Podcasters, local radio and the independent sector challenged the big networked radio groups at this year’s Audio & Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS), picking up some of the evening?s biggest awards.
Podcasters ARIAS Winners
A star-studded ceremony at the first direct Arena in Leeds (October 18) saw podcasters picking up three of the big awards on the night, with Best New Show going to You, Me & the Big C; Best Specialist Music Show was won by Edith Bowman with her podcast, Soundtracking and Best Sports Show was scooped by Mo-Joe: An 18 Week Marathon Training Diary.? In addition, Griefcast won the Best Podcast category.
Local Radio ARIAS Winners
Local Radio also had a good evening, picking up Golds in five of the big categories with Best Music Presenter at Breakfast going to The Pulse 1 with their Breakfast Show with Mylo & Rosie; Best Speech Presenter at Breakfast was won by Stephen Nolan, BBC Radio Ulster; Best Speech Presenter Non-Breakfast was won by Justin Dealey, BBC Eastern Counties; Best Coverage of an Event was picked up by An Accent Exceedingly Rare: A Love Letter to Liverpool – BBC Merseyside and the Best Marketing Campaign was awarded to Common People – BBC Radio Sheffield. In addition, Best Local Radio Show went to David Burns at BBC Radio Humberside and Best Local Station of the Year went to BBC Radio Leeds.
Indies ARIAS Winners
Independent production companies also had a good night bagging four Golds, with Best Music Presenter Non-Breakfast won by Folded Wing for Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2; Best Factual Storytelling was scooped by Loftus Media for Meeting The Man I Killed;? Best Fictional Storytelling was won by PRA Productions with Double Bubble and Best Sports Show was won by 7 Digital for the podcast, Mo-Joe: An 18 Week Marathon Training Diary.
The Best National Station/Network of the Year went to BBC Radio 1, who also picked up Gold for the Best Station Sound with BBC Radio 1 Vintage.
Magic Radio picked up Gold for Best Commercial Promotion and Best New Presenter also went to Magic Radio?s Ronan Keating.? Best Community Programming was won by Absolute Radio?s Frank Skinner in Conversation with Al Gore.
The Emma Barnett Show; Real Life Stories on BBC 5 Live won Gold for Best News Coverage and Funniest Show went to Fortunately with Fi [Glover] and Jane [Garvey] on BBC Radio 4.
Team of the Year went to Cash for Kids, Bauer Radio’s network of local charities operating across 22 areas of the UK and Individual of the Year was handed to Paul Sylvester, Content Director at Absolute Radio. Both these categories were voted on by members of the Radio Academy.
The awards were hosted by Melvin Odoom and Pandora of Kiss FM, with live performances on the night from top artists including Tony Hadley and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 808 State, Poppy Adjula and winners of Local Music Live, Cosovettes. The awards, organised by the Radio Academy and supported by LeedsBID (Business Improvement District), are the audio and radio industry’s prestigious flagship awards.
A total of 23 awards were handed out, recognising innovation and excellence across all audio mediums and celebrating the very best of the industry.
Roger Cutsforth, Chief Executive of The Radio Academy said: “In another fantastic ARIAS ceremony, it was great to see the awards are no longer dominated by the big Networks, with the rise of the Podcast, the resurgence of the quality in local radio and the indies coming up hard on the rails.The ARIAS have this year proved that the best in innovation is happening outside London, on which note, we are delighted to be back in Leeds for the third year with our partners, LeedsBID at the first direct arena for another fantastic celebration.”
Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive of LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District), which is behind bringing Segue and the ARIAS to Leeds, said: “It was great for the city to have the ARIAS returning to Leeds for the third year running, and what an evening it was, made even better seeing local talent among the winners.
“Events of this status and scale are essential in continuing to showcase this city while building its reputation on a national and international stage as well as bringing economic benefits to those who do business here.”
All the winners of the ARIAS 2018 (Audio and Radio Industry Awards)
| Category | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Best New Show/Podcast | You, Me & the Big C
BBC Radio 5 Live |
Death in Ice Valley
BBC World Service |
I Hear Voices
BBC Newsbeat |
| Best Sports Show | Mo-Joe: An 18 Week Marathon Training Diary
7 Digital |
Fight Disciples | On The Left Side ? The Funny Football Show |
| Best News Coverage | Emma Barnett Show ? Real Life Stories
BBC Radio 5 Live |
BBC Radio Leeds | We Stand Together:? The Manchester Arena Attack One Year On
Tower FM |
| Best New Presenter | Ronan Keating ? Magic Radio | Mollie King ? BBC Radio 1 | Kat Harbourne & Jenny Eells ? The Naked Podcast ?
BBC Radio Sheffield |
| Best Speech Presenter ? Breakfast | Stephen Nolan ? BBC Radio Ulster | Nicky Campbell & Rachel Burden ? BBC Radio 5 Live | Mishal Hussain ? BBC Radio 4 |
| Best Music Presenter ? Breakfast | The Pulse 1 Breakfast Show with Mylo & Rosie | The Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw | The 1Xtra Breakfast Show with Dotty |
| Best Speech Presenter ? Non Breakfast | Justin Dealey ? BBC Eastern Counties | Tony Livesey ? BBC Radio 5 Live | Anna Foster ? BBC Radio 5 Live |
| Best Music Presenter ? Non Breakfast | Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2 – Folded Wing | Trevor Nelson on BBC Radio 2 ? Somethin? Else | Edith Bowman:? Soundtracking with Edith Bowman ? Elbow Productions |
| Best Specialist Music Show | Soundtracking with Edith Bowman????????????????? Ebow Productions | Annie Mac – BBC Radio 1 | Soundscapes with Stephen McCauley????????????????? BBC Radio Ulster |
| Funniest Show | Fortunately?..with Fi & Jane – BBC Radio 4 | International New Year Comedy Celebration ?
BBC World Service |
John Holmes Saturday Show -? BBC Radio Kent |
| Best Podcast | Griefcast | Health Uncovered? – This Is Distorted with the NHS | Double Bubble – PRA Productions |
| Best Coverage of an Event | An Accent Exceedingly Rare: A Love Letter to Liverpool – BBC Merseyside | Manchester – Together With One Voice – XS Manchester | Gregathlon: Pedal To The Peaks – BBC Radio 1 |
| Best Fictional Storytelling | Double Bubble – PRA Productions | The World?s Worst Children 3 by David Walliams Harper Collins Publishers | The Final Take: Bowie In The Studio for BBC World Service – Perfectly Normal Productions |
| Best Station Sound | BBC Radio 1 Vintage – BBC Radio Pop Hub Station Sound | Absolute Radio | Belfast is ??.. – Q Radio |
| Best Factual Storytelling | Meeting The Man I Killed – Loftus Media | Between The Ears: The NHS Symphony – BBC Radio Documentaries | The Sound of Protest – Absolute Radio |
| Best Marketing Campaign | Common People? -? BBC Radio Sheffield | The 2018? FIFA World Cup, Russia ? talkSport | The Dave Berry Breakfast Show – Absolute Radio |
| Best Commercial Promotion | The Greatest Showman? – Magic Radio | The 2018? FIFA World Cup, Russia on talkSport with Just Eat | Absolute Radio & Wickes |
| Best Local Radio Show | David Burns – BBC Radio Humberside | Wake Up with Webster – Tay FM | Stephanie Hirst – BBC Radio Leeds |
| Local Station of the Year | BBC Radio Leeds | Forth 1 | BBC Radio Merseyside |
| Best Community Programming | Frank Skinner in Conversation with Al Gore – ?Absolute Radio | The Helen & Douglas House Radiothon – JACKfm Oxfordshire | BBC Asian Network at Mulberry Girls School,????? Tower Hamlets |
| National Station/Network of the Year | BBC Radio 1 | BBC Radio 5 Live | Absolute Radio |
