PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES

We've been sitting on the 2005 Sony Awards - they're literally like the 'Plumber of the Year' Awards, only for Radio - since they were announced at the start of this week, partly because BT have screwed up our broadband (did we mention that?) but also because it was the most puzzling list of prizes we've seen given out since the Grand National in 1978, when the prizes were given to the horses with the snappiest legs instead of the fastest runners.

Here, as is traditional, is the list of winners:

THE DAILY MUSIC SHOW OF THE YEAR: Kerrang! 105.2 Drivetime with Lucio: Kerrang! 105.2
THE SPECIALIST MUSIC AWARD: Zane Lowe: BBC Radio 1
THE MUSIC BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR: Zane Lowe: BBC Radio 1

Now, there you are already, an indication of how the bemusing range of categories result in bizarre range of contradictions - if Zane Lowe is the Specialist music expert of the year, and the best person at broadcasting music, how on earth can he not be doing the daily music show of the year? Likewise, the next bunch of awards are even more puzzling:

THE BREAKFAST SHOW OF THE YEAR: Christian O’Connell’s Breakfast Show: Xfm
THE ENTERTAINMENT AWARD: Christian O’Connell’s Breakfast Show: Xfm
THE COMPETITION AWARD: Christian O’Connell’s Rock School: Xfm
THE DJ OF THE YEAR: Danny Baker: BBC London 94.9

Now, even if we set aside our puzzlement at the giving of prizes to Christian O'Connell - he left us cold when he was doing local radio in Liverpool, and we've got chillier and chillier whenever we hear his XFM stuff - but if CO'C is doing the breakfast show of the year, then how can Danny Baker be a better DJ, doing the same slot in the same market. And Baker isn't even a DJ at the moment. (Although his show is far better than CO'C's. Of course, now that the BBC is finally putting the Bake's show on Listen Again, Danny has announced he's quitting; at least until the autumn.

THE WEEKLY MUSIC SHOW OF THE YEAR: The Selector: Somethin’ Else for FCUK FM

We've not heard this, we don't think, but most of what we have heard from FCUK has sounded like it's been done in the bottom of a zinc bucket.

THE 'MUSIC SPECIAL' AWARD: Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat: BBC Speech & Campaigns for Radio 1

This, of course, was a tribute to John Peel, who also got a "minutes noise" tribute at the start of the awards ceremony.

Now comes a run of speech prizes:

THE NEWS PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR: Vote Friction: Unique the production company for BBC Radio 1
THE NEWS OUTPUT AWARD: The Beslan Seige: BBC World Service News & Current Affairs & Newsgathering for BBC World Service
THE NEWS STORY AWARD: The Tsunami: BBC Radio News for Five Live
THE SPORTS AWARD: City Till I Die: BBC Radio York
THE SPEECH AWARD: Beyond Belief - Islam and Women: BBC Religion and Ethics for Radio 4
THE SPEECH BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR: Jeremy Vine: BBC Radio 2
THE NEWS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Eddie Mair: BBC Radio 4
THE FEATURE AWARD: Missing The Message: Unique the production company for BBC Radio 1
THE SHORT FORM FEATURE AWARD: Blind Man’s Beauty: BBC Radio and Music Factual for Radio 4
THE INFORMATION AWARD: Unhappy Hour: Viking FM News Team for Viking FM & Magic 1161
THE DRAMA AWARD: Laughter In The Dark: Catherine Bailey Productions for BBC Radio 3
THE COMEDY AWARD: The National Theatre Of Brent’s Complete And Utter History: Of The Mona Lisa: Above the Title Productions for Radio 4
THE EVENT AWARD: The Drive Show: D-Day Anniversary: BBC Radio Kent
THE INTERACTIVE RADIO AWARD: Three Counties Breakfast: BBC Three Counties Radio
THE COMMUNITY AWARD: The Stephen Nolan Show: BBC Radio Ulster Factual for Radio Ulster
THE STATION SOUND AWARD: Kiss 100
THE PROMO AWARD: A77 Guardian Angel Campaign: West Sound Commercial Production: for West Sound, West FM & SouthWest Sound FM
THE STATION PROGRAMMER OF THE YEAR: Richard Maddock: Radio City 96.7
STATION OF THE YEAR • UNDER 300,000: BBC Radio Foyle
STATION OF THE YEAR • 300,000 - 1 MILLION: BBC Three Counties Radio
STATION OF THE YEAR • 1 MILLION PLUS: Radio City 96.7
STATION OF THE YEAR • UK: BBC Radio 2
STATION OF THE YEAR • DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL: Capital Disney
THE 2004 AWARD: UK Radio Aid
THE GOLD AWARD: Steve Wright

So, Radio 2 has won back the title as best station in the country, continuing a run of handing the prize between them and Radio 4. It's nice to see a prize for Capital Disney, which is at least encouraging the commercial sector to invest in children's radio, but we're not sure we've ever met anyone who's ever heard it.

But really: Christian O'Connell? Why? What is it people see in him?

music radio christian o'connell danny baker sony awards