Audio and Radio Industry Awards explained

Audio and Radio Industry Awards
Subheader:(The ARIAs)
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Awarded For:Excellence in radio / audio presenting and production
Date:2 May 2023
Location:Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London
Country:United Kingdom
Presenter:The Radio Academy
Host:Rylan Clark
Former Name:The Sony Radio Awards
The Radio Academy Awards
Winner:or
Winners:-->
Most Wins:-->
Network List:-->
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Related:The Radio Academy Awards
The Young Audio 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.

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

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.

ARIAs 2016

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.[8]

Best News Coverage! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best Entertainment ProductionBest Audio Dramatisation
  • Gold: The Buncrana Pier Tragedy (BBC Radio Foyle)
  • Silver: A New Life in Europe: The Dhnie Family (BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: PM: Jo Cox's Murder (BBC Radio 4)
--- title as written on BBC Radio 4 web page https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076mml5 --->
  • Silver: Cuttin’ It (BBC Radio Drama London for Radio 4)
  • Bronze: Merseyside Blitz: An Unconquered People (BBC Radio Merseyside)
Best National Speech Breakfast ShowBest Local Breakfast ShowBest National Music Breakfast Show
Best Sports ShowBest Digital Audio ServicePodcast of the Year
(BBC Radio Tees)
  • 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 InnovationThe Radio Academy AwardSpeech Broadcaster of the Year
Music Broadcaster of the YearBest Local StationBest 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)

ARIAs 2017

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.[9]

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New ShowBest News Coverage
Best Speech Presenter – BreakfastBest Speech Presenter – Non breakfastSports Show of the Year
Best Music Presenter – BreakfastBest Music Presenter – Non breakfastBest Specialist Music Show
Best Entertainment / Comedy ProductionBest Factual Storytelling Best Fictional Storytelling
  • Gold: Life Lines (BBC Radio Drama)
  • Silver: Sarah Kendall: Australian Trilogy (BBC Studios Comedy)
  • Bronze: Comment is Free (BBC Radio 4 Bristol)
Best Community ProgrammeBest Online Radio StationBest 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 PromotionBest Branded Content or PartnershipBest Marketing Campaign
Best Coverage of an EventLocal Station of the YearNational Radio Station of the Year
Team of the YearIndividual of the Year

ARIAs 2018

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.[10]

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New Show / PodcastBest News Coverage
Best Speech Presenter – BreakfastBest Speech Presenter – Non breakfastBest Sports Show / Podcast
  • Gold: Justin Dealey (BBC Eastern Counties)
  • Silver: Tony Livesey (BBC Radio 5 Live)
  • Bronze: Anna Foster (BBC Radio 5 Live)
  • 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 – BreakfastBest Music Presenter – Non breakfastBest Specialist Music Show
Funniest ShowBest Factual Storytelling / Documentary Best Fictional Storytelling
Best Community ProgrammeBest PodcastBest Station Sound
  • Gold: Cariad LloydGriefcast
  • Silver: Health Uncovered – This is Distorted with the NHS
  • Bronze: Double Bubble (PRA Productions)
  • Gold: Radio 1 Vintage (BBC Radio Pop Hub Station Sound)
  • Silver: Absolute Radio
  • Bronze: Belfast is... (Q Radio)
Best Commercial PromotionBest Marketing CampaignBest 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 ShowLocal Station of the YearNational Station or Network of the Year
Team of the YearIndividual of the Year
  • Winner: Cash for Kids, Bauer Radio's network of local charities

ARIAs 2019

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

ARIAs 2020

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.[11]

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New ShowBest 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 – BreakfastBest Speech Presenter – Non breakfastBest Sports Show
Best Music Presenter – BreakfastBest Music Presenter – Non breakfastBest Specialist Music Show
Funniest ShowBest 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 ProgrammeBest Independent PodcastBest Station Sound
Best Commercial PromotionBest Marketing CampaignBest Coverage of an Event
Best Local Radio ShowJohn Myers Award for Local Station of the YearNational Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional StorytellingRadio Times Moment of The YearThe 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

The nominees were announced on 21 April 2021.[12] 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.

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New ShowBest News Coverage
Best Speech Breakfast ShowBest Speech PresenterBest Sports Show
  • Gold: Coming in From the Cold (Unedited for talkSPORT)
  • Silver: The Women's Sports Show (BBC Radio London)
  • Bronze: The High Performance Podcast (Rethink Audio & Jake Humphrey)
Best Music Breakfast ShowBest Music Entertainment ShowBest Specialist Music Show
The Comedy AwardBest Factual – Single programme Best Factual – Series
The Grassroots AwardBest Independent PodcastBest 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 PartnershipBest Marketing CampaignThe Impact Award
Best Local Radio ShowJohn Myers Award for Local Station of the YearNational Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional StorytellingThe Creative Innovation AwardThe 2020 Special Award
  • Gold: Eight Point Nine Nine (BBC Audio Bristol for BBC Radio 4)
  • Silver: Red Earth Red Sky (BBC Audio Drama North for BBC Radio 4)
  • Bronze: Have You Heard George's Podcast? (George the Poet for BBC Sounds)
Radio Times Moment of The Year

ARIAs 2022

The nominees were announced on 5 April 2022.[13] 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.

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New ShowBest 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 ShowBest Speech PresenterBest Sports Show
Best Music Breakfast ShowBest Music Entertainment ShowBest 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 AwardBest 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 AwardBest Independent PodcastBest 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 PartnershipBest Marketing CampaignThe 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 ShowJohn Myers Award for Local Station of the YearNational Station or Network of the Year
Best Fictional StorytellingThe Creative Innovation AwardBest 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[14]
Janice Long (awarded posthumously)

ARIAs 2023

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.[15]

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.[16] 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.[17]

Best New Presenter! style="background:#FAEB86;" width="33%"
Best New Radio ShowBest 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 ShowBest Speech PresenterBest Sports Show
Best Music Breakfast ShowBest Music Entertainment ShowBest Specialist Music Show
The Comedy AwardBest Factual – Single programmeBest Factual – Series
The Grassroots AwardBest New PodcastBest 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 PartnershipBest Music SpecialThe Impact Award
Best Local ShowJohn Myers Award for Local Station of the YearNational Station or Network of the Year
Best DramaThe Creative Innovation AwardBest Coverage of an Event
Best Audiobook or ReadingCommunity Station of the YearThe 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 19 October 2018 . My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast up for Radio Academy ARIAS award . https://web.archive.org/web/20181019091142/https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/leisure/showbiz/14751949.My_Dad_Wrote_A_Porno_podcast_up_for_Radio_Academy_ARIAS_awar/ . live . . 19 September 2016. 19 October 2018.
  2. Web site: ARIAS: Audio & Radio Industry Awards . 2017 . 31 July 2017 . 19 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170731002249/http://leedsbeckett.ac.uk/arias/ . . live.
  3. Web site: Riley . Phil . 2020-01-16 . RadioRiley: How we judge the ARIAs . 2022-04-05 . RadioRiley.
  4. Web site: 2019-05-17 . Winners announced for the first ever Young ARIAS . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  5. Web site: 2019-07-17 . Young ARIAs to become Young Audio Awards in 2020 . 2022-04-05 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Young Audio Awards The radio & audio awards for 8-18 year olds . 2022-04-05 . Young Audio Awards . en-GB.
  7. Web site: 2016-09-21 . Global avoids Audio and Radio Industry Awards . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Nominations for 2016 Audio and Radio Industry Awards revealed . 2022-04-04 . www.musicweek.com . en.
  9. Web site: 2017-09-18 . Audio & Radio Industry Awards 2017 nominations . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  10. Web site: 2018-09-17 . BBC dominates shortlist for ARIAS 2018 radio awards . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  11. Web site: 2020-01-15 . Shortlist out for Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2020 . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  12. Web site: 2021-04-21 . All the nominations revealed for ARIAS 2021 . 2022-04-04 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  13. Web site: 2022-04-05 . Shortlist announced for the Audio and Radio Industry Awards 2022 . 2022-08-07 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Special recognition award for DJ Janice Long to be presented at the ARIAS . 2023-04-24 . On The Radio . en-GB.
  15. Web site: 2023-03-30 . Nominees and new location announced for ARIAS 2023 . 2023-04-24 . RadioToday . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Bailey . Sam . 2023-04-21 . Radio icon Tony Blackburn to receive The Pioneer Award . 2023-04-24 . Radio Academy.
  17. Web site: Bailey . Sam . 2023-04-21 . Tim Blackmore MBE will be ARIAS guest of honour . 2023-04-24 . Radio Academy.