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Radio Academy Awards
Sony Radio Award, presented to Virgin Radio in 1996
Awarded for	Excellence in the radio industry
Sponsored by	Sony (until 2013)
Country	United Kingdom
Presented by	ZAFER Associates The Radio Academy
Formerly called	The Sony Radio Awards
First awarded	1983; 41 years ago (1983)
Last awarded	2014; 10 years ago (2014)
Website	www.radioacademy.org
Related	The ARIAS

The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy.

The awards were generally referred to by the name of their first sponsor, Sony, as The Sony Awards, The Sony Radio Awards or variations. In August 2013, Sony announced the end of its sponsorship agreement with The Radio Academy after 32 years. Consequently, the awards were named simply The Radio Academy Awards. In November 2014, it was announced that The Radio Academy would not be holding the awards in 2015, and would be looking for other ways to recognise achievement in the future.

The awards were relaunched in 2016 as the Audio & Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS).

Awards format

The awards were organised into various categories, with nominees being announced a few weeks before the main awards ceremony. The categories varied slightly each year, and were decided by an annual committee, with the aim to include all the main areas from music, news and speech through to radio drama, comedy and sport, and not discriminating against station size, or niche categories.

In most categories, five entries were shortlisted with the top three awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold. Some categories (such as the Station of the Year categories) only three entries were shortlisted, with only a Gold winner awarded. In a number of special categories (such as The Gold Award or Special Award) there was no shortlist, merely a winner.

1983 Gold Award winners

1. A play by Catherine Hughes, telling the story of a young girl whose life is changed by the tragedies of the Gresford Colliery disaster in 1934 and, many years later, the Aberfan disaster in 1966. First broadcast on 29 March 1982. The play combines two of Hughes' poems about the disasters.
2. A play by Martyn Wade, celebrating the life of the composer Percy Grainger, portrayed by David Healy. First broadcast on 27 December 1982.

1984 Gold Award winners

1985 Gold Award winners

1986 Gold Award winners

1987 Gold Award winners

1988 Gold Award winners

1. A comedy by Douglas Livingstone about the Romería de El Rocío, with James Bolam, Sara Kestelman, and Michael Kitchen. First broadcast on 16 May 1983, produced by Jane Morgan
2. Radio feature written and presented by Ray Gosling, describing the work of Rev Kenneth Forrester who tends an ageing and declining Anglican community in Pau in south-west France. Described by Piers Plowright as "an absolute masterpiece".

1989 Gold Award winners

1990 Gold Award winners

1. DJ Simon Bates travelled the world with producer Jonathan Ruffe, and transmitted 57 live broadcasts over 77 days, using a portable satellite dish and generator.
2. Moray Firth Radio was the UK's smallest commercial radio station at the time.

1991 Gold Award winners

1. The award was presented by Prince Edward and Mark Knopfler, who thanked Gillett for helping Dire Straits by playing the music early in their career.

1992 Gold Award winners

1993 Gold Award winners

1. The award was for Glenny's coverage of the collapse of communism and the following wars in the former country of Yugoslavia.
2. Sue Townsend's novel The Queen and I was abridged by Elizabeth Proud and read by Margolyes on Book at Bedtime.
3. A play by Trevor Hoyle about Lancashire comedian Frank Randle.
4. MCM linked 41 independent local radio stations with several venues for the event.
5. Six part series celebrating songwriters who write for others.

1994 Gold Award winners

1. The award was for the two stations' coverage of life in Northern Ireland over the past 18 years.
2. The station broadcast a special edition of the show in the wake of the Shankill Road bombing and Greysteel massacre.

1995 Gold Award winners

1996 Gold Award winners

1997 Gold Award winners

1998 Gold Award winners

1999 Gold Award winners

The 17th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 28 April 1999 and was hosted by Kirsty Young and Paul Gambaccini.

1. The Gold Award was presented by Marianne Faithfull.
2. This was the fourth year in a row that Moray Firth had won the local station award.
3. The Rt Rev James Jones was enthroned on 7 November 1998.
4. A two part exploration of funk, presented by Ice-T.
5. An experimental radiophonic feature exploring the impact of redundancy.
6. As well as the three gold awards for Home Truths Peel also received a silver award in the talk/news broadcaster category.
7. In 1998 Middlesbrough played Chelsea in the Football League Cup Final and Newcastle United played Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.
8. A day after winning the award Mann's slots on Classic FM (weekday nights and Sundays) were reduced to one Wednesday night slot of one hour.

2000 Gold Award winners

The 18th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 2 May 2000. BBC Radio 4 was the most nominated station, with 24 entries, and received four awards. Guests included the actors Jenny Agutter and Christopher Lee, Chris Smith (Secretary of State for Culture), and Dale Winton, who all presented awards.

1. Freeman, who was struggling with severe arthritis, received a standing ovation and was recognised by the Radio Academy for "his tireless dedication to UK radio".
2. Drama examining P. G. Wodehouse's wartime broadcasts and their effect on George Orwell.
3. A tribute to Nelson Mandela as he neared the end of his presidency, presented by Allan Little.
4. For stations with a potential audience of 500,000 to 12 million listeners.
5. On 30 April 1999 a nail bomb exploded at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.
6. A five part series on the evacuation of civilians from British cities during World War II.

2001 Gold Award winners

The 19th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 30 April 2001. The BBC won gold awards in 23 out of 30 categories. A new category, Digital Terrestrial Station, (won by OneWord Radio) was introduced. The winner of the lifetime achievement award, Chris Tarrant, criticised the commercial sector for suppressing spontaneity in radio.

2002 Gold Award winners

The 20th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 2 May 2002. BBC Radio 4 won the most awards (six). Guests included the singers Jarvis Cocker and Feargal Sharkey, actress Janet Suzman, and the girl group Sugababes who all presented awards.

2003 Gold Award winners

The 21st Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 8 May 2003. BBC Radio 4 won six awards including UK Station of the Year. Guests included Grace Jones, Sam Fox, Tony Blackburn, and Meatloaf who all presented awards.

2004 Gold Award winners

The 22nd Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 12 May 2004. Commercial radio won a number of the top awards but BBC Radio 4 retained the UK Station of the Year award. Guests included Sir Elton John, Penny Lancaster, and Amy Winehouse who all presented awards.

2005 Gold Award winners

The 23rd Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 9 May 2005. The BBC won 22 awards including 5 awards for BBC Radio 1. Guests included Alice Cooper, the tennis player Annabel Croft, TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, BBC Radio 4's Sue MacGregor, Ulrika Jonsson, Heather McCartney and Shakin Stevens who all presented awards.

2006 Gold Award winners

The 24th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 8 May 2006. Stephen Nolan became the first person to win seven gold Sony awards. Guests included Andrea Corr, Dame Edna Everage, Lenny Henry and Jeff Wayne who all presented awards.

1. Portrayal of a Vietnam triage nurse, played by Sigourney Weaver, haunted by flashbacks. Written by Normi Noel and produced and directed by Gregory Whitehead.
2. Commemoration of the final evacuation of St Kilda in 1930, written and presented by the poet Kenneth Steven.
3. Portrait of John Lennon based on the tapes of Jann Wenner's interview with Lennon for Rolling Stone magazine in New York in 1970.
4. The first part of series of three examining the effects of the Bosnian war. Ten years after the war ended with the Dayton Agreement, war correspondent Allan Little returned with producer Peter Burdin to interview again those who had shared their experiences during the Siege of Sarajevo.

2007 Gold award winners

The 25th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini and Terry Wogan, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 30 April 2007. The Sony Broadcasters' Broadcaster Award, a special prize to mark the 25th year of the awards, was given to John Peel, who died in 2004. The award was received by Sheila Ravenscroft, Peel's widow. Guests included a selection of actors, singers and broadcasters (Natasha Bedingfield, Katie Derham, Fred and Richard Fairbrass (Right Said Fred), Sir David Frost, Amanda Holden, Jamelia, Carol Vorderman, Konnie Huq (Blue Peter), Melinda Messenger, Dolores O'Riordan, and Richard Park) who all presented awards.

1. Drama portraying the story of Lorilei Guillory who testified against the death penalty for her son's killer. Adapted from a stage play of the same name by Thomas Wright, which also used Guillory's words.
2. Programme looking at the decline of the steel industry in Sheffield with social commentary, sound effects, and newly commissioned music. The series was inspired by the documentaries made by Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker in 1956. Music by John Tams, Kate Rusby, Julie Matthews and Ray Hearne.

2008 Gold Award winners

The 26th Sony Radio Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Paul Gambaccini, was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 12 May 2008. The BBC World Service won four awards, including Journalist of the Year for Owen Bennett-Jones. Guests included Edwyn Collins, Joan Collins, Boris Johnson, Al Murray, and Will Young who all presented awards.

1. Mary Kalemkerian was a teacher before joining the BBC in 1979. She became head of programming at BBC7 in March 2002 before its launch in December. She later oversaw the station's rebranding as Radio 4 Extra in 2011 before announcing her retirement from the BBC in 2012.
2. A house fire in Omagh where a family of seven died in what at first seemed to be an accident. Later, investigations pointed to arson, most likely by the father of the family, a convicted sex offender. A later inquiry also highlighted failings in the region's social services.
3. A campaign to raise awareness of environmental issues by encouraging Londoners to turn of unused lights for an hour on the longest day of the year.
4. 10 part dramatisation of Vikas Swarup's novel Q & A (also adapted for the film Slumdog Millionaire). The radio adaptation remained more faithful to the original book than the film. It was recorded on location in India and was adapted by Ayeesha Menon and produced by John Dryden.
5. A vivid, music driven, sound picture of Los Angeles. Mclaren visited the city for a promotional tour and stayed for four years. Produced by Kate Bland.
6. Coverage of the celebration of 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. Suffolk explorer Bartholomew Gosnold was involved in setting up the colony.
7. A month long journey through the Bangladesh wetlands looking at the effects of climate change.
8. Mark Radcliffe and Phil Walmsley on a radio road trip to visit locations associated with Dr. Feelgood's LP Down by the Jetty from 1975. Produced by John Leonard.
9. Investigation of pregnant British asian women who travel to India for gender testing and abortions for female foetuses.
10. Investigation into how touts obtained hundreds of football tickets for the 2007 Champions league final between Liverpool FC and AC Milan. The programme also won the IRN News Award (Best Sports Coverage) in April 2008.

2009 Gold Award winners

1. Brown had worked in forces and commercial radio from 1970 to 1984. He then worked for the Independent Broadcasting Authority, and also various commercial radio organisations, including the RadioCentre as chairman, which he left at the end of 2008.
2. Vandenberghe, while working at the Independent Police Complaints Commission, leaked documents to the press concerning the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
3. Radio diary by Christian O'Connell as he travelled with Coldplay, ending with the complete concert from Munich from their Viva la Vida Tour.

2010 Gold Award winners

2011 Gold Award winners

2012 Gold Award winners

2013 Gold Award winners

2014 Gold Award winners

Notes

1. ^ The awards for best national and local DJs were voted for by the readers of Smash Hits magazine.

References

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