Audio and Radio Industry Awards

The Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS, ARIAs, or UK ARIAs) are annual awards awarded for excellence in UK radio and audio presenting and production.[1][2] Established in 2016 by the Radio Academy, they succeeded the Radio Academy Awards, the academy's honours system of 1983 to 2014 (there were no awards for 2015).[1][2] They are awarded for productions in the previous calendar year. In contrast to many other media award ceremonies, three winners are selected by judging panels[3] for each category and graded Gold, Silver or Bronze.

Audio and Radio Industry Awards
(The ARIAs)
Awarded forExcellence in radio / audio presenting and production
Date2 May 2023
LocationTheatre Royal, Drury Lane, London
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byThe Radio Academy
Hosted byRylan Clark
Formerly calledThe Sony Radio Awards
The Radio Academy Awards
First awarded2016; 8 years ago (2016)
Websitewww.radioacademy.org
RelatedThe Radio Academy Awards
The Young Audio Awards

In May 2019 the Young ARIAs were inaugurated at the BBC Radio Theatre in London in a ceremony hosted by BBC Radio 1's Matt Edmondson and Kiss FM host Daisy Maskell.[4] The very next year they were rebranded as the Young Audio Awards.[5][6]

Notable omissions edit

Since their launch, the Audio and Radio Industry Awards have been shunned by the biggest commercial radio group in the UK, Global Radio.[7] Although the Radio Academy is not supported by Global Radio this does not preclude it from entering programmes or presenters from its stations, namely Heart, Capital, LBC, Capital Xtra, Classic FM, Smooth Radio, Radio X or Gold.[8]

ARIAs 2016 edit

Nominations for the 16 inaugural award categories were unveiled on 19 September 2016 by Radio 1's Scott Mills and Pandora Christie of Kiss FM. The shortlist for each category was limited to five nominees.[9]

Presented: 19 October 2016 at the First Direct Arena, Leeds – Host: Sara Cox[10][11]
Best News Coverage Best Entertainment Production Best Audio Dramatisation
Best National Speech Breakfast Show Best Local Breakfast Show Best National Music Breakfast Show
Best Sports Show Best Digital Audio Service Podcast of the Year
  • Gold: The Story of Izzy Dix (Newsbeat for BBC Radio 1)
  • Silver: The Modern Mann (Rethink Audio)
  • Bronze: Storytime with Boon: "This is Distorted"
Best Digital Innovation The Radio Academy Award Speech Broadcaster of the Year
Music Broadcaster of the Year Best Local Station Best National Station
Audio Moment of the Year
  • Gold: The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away (TBI Media for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Where are you going New York? (Loftus Media for BBC World Service)
  • Bronze: The Archers: Helen Stabs Rob (BBC Radio Drama Birmingham for BBC Radio 4)
  1. ^ D2 was the pre-licensing generic term for the creation of a second Digital Audio Broadcasting UK-wide multiplex[12]

ARIAs 2017 edit

Nominations were revealed on 18 September 2017 by Virgin Radio presenters Kate Lawler and Matt Richardson. The number of categories was increased to 23, each with a shortlist of six nominees.[13]

Presented: 19 October 2017 at the First Direct Arena, Leeds – Host: Scott Mills[14][15]
Best New Presenter Best New Show Best News Coverage
Best Speech Presenter – Breakfast Best Speech Presenter – Non breakfast Sports Show of the Year
Best Music Presenter – Breakfast Best Music Presenter – Non breakfast Best Specialist Music Show
Best Entertainment / Comedy Production Best Factual Storytelling Best Fictional Storytelling
Best Community Programme Best Online Radio Station Best Podcast
  • Gold: Flintoff, Savage and the Ping Pong Guy (BBC Radio 5 Live)
  • Silver: Close Encounters (Rethink Audio / The Guardian)
  • Bronze: The Untold: Missing (BBC Radio Documentaries)
Best On-Air Promotion Best Branded Content or Partnership Best Marketing Campaign
Best Coverage of an Event Local Station of the Year National Radio Station of the Year
Team of the Year Individual of the Year

ARIAs 2018 edit

Nominations were revealed on 17 September 2018 by Capital South Wales presenters Matt Lissack and Polly James. New categories introduced this year included Best Local Radio Show, Funniest Show, Best Commercial Promotion and Best Station Sound.[16]

Presented: 18 October 2018 at the First Direct Arena, Leeds – Hosts: Melvin Odoom and Pandora Christie of Kiss FM[17][18]
Best New Presenter Best New Show / Podcast Best News Coverage
Best Speech Presenter – Breakfast Best Speech Presenter – Non breakfast Best Sports Show / Podcast
  • Gold: Mo-Joe: An 18 Week Marathon Training Diary (7digital)
  • Silver: Fight Disciples
  • Bronze: On The Left Side – The Funny Football Show
Best Music Presenter – Breakfast Best Music Presenter – Non breakfast Best Specialist Music Show
Funniest Show Best Factual Storytelling / Documentary Best Fictional Storytelling
Best Community Programme Best Podcast Best Station Sound
  • Gold: Cariad LloydGriefcast
  • Silver: Health Uncovered – This is Distorted with the NHS
  • Bronze: Double Bubble (PRA Productions)
Best Commercial Promotion Best Marketing Campaign Best Coverage of an Event
  • Gold: An Accent Exceedingly Rare: A Love Letter to Liverpool (BBC Radio Merseyside)
  • Silver: Manchester – Together With One Voice (XS Manchester)
  • Bronze: Gregathlon: Pedal To The Peaks (BBC Radio 1)
Best Local Radio Show Local Station of the Year National Station or Network of the Year
Team of the Year Individual of the Year
  • Winner: Cash for Kids, Bauer Radio's network of local charities

ARIAs 2019 edit

Fallow year (no awards ceremony was held in 2019).

ARIAs 2020 edit

The awards ceremony was moved to a spring slot from its traditional autumn fixture and took place at The London Palladium. Nominations were revealed on 15 January 2020.[19]

Presented: 4 March 2020 at The London Palladium – Host: Greg James[20][21]
Best New Presenter Best New Show Best News Coverage
  • Gold: Raj & Pilar: The Reality Tea (Fresh Air Productions for BBC Radio 1)
  • Silver: Jacob Hawley: On Drugs (BBC Sounds)
  • Bronze: Tyler West (Kiss FM)
Best Speech Presenter – Breakfast Best Speech Presenter – Non breakfast Best Sports Show
Best Music Presenter – Breakfast Best Music Presenter – Non breakfast Best Specialist Music Show
Funniest Show Best Factual – Single programme Best Factual – Series
  • Gold: Kane Walker: Life and Death On The Streets (BBC Radio WM)
  • Silver: Being Gerry Adams (Juniper for BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: A Sense of Quietness (Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Gold: Ladder to Nowhere (Whistledown Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Surrogacy: A Family Frontier (BBC Radio 5 Live)
  • Bronze: The Bellingcat Podcast: MH17 (Novel)
Best Community Programme Best Independent Podcast Best Station Sound
Best Commercial Promotion Best Marketing Campaign Best Coverage of an Event
Best Local Radio Show John Myers Award for Local Station of the Year National Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional Storytelling Radio Times Moment of The Year The GOLD Awards
  • Gold: Forest 404 (BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: A View From A Hill (Bafflegab Productions for Audible)
  • Bronze: First Do No Harm (BBC Radio 4)
  • talkSPORT (20 years of broadcasting and their commitment to diversity and representation in sport in the last year)
  • Jazz FM (30 years of broadcasting and their contribution to the genre of Jazz)
  • Tay FM (40 years of broadcasting and their contribution to the community of Tayside and Fife)

ARIAs 2021 edit

The nominees were announced on 21 April 2021.[8] Due to COVID-19 restrictions the 2021 awards ceremony was an hybrid event with just 100 invited guests in a small theatre at The May Fair Hotel. In recognition of content produced to support audiences in lockdown, new categories included The Creative Innovation Award, The Impact Award and The 2020 Special Award.

Presented: 26 May 2021 at The May Fair Hotel – Hosts: Jordan Banjo & Perri Kiely of Kiss FM[22][23]
Best New Presenter Best New Show Best News Coverage
Best Speech Breakfast Show Best Speech Presenter Best Sports Show
Best Music Breakfast Show Best Music Entertainment Show Best Specialist Music Show
The Comedy Award Best Factual – Single programme Best Factual – Series
The Grassroots Award Best Independent Podcast Best Station Sound
  • Gold: VENT (VICE & Brent 2020)
  • Silver: Ocean Youth Radio (Sound Communities)
  • Bronze: Dig Deep for Homeless Oxfordshire (JACK FM)
  • Gold: The Bellingcat Podcast (Novel)
  • Silver: Tales from the Tannoy (Sayer Hamilton and Tadah Media)
  • Bronze: Witness from Amnesty International (White Stiletto Productions)
Best Commercial Partnership Best Marketing Campaign The Impact Award
Best Local Radio Show John Myers Award for Local Station of the Year National Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional Storytelling The Creative Innovation Award The 2020 Special Award
Radio Times Moment of The Year

ARIAs 2022 edit

The nominees were announced on 5 April 2022.[24] The awards ceremony was once again a live in-person event after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Ivor Norvello Award-winning Tom Odell and two-time BRIT award-winning Heather Small both performed at the awards, with Heather Small opening the ceremony. This year marked the inaugural Pioneer Award, which was bestowed on Janice Long.

Presented: 3 May 2022 at The Adelphi Theatre – Hosts: Rylan Clark with a live voice-over from Fleur East[25]
Best New Presenter Best New Show Best News Coverage
  • Gold: Decode (Reduced Listening for Spotify)
  • Silver: The Unfiltered History Tour (VICE World News)
  • Bronze: Uncanny (Bafflegab Productions for BBC Radio 4)
Best Speech Breakfast Show Best Speech Presenter Best Sports Show
Best Music Breakfast Show Best Music Entertainment Show Best Specialist Music Show
  • Gold: The last Radio 1's Dance Party with Annie Mac (We are Grape for BBC Radio 1)
  • Silver: Garry Spence (Clyde 1)
  • Bronze: The Rock Show (National Prison Radio)
The Comedy Award Best Factual – Single programme Best Factual – Series
  • Gold: The Skewer (Unusual Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Cold Case Crime Cuts (Unusual Productions)
  • Bronze: Rosie Jones: Box Ticker Too (Dabster Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Gold: The Nazi Next Door (BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Lights Out: The Last Taboo (Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: Have You Heard George's Podcast: Mavado & VybzGeorge the Poet (BBC Sounds)
The Grassroots Award Best Independent Podcast Best Station Sound
  • Gold: We are VOICES podcast (The VOICES Network and British Red Cross)
  • Silver: IVF Dad podcast (18Sixty)
  • Bronze: Fully Amplified podcast (Futures Theatre and Reduced Listening)
  • Gold: The Long Time Academy (Scenery Studios, Headspace Studios and The Long Time Project)
  • Silver: Why Do I Feel? (Bite Your Tongue Productions)
  • Bronze: Wild Crimes (Whistledown Productions, for the Natural History Museum)
Best Commercial Partnership Best Marketing Campaign The Impact Award
  • Gold: Puffin Podcast: Mission Imagination (Mags Creative and Puffin Books)
  • Silver: Bedtime Stories (Audio Always and Dreams)
  • Bronze: The Dave Berry Breakfast Show (Absolute Radio and Wickes)
  • Gold: Woman's Hour: "Trafficked in Plain Sight"(BBC Audio for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: BARS with Lady Unchained (Folded Wing for National Prison Radio)
  • Bronze: KISS Life with Swarzy (Playmaker Group for KISS)
Best Local Radio Show John Myers Award for Local Station of the Year National Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional Storytelling The Creative Innovation Award Best Coverage of an Event
  • Gold: Little Blue Lines (BBC Audio for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: You & Me (Naked Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: The Old Man in the Boat (Message Heard Media for Fun Kids)
  • Gold: Life Sentence (Mags Creative)
  • Silver: The Battersea Poltergeist (Bafflegab Productions for BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: The Unfiltered History Tour (VICE World News)
Radio Times Moment of The Year
The Pioneer Award[26]
Janice Long (awarded posthumously)

ARIAs 2023 edit

The nominees were announced on 30 March 2023. Two award categories were retired; Best Independent Podcast and Best Marketing Campaign, and replaced by four new categories; Best Community Station of the Year, Best Audiobook or Reading and a split of Best New Show into Best New Radio Show and Best New Podcast. In addition, Best Fictional Storytelling which in previous years had included readings became Best Drama. There was also a one-off 2022 Special Award recognising audio coverage following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, bringing the total number of awards to 28. A change of venue was also announced.[27]

On 21 April 2023 it was revealed that Tony Blackburn would be receiving this year's Pioneer Award for his near 60 years in broadcasting and contribution to the popularity of soul music in the UK.[28] Tim Blackmore was announced as guest of honour at this years ceremony in recognition of his contribution to radio and audio over the past six decades.[29]

Presented: 2 May 2023 at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – Hosts: Rylan Clark with a live voice-over from Fleur East[27][30][31]
Best New Presenter Best New Radio Show Best News Coverage
  • Gold: Zak and Jules (Life After Prison podcast)
  • Silver: Harriet Rose (KISS FM)
  • Bronze: Alyx Holcombe (BBC Introducing Rock on Radio 1)
  • Gold: The Smugglers’ Trail (BBC Audio Documentaries Unit for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Stories of Our Times: The British Man Rescuing Ukrainians from Putin’s War (Wireless Studios for The Times)
  • Bronze: Sitrep: Inside Ukraine’s Capital (BFBS – The Forces Station)
Best Speech Breakfast Show Best Speech Presenter Best Sports Show
Best Music Breakfast Show Best Music Entertainment Show Best Specialist Music Show
The Comedy Award Best Factual – Single programme Best Factual – Series
The Grassroots Award Best New Podcast Best Station Sound
  • Gold: Colouring in Britain (BBC Sounds Audio Lab)
  • Silver: Go Love Yourself (Crowd Network)
  • Bronze: Off The Beaten Jack (Jack Boswell)
Best Commercial Partnership Best Music Special The Impact Award
Best Local Show John Myers Award for Local Station of the Year National Station or Network of the Year
Best Drama The Creative Innovation Award Best Coverage of an Event
Best Audiobook or Reading Community Station of the Year The 2022 Special Award (following the death of Her Majesty The Queen)
Radio Times Moment of The Year
The Pioneer Award
Tony Blackburn for almost 60 years in broadcasting and contribution to the popularity of soul music in the UK

References edit

  1. ^ a b "My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast up for Radio Academy ARIAS award". East London and West Essex Guardian. 19 September 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b "ARIAS: Audio & Radio Industry Awards". LeedsBeckett.ac.uk. 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
  3. ^ Riley, Phil (16 January 2020). "RadioRiley: How we judge the ARIAs". RadioRiley. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Winners announced for the first ever Young ARIAS". RadioToday. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  5. ^ "Young ARIAs to become Young Audio Awards in 2020". RadioToday. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Young Audio Awards | The radio & audio awards for 8-18 year olds". Young Audio Awards. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Global avoids Audio and Radio Industry Awards". RadioToday. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b "All the nominations revealed for ARIAS 2021". RadioToday. 21 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Nominations for 2016 Audio and Radio Industry Awards revealed". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  10. ^ "2016 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  11. ^ "BBC clean up at Audio and Radio Industry Awards". RadioToday. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  12. ^ Martin, Roy (29 January 2015). "Orion Media partners with Babcock for D2 bid". Radio Today. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Audio & Radio Industry Awards 2017 nominations". RadioToday. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Audio Radio Industry Awards 2017 – winners". RadioToday. 19 October 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  15. ^ "2017 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  16. ^ "BBC dominates shortlist for ARIAS 2018 radio awards". RadioToday. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2018 – winners". RadioToday.co.uk. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  18. ^ "2018 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  19. ^ "Shortlist out for Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2020". RadioToday. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2020 – Winners". RadioToday. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  21. ^ "2020 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  22. ^ "All the Audio & Radio Industry Awards 2021 winners". RadioToday. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  23. ^ "2021 ARIAS". Radio Academy. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Shortlist announced for the Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2022". RadioToday. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  25. ^ "The ARIAS - Nominees". Radio Academy. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Special recognition award for DJ Janice Long to be presented at the ARIAS". On The Radio. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Nominees and new location announced for ARIAS 2023". RadioToday. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  28. ^ Bailey, Sam (21 April 2023). "Radio icon Tony Blackburn to receive The Pioneer Award". Radio Academy. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  29. ^ Bailey, Sam (21 April 2023). "Tim Blackmore MBE will be ARIAS guest of honour". Radio Academy. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  30. ^ "Rob Delaney, Romesh Ranganathan, Craig Charles Among Winners At ARIAS 2023". Beyond The Joke. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  31. ^ "ARIAS 2023 Winners". Radio Academy. Retrieved 3 May 2023.

External links edit