The ARIAS are the Oscars of UK radio and audio - and it’s time to get your entries in!
But what are the judges looking for? And how can you make your submission stand out?
Join the Judges as they lift the lid on the judging process, share what they’ve enjoyed hearing and reading over the years and some of their top tips - and the mistakes to avoid.
Our event host is Phil Riley - Chair of Judges for the ARIAS
Phil is the Chair of Judges for The ARIAS and the co-founder of BOOM Radio. Phil has spent 40 years in radio - launching and running loads of great stations over the years, like Magic, Heart and LBC. He has held a number of senior roles across the industry including at Chrysalis Radio and Orion Media. In 2013, Phil was named one of the most influential people in commercial radio in its first 40 years. In 2014, Phil was recognised for his outstanding achievements and leadership within the radio industry and was awarded the Arqiva Special Award. He is also a lifetime fellow of the Radio Academy. Almost a year ago, Phil and David Lloyd co-founded BOOM Radio, a new station aimed at people over 60.
Nick Pitts - Content Director of Jazz FM, part of Bauer Media Audio UK
Prior to his management roles, Nick has been part of radio landscape for nearly 30 years from BBC national to launching small scale and DAB, via Exec Producing award winning big London breakfast shows and creating imaging for some of the UK’s largest and most prominent radio brands. His work has won various awards over the years including New York Awards, the old Commercial Radio Arqiva Awards and both ARIAS and its pre-runner The Sony Radio Awards. Most recently Jazz FM won the ARIAS Gold Award in 2020. He is also Deputy Chair of the Radio Academy and has been involved in the ARIAS as a judge for 5 years, with 3 of those as a Head Judge following his role as Creative Director of his second Radio Festival in 2019.
Aradhna Tayal - Director, Radio TechCon and Clockhouse Media
Formerly at the BBC, Aradhna is director of Radio TechCon, the UK’s audio and radio technology conference. She is a Fellow and former trustee of The Radio Academy. Aradhna has recently been appointed Director of the OKRE Summit, a new flagship annual event facilitating collaboration between the entertainment industries and the charity sector. Prior to this, Aradhna has led events, initiatives and strategies across the creative industries. Her portfolio includes BBC Shorts, Creative Cities Convention, the Worldwide Association for Women Journalists and Writers, AudioUK, Sadler’s Wells, the National Theatre and the Film and TV Charity. She is a committee member of the Royal Television Society, London and Chair of the Jury for their student awards.
Dixi Stewart - Chief of Staff to BBC Managing Director
Dixi has been making radio programmes for the past 30 years, starting in the newsrooms of Chiltern Radio, Fox FM and Capital Radio, then on BBC GLR where she devised and co-presented the BBC’s first weekly LGBT show, and later at Talk Radio UK working with Anna Raeburn, Lorraine Kelly and Caesar The Geezer. In 1998 she joined BBC Radio where she produced and edited a variety of daily and weekly programmes including The Food Programme, Woman’s Hour and Saturday Live, as well as live news events, documentaries and, more recently, podcasts such as Fortunately with Fi and Jane. For the past two years Dixi has been working with Bob Shennan, the BBC’s Director of Radio and Music, delivering his strategy to reinvent and grow radio across all the BBC’s services, including BBC Sounds, and planning the future of BBC Radio. Most importantly, she’s taken a lead in implementing initiatives to improve the BBC’s working culture and increase its diversity both on and off air.
Jimmy Buckland - Director of Strategy - Broadcasting, News UK
As Director of Strategy for News UK’s Broadcasting division, Jimmy helps to lead News UK’s growth and development across TV, radio, video and audio. Jimmy is a passionate advocate for the enduring value of audio media in the digital age. He is a fellow of the UK Radio Academy and in recent years has helped to spearhead the creation of innovative new digital radio channels including Times Radio, Virgin Radio, talkRADIO and talkSPORT 2. Jimmy’s current responsibilities include oversight News UK’s award-winning podcast division, Wireless Studios, as well as its successful international Premier League audio syndication operation. He is currently closely involved with Talk TV, a ground-breaking new television channel which launches in 2022.