Radio Academy Awards: Jamie Cullum is the best music show in the UK

The Radio Academy Awards - which used to be known as the Sonys - were announced last night. Is there any other awards show where Nick Clegg and Danny Baker would walk away carry prizes?

Zane Lowe took best music broadcaster - or at least he shouted at the panel until they gave it to him; more interestingly, in a year when Radio 4 didn't win very much, it was the speech network who picked up best music feature (for an episode of the Soul Music series).

But, really, let's just give it up to University Radio Bath, and their bronze prize recognising their Responsive Radio and Unified Station Management.

No, I don't, either.

BBC Tees, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio 2 are the stations of year in order of increasing size.

Here's the winners in full:

Breakfast Show of the Year (10 million plus)

Gold: The Capital Breakfast Show with Dave Berry & Lisa Snowdon – 95.8 Capital FM

Silver: 5 live Breakfast – BBC Radio 5 live

Bronze: The Breakfast Show with Penny Smith & Paul Ross – BBC London 94.9FM

Nominee: KISS Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie - KISS

Nominee: Nick Ferrari at Breakfast – LBC 97.3



Breakfast Show of the Year (under 10 million)



Gold: Iain Lee - BBC Three Counties Radio

Silver: Boogie in the Morning – Forth One

Bronze: Sam & Amy – Gem 106

Nominee: Good Morning Ulster - BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: Hirsty’s Daily Dose – Capital Breakfast - Capital Yorkshire



Best Music Programme

Gold: Jamie Cullum – Folded Wing for BBC Radio 2

Silver: The People’s Songs – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2

Bronze: The XFM Evening Show with Danielle Perry – The XFM Network

Nominee: Alex James’s Magical Musical Tour – Classic FM

Nominee: John Suchet – Classic FM



Best Specialist Music Programme

Gold: The Beatdown on XFM with Scroobius Pip – The XFM Network

Silver: David Rodigan – BBC Radio 1Xtra

Bronze: Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1

Nominee: Mistajam – BBC Radio 1Xtra

Nominee: The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2



Best Entertainment Programme

Gold: Greg James – BBC Radio 1

Silver: Rob Howard – Capital North East

Bronze: The 12 O’Clock Show – BBC Radio Bristol

Nominee: Alex James’s Magical Musical Tour – Classic FM

Nominee: The Dermot O’Leary Show – Ora Et Labora for BBC Radio 2



Best Speech Programme

Gold: The Frank Skinner Show – Avalon for Absolute Radio

Silver: The Digital Human – BBC Radio Scotland for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Call Clegg – LBC 97.3

Nominee: Short Cuts – Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Reunion – Whistledown Productions for BBC Radio 4



Best Sports Programme

Gold: The Day We Won Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Gerr’um On Side – 102.4 Wish FM & 107.2 Wire FM

Bronze: 5 live Sport – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: The Team That Never Was – BBC Radio Oxford

Nominee: World Football – BBC World Service Sport for BBC World Service



Best News & Current Affairs Programme

Gold: PM – BBC Radio 4

Silver: Call Clegg – LBC 97.3

Bronze: Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: Asian Network Reports – BBC News for BBC Asian Network

Nominee: The World at One – BBC Radio 4



Best Coverage of a Live Event

Gold: The Death of Nelson Mandela – BBC World Service News and BBC Africa Service for BBC World Service

Silver: Great North Run 2013 – Metro Radio

Bronze: The Dambusters – 70 Years On – BBC Radio 2 with TBI Media and Snappin’ Turtle Productions for BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball – The Capital Network for Capital FM

Nominee: Live@Wimbledon Radio – the AELTC’s Official Radio Coverage of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships – IMG Media Ltd for Live@Wimbledon Radio



Best Community Programming

Gold: Slavery on our Streets – LBC 97.3

Silver: The Joy of Reading – BBC Radio Oxford

Bronze: Knives Wreck Lives – 107.6 Juice FM

Nominee: Free Radio Walk for Kids – Orion Media for Free Radio

Nominee: Pete’s Pensioner Party – BBC WM 95.6



Music Radio Personality of the Year

Gold: Sam & Amy – Gem 106

Silver: Radcliffe & Maconie – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Graham Norton – BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2

Nominee: Christian O’Connell – Absolute Radio



Music Radio Broadcaster of the Year

Gold: Zane Lowe – BBC Radio 1

Silver: Scroobius Pip – The XFM Network

Bronze: Tom Service – BBC Radio 3 Music Department for BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: Guy Garvey – BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: Mary Anne Hobbs – Wise Buddah for BBC Radio 6 Music



Speech Radio Personality of the Year

Gold: Danny Baker – Campbell Davison Media for BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Alan Robson – Metro Radio & TFM

Bronze: Phin Adams – Cam FM

Nominee: Johnny Vaughan – talkSPORT

Nominee: Nick Ferrari – LBC 97.3



Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year

Gold: Victoria Derbyshire – BBC Radio 5 live

Silver: Jane Garvey – BBC Factual for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Melvyn Bragg – BBC Factual for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Justin Webb – BBC News for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Rony Robinson – BBC Radio Sheffield



National Radio Journalist of the Year

Gold: Tom Swarbrick – LBC 97.3

Silver: Becky Milligan – BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Ian Pannell – BBC News for BBC Radio 4 & BBC World Service

Nominee: Declan Harvey – BBC News for BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra Newsbeat

Nominee: Jon Manel – BBC Radio 4



Local Radio Journalist of the Year

Gold: BBC Radio Norfolk News Team – BBC Radio Norfolk

Silver: Radio City & City Talk News Team – Radio City & City Talk

Bronze: The Nolan Show Team – BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: Heart North West and Wales News Team – Heart North West and Wales

Nominee: Jo Taylor – BBC Radio Cambridgeshire



Best Interview of the Year

Gold: Winifred Robinson interviews Ralph Bulger – BBC Radio Documentaries for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Iain Dale interviews James in Woolwich – LBC 97.3

Bronze: Becky Milligan interviews the wife of a child sex offender – BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Iain Lee interviews Stephen Conroy – BBC Three Counties Radio

Nominee: Stephen Sackur interviews Pavel Khodorkovsky – BBC News for BBC World Service



Best Use of Branded Content



Gold: The Christian O’Connell Breakfast Show with Wickes – Absolute Radio

Silver: More Tomorrows on Classic FM with Cancer Research UK – Classic FM

Bronze: The Manuscript with Just for Men – TBI Media for Absolute Radio

Nominee: BOWIE with the Victoria & Albert Museum – TBI Media for Absolute Radio

Nominee: XFM Presents with Ford SYNC – The XFM Network



Best Promotional Campaign

Gold: Wimbledon 2013 – BBC Global News Creative Services for BBC World Service

Silver: The Sound of Cinema on 6 Music – BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Saturday Night at the Movies with Howard Goodall – Classic FM

Nominee: The Last Of Us – XFM/Global Radio Creative/Drum for The XFM Network

Nominee: The Voices of Birmingham and the Black Country – BBC WM 95.6 and Fresh Air Production for BBC WM 95.6



Best Competition

Gold: The Heart House – Heart West Midlands

Silver: 500 Words – BBC Radio 2

Bronze: Fifty Grand Friday – Real Radio Group

Nominee: A Flag for Worcestershire – BBC Hereford & Worcester

Nominee: Christian O’Connell - Make ‘Em or Break ‘Em! – Absolute Radio



Best Station Imaging

Gold: KISS FM (UK)

Silver: TeamRock Radio

Bronze: BBC Radio 2

Nominee: BBC Radio 6 Music

Nominee: The Capital Network



Radio Brand of the Year

Gold: The Absolute Radio Network

Silver: KISS UK

Bronze: Capital

Nominee: Classic FM

Nominee: Planet Rock



Best Music Feature or Documentary

Gold: Soul Music: Strange Fruit – BBC Bristol for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Adam Buxton on David Bowie – BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: Who Sold The Soul – Factual & Music Department, BBC Wales for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Dambusters – 70 Years On – TBI Media with Snappin’ Turtle Productions for BBC Radio 2

Nominee: The Sash My Father Wore – BBC Radio Ulster



Best News Feature or Documentary

Gold: Tempted by Teacher – markthree media for BBC Radio 1

Silver: Assignment: The Man Who Fell to Earth – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Bronze: Slavery on our Streets – LBC 97.3

Nominee: Crossroads: The Girls – Prison Radio Association for BBC Radio 1

Nominee: The Assassination of JFK: Minute by Minute – TBI Media for BBC Radio 2



Best Feature or Documentary

Gold: Between the Ears: Mighty Beast – BBC Bristol for BBC Radio 3

Silver: Johnny Cash and the Forgotten Prison Blues – Unique for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: The Day We Won Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 live

Nominee: A Different Kind of Justice – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Advice from the Edge of Life – BBC Radio Scotland



Best Comedy

Gold: The Secret World – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Silver: John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Here Be Dragons – John Stanley Productions Ltd for BBC Radio Wales

Nominee: Bridget Christie Minds The Gap – BBC Radio Comedy for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: The Blagger’s Guide To Doctor Who – Unique for BBC Radio 2



Best Drama

Gold: The Morpeth Carol – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 4

Silver: Darkside – BBC Radio Drama London for BBC Radio 2

Bronze: Lost and Found – BBC Salford for BBC Radio 4

Nominee: Babbage – Pier Productions Ltd for BBC Radio 3

Nominee: How To Have A Perfect Marriage – Sparklab Productions for BBC Radio 4



Best Creative Innovation

Gold: #Lipdublincoln – BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Silver: Now Playing @6Music – Somethin’ Else for BBC Radio 6 Music

Bronze: The voice of the under 20s across the UK – Podium.me

Nominee: #BBCtrending – BBC Radio Current Affairs for BBC World Service

Nominee: TBI Minute by Minute Interactive – TBI Media



Best Technical Innovation

Gold: InStream for Absolute Radio – Absolute Radio

Silver: Multi Player Competition Technology – Wise Buddah

Bronze: Responsive Radio and Unified Station Management – University Radio Bath

Nominee: BBC Playlister – BBC Radio Multiplatform & BBC Future Media

Nominee: RadioDNS Hybrid Radio in a Smartphone – Global Radio Creative Technology



Station of the Year (under 1 million)

Gold: BBC Tees

Nominee: Moray Firth Radio

Nominee: National Prison Radio



Station of the Year (1 million plus)

Gold: BBC Radio Ulster

Nominee: LBC 97.3

Nominee: Metro Radio



UK Station of the Year

Gold: BBC Radio 2

Nominee: BBC Radio 4

Nominee: talkSPORT



Gold Award

Tony Blackburn



Special Award

The Production & Presentation Team for Call Clegg & Ask Boris - LBC



I think we can now just accept that Danny Baker is the best at radio, can't we?

Parfitt: Only the odd Pops, while Pop and Ma welcome at One

It's been the day of the Radio Academy radio and music forum, and somewhat impolitely Andy Parfitt turned up and talked about television.

In particular, he focused on the question of if the Christmas and Comic Relief successes of Top Of The Pops suggested there might be life in the corpse yet:

"It has come back in those event-driven moments and that's the way to go," he added.

"It's got a mythical status ... but I don't think we should get hung up on that one programme. We are a long way from [BBC1 controller] Jay Hunt recommissioning Top of the Pops in its old-school form on BBC1."

Andy remembers that Christmas is the most magical event-driven moment of the year, and you can't just have that event-driven moment every week of the year.

Besides, says Andy, you can't have a music programme on television now, because the kids have the mp3s on their iPods:

Parfitt said that younger music consumers expected more interactivity than just broadcasting Top of the Pops once a week, in an age of iPod playlists, online music services and other options open to the BBC audience. "The days are gone when we can make a programme and just put it out there," he added.

Yes, nowadays, programmes have to be scheduled, promoted; audiences have to be nurtured. Back in 1977, it used to be enough for programmes to be taken from the edit suite and dumped in the street - audiences would run out in packs and collect the shows to entertain themselves with on their G-Plan televisions and flared radios.

Isn't the opposite more true now? That an organisation with the BBC's clout and nous could just film five or six bands doing a couple of songs, just stick the files up online and perhaps behind press red, brand the whole thing 'Top Of The Pops' and leave the rest to the audience? Wouldn't that be quite exciting? Couldn't Top of The Pops become the equivalent of an iPod playlist for music TV? You could draw up your own list of favourite records; that could generate a chart in turn which - right down the end of the line - could be assembled to make an old-style rundown programme.

Parfitt did turn his attention to radio, though, to wrestle with the problem of Radio One's aging audience:

Parfitt also today defended Radio 1 against accusations that its audience and roster of presenters are too old, insisting that the station reaches 40% of its target demographic, 15- to 24-year-olds.

"As Radio 1 has grown it has grown its 35-plus audience but it has also grown its teen audience. Its mean audience is 27," he added.

"If I want a way to travel for Radio 1 it would be not older but younger," admitted Parfitt, who is also controller of Radio 1, 1Xtra and multimedia teen content brand BBC Switch.

So... hang about a minute while I try to make my brain catch up. The remit of Radio One is to target 15 to 24 year-olds, two out of three of whom it misses altogether; instead, it hits an average age of 27, already three years older than where it's being pointed - so the boss thinks his ideal plan is to try and attract a larger number of older listeners?

Perhaps Parfitt would have been happier arguing that the obsession with age targets is meaningless once you get past the CBBC age group, but given that part of his remit is pushing BBC Switch, or "Hullo Teenagers... Everywhere" to give it its official title, he's going to find doing that a little tricky.

However, he said that older audiences who grew up with the station have stayed with it because "they want to remain younger longer". "You can't make them go away," Parfitt added.

Actually, Andy, you can make them go away, by changing the line-up of presenters. You might remember Matthew Bannister demonstrated this quite effectively when he had the Radio One studios sprayed for Travis, Bates and Juste.

He insisted that "Radio 1 is a hot young radio station", citing the popularity of the late John Peel as proof that the age of presenters did not mean that they could not appeal to younger audiences.

Bloody hell, after all these years, and Radio 1 controllers are still using John Peel as their get-out of all sorts of awkward situations. A couple of decades ago he would be invoked as proof that the station still cared about new music; now, he's proof that young audiences will listen to older presenters. Well, yes: but only if they trust their taste. Do fifteen year old kids really think that Jo Whiley is more musically acute than their mates' iPods playlists?