott Mills - BBC Audio for BBC Radio 1
  • SILVER: The Snoochie Shy Show - TBI Media for BBC Radio 1Xtra
  • BRONZE: Free Flow - National Prison Radio
  • Boogie & Arlene on a Saturday - Hits Radio Scotland
  • Hometime with Bush and Richie - Absolute Radio
  • Ricky, Melvin and Charlie - Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 1

BEST SPECIALIST MUSIC SHOW

  • GOLD: Jamz Supernova - Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 1Xtra
  • SILVER: The Music of James Bond with David Arnold - Scala Radio
  • BRONZE: Michael Morpurgo's Folk Journeys - 7Digital for BBC Radio 4
  • Gilles Peterson - Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 6 Music
  • Selector Radio - Folded Wing for the British Council
  • We Still Believe with The Blessed Madonna - We Are Grape

BEST FACTUAL - SINGLE PROGRAMME

  • GOLD: Sabrina's Boy - George the Poet for BBC Sounds
  • SILVER: Problem Kids - VICE & Brent 2020
  • BRONZE: Death Row Book Club - BBC World Service
  • The Case Files: Manchester Arena Bombing - Fresh Air Production & Markettiers4DC for Slater & Gordon
  • From The Ashes of New Cross - Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • The Story of 2 Tone - Virgin Radio

BEST FACTUAL SERIES, supported by The Audio Content Fund

  • GOLD: The Punch - Just Radio Ltd for BBC Radio 4
  • SILVER: Coming In From The Cold - Unedited for talkSPORT
  • BRONZE: Hillsborough: The Full Story - BBC Radio Merseyside
  • The F Word - TBI Media for Magic Radio
  • The Great Post Office Trial - Whistledown Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • Who Killed CJ Davis? - Wireless Studios for The Times

BEST INDEPENDENT PODCAST, supported by Audible

  • GOLD: The Bellingcat Podcast - Novel
  • SILVER: Tales from the Tannoy - Sayer Hamilton Ltd and Tadah Media
  • BRONZE: Witness from Amnesty International - White Stiletto Productions
  • All Stations - Chalk & Blade for The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
  • Frank Warren's Heavyweight Podcast - Listen Entertainment
  • Shagged. Married. Annoyed. - Avalon

BEST FICTIONAL STORYTELLING

  • GOLD: Eight Point Nine Nine - BBC Audio Bristol for BBC Radio 4
  • SILVER: Red Earth Red Sky - BBC Audio Drama North for BBC Radio 4
  • BRONZE: Have You Heard George's Podcast? - George the Poet for BBC Sounds
  • Doctor Who: Out of Time - Big Finish Productions
  • The Fir Tree - Almost Tangible
  • The Human Frontier 1 - Big Finish Productions

BEST STATION SOUND, supported by High Left Music

  • GOLD: BBC Radio 1 - BBC Popular Music Station Sound
  • SILVER: talkSPORT - Wireless Creative
  • BRONZE: Absolute Radio 40s - Absolute Radio Production
  • BBC Radio 1Xtra - BBC Popular Music Station Sound
  • BBC Radio 6 Music - BBC Popular Music Station Sound
  • The KISS Haunted House Party - KISS FM Production

BEST COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP

  • GOLD: Magic Euro Song with Netflix - TBI Media and Magic Radio
  • SILVER: Untold Killing - Message Heard & Remembering Srebrenica
  • BRONZE: Scottish Government & SAM Radio - Bauer Scotland
  • The Dave Berry Breakfast Show with Wickes - Absolute Radio
  • Power of Sound with KEF - Monocle 24
  • Sainsbury's Brighten a Million Christmases - talkSPORT

BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN

  • GOLD: Alan Partridge: From the Oasthouse - Audible
  • SILVER: Make a Difference with Your Local BBC Radio Station - BBC Marketing & Audiences for BBC England
  • BRONZE: Britain's Best Beer Garden - Union JACK Radio
  • Absolute Radio 40s
  • Have You Heard George's Podcast? - BBC Sounds
  • Radio 1 Breakfast - BBC Creative

THE GRASSROOTS AWARD, supported by BBC Sounds

  • GOLD: VENT - VICE & Brent 2020
  • SILVER: Ocean Youth Radio - Sound Communities
  • BRONZE: Dig Deep for Homeless Oxfordshire - JACKfm Oxfordshire
  • Arboretum - BBC Radio Derby
  • Joan’s Legacy - West FM
  • Why Mums Don't Jump - Helen Ledwick

THE CREATIVE INNOVATION AWARD, supported by AIM

  • GOLD: Absolute Radio 40s – TBI Media for Absolute Radio
  • SILVER: Have You Heard George's Podcast? - George The Poet for BBC Sounds
  • BRONZE: Prison Bag - Falling Tree Productions for National Prison Radio
  • My Dream Dinner Party - Tuning Fork Productions for BBC Radio 4
  • Space Is The Place - Sparklab Productions for Jazz FM
  • Sunrise Soundwalks – BBC Audio for BBC Radio 3

THE IMPACT AWARD

  • GOLD: The Black Power Playlist - BBC Audio for BBC Radio 1Xtra
  • SILVER: Where Is George Gibney? - Second Captains for BBC Sounds
  • BRONZE: Untold Killing - Message Heard & Remembering Srebrenica
  • Nations United - TBI Media with 72 Films for Project Everyone
  • Pride & Joy - Somethin' Else for BBC Sounds
  • QueerAF - QueerAF Media

BEST LOCAL RADIO SHOW, supported by RCS

  • GOLD: The Andrew Peach Show - BBC Radio Berkshire
  • SILVER: Jack's Morning Glory with Trevor Marshall - JACKfm Oxfordshire
  • BRONZE: The Radio City Breakfast Show with Leanne & Scott
  • Gayle Lofthouse - BBC Radio Leeds
  • Jeff and Lauren in the Morning - Northsound 1
  • Toby Foster at Breakfast - BBC Radio Sheffield

THE JOHN MYERS AWARD FOR BEST LOCAL STATION OF THE YEAR

  • GOLD: BBC Radio Sheffield
  • SILVER: Clyde 1
  • BRONZE: BBC Radio Wales
  • BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester
  • Forth 1
  • Metro Radio

NATIONAL STATION OR NETWORK OF THE YEAR

  • GOLD: Magic Radio
  • SILVER: talkSPORT Network
  • BRONZE: BBC Radio 5 Live
  • Absolute Radio Network
  • BBC Radio 1
  • BBC Radio 4

THE RADIO TIMES MOMENT OF THE YEAR (voted by Radio Times readers)

  • GOLD: Jordan & Perri react to Diversity's BLM performance on KISS FM
  • SILVER: Scotland qualify for Euro 2020 on The Big Scotland Football Show from Bauer Scotland
  • BRONZE: Ian Wright remembers Mr Pigden on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4
  • Absolute Radio 40s marks VE Day 75
  • Annie Nightingale marks 50 years of broadcasting on BBC Radio 1
  • Clara Amfo reacts to Black Lives Matter on BBC Radio 1
  • Crofty's IVF Journey on Go Radio
  • Laura Whitmore reacts to the death of Caroline Flack on BBC Radio 5Live
  • Professor Hugh Montgomery with Michael Rosen on The Reunion on BBC Radio 4

How the ARIAS are judged

How many judges are there?

There are more than 200 judges, operating in panels ranging in size from 5-9 (depending on how many entries there were in the pool).

How are judges selected?

Judges are invited to participate by the Chair of Judges.  They represent a cross-section of senior practitioners in the audio industry.

How are the panels made up?

Each panel has a Head Judge who is a Trustee or Fellow of the Radio Academy.  Each panel has a 50/50 gender split, and each panel has a recent alumnus of the Radio Academy’s 30 Under 30 scheme.  In each panel, there is always at least one person from the BBC, and one person from a commercial or indie background.  25% of the judges in 2019 were from BAME backgrounds.

How do the judges make their decisions?

Each panel judges just one category, and each award is determined in isolation.  Judges listen to the audio and read the text, then give each entry scores out of 10, in three areas – impact, creativity, and production. This produces a score out of 30 for each entry.

How is the shortlist of nominees formed?

The entries are sorted into one of two pools: Pool A is entries broadcast on the BBC (made by either in-house or indies); Pool B is entries broadcast on commercial radio or published independently.  Having completed their individual scoring, the panel are told their collective top three entries from Pool A, and their top three entries from Pool B.  These form the six-strong shortlist, and the panel meet (either in person or on a conference call) to identify their Bronze, Silver and Gold.  (The pool system is occasionally relaxed in categories where one or the other clearly dominates, eg Fictional Storytelling or Commercial Promotion).

How was the Radio Times Moment of the Year shortlist formed?

We invited Radio Academy members to suggest (for free) any moment from across audio and radio, whether they worked on it or not.  A panel of judges formed of Radio Academy Trustees and the Editor of the Radio Times scored these to create a leaderboard, and met as a group to discuss the entries.  The longlist of ten was determined at this meeting.  The readers of RadioTimes will vote for this on the RadioTimes website.

Can I read any more?

Check out this 2019 blog post from our Chair of Judges, Phil Riley