The winners of ARIAS 2023 have been announced.
After another landmark year for audio and radio, the ARIAS celebrated the achievements of the UK's individuals, networks and stations over the last 12 months at an event in London.
Radio icon Tony Blackburn was honoured with the Pioneer Award, presented by Greg James, host Rylan paid tribute to Paul O'Grady, describing him as a "21st Century national treasure" to great applause from the audience.
This year, there were four new categories including Best Audiobook or Reading, which Rob Delaney won for his memoir A Heart That Works, about the loss of his young son Henry. He was presented the award by friend and fellow comedian Rosie Jones.
"Tony Livesey won't say goodbye to Dame Deborah James on BBC Radio 5 Live" won the public-voted Radio Times Moment of the Year. You, Me and the Big C was also awarded The Impact Award, presented by Adele Roberts. The show's producers Mike Holt and Alex Entwistle collected the award on host Lauren Mahon's behalf and said - "We'd like to dedicate this to our friend and inspirational colleague Deborah James. Deborah would be so thrilled. From us, check your balls, from the girls, check your boobs, and from Debs, check your poo!"
As podcast audiences in the UK continue to rise rapidly, Audio Lab for BBC Sounds Colouring In Britain took Gold for the new category Best New Podcast, and Zak and Jules were awarded Best New Presenter for their Life After Prisonpodcast. Folding Pocket Productions for BBC Sounds Moment of Truth took home Best Sports Show, and BBC Radio 4's File on 4: Isobel's Story won Best Factual Single Programme.
The BBC took home 17 Gold awards in total, with Radio 4 claiming the first spot in seven categories including the prestigious UK Station or Network of the Year, The Smugglers' Trail for Best News Coverage, File on 4: Isobel's Story for Best Factual – Single Programme and The Skewer: The Queen for The Comedy Award. The Skewer host Jon Holmes gave a welcome shout-out to the team's colleagues in BBC local radio.
Further BBC winners included BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast for Best Speech Breakfast Show, BBC Radio 6 Music's Craig Charles for Best Music Entertainment Show, BBC Radio 2's For the Love of Hip Hop with Romesh Ranganathan for Best Specialist Music Show and more. On receiving the award, Romesh said - "The team has been incredible, they've worked around my incompetence so well... It's an honour to host this podcast, and I hope I continue to keep doing it until I get cancelled".
Bauer Media radio brands were also celebrated on the night with Absolute Radio awarded Best Coverage of an Event for Mental Health Awareness Week and Best Commercial Partnership for Magic Radio Breakfast with On the Beach.
Further wins across the evening included Nile Rodgers, who was awarded Best Music Special for his Deep Hidden Meaning Radio show on Apple Music, Fun Kids Mission Transmission took home The Creative Innovation Award, Adrian Durham was crowned as Best Speech Presenter for his talkSPORT show, and The Isle of Wight's Vectis Radiotook Gold for the brand new category Community Station of the Year.
The full winners list can be found below.
Winners
BEST NEW PRESENTER
GOLD WINNER
Zak and Jules
Life After Prison podcast
SILVER
Harriet Rose
KISS FM UK
BRONZE
Alyx Holcombe
BBC Introducing Rock on Radio 1
BEST NEW RADIO SHOW
GOLD WINNER
Room 5
BBC Radio 4
SILVER
The Unfiltered History Tour
VICE World News
BRONZE
Shaun Keaveny's Community Garden Radio
BEST NEWS COVERAGE
GOLD WINNER
The Smugglers’ Trail
BBC Audio Documentaries Unit for 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
BEST SPEECH BREAKFAST SHOW
GOLD WINNER
5 Live Breakfast
BBC Radio 5 Live
SILVER
Today
BBC Radio 4
BRONZE
Good Morning Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BEST SPEECH PRESENTER
GOLD WINNER
Adrian Durham
talkSPORT
SILVER
Dan Snow
History Hit podcast
BRONZE
Helena Merriman
BBC Radio 4
BEST SPORTS SHOW
GOLD WINNER
Moment of Truth
Folding Pocket Productions for BBC Sounds
SILVER
The Big Saturday Football Show
Forth 1 & The Hits Radio Network Scotland
BRONZE
Fast and Loose
Novel for Wondery
BEST COVERAGE OF AN EVENT
GOLD WINNER
Mental Health Awareness Week
Absolute Radio
SILVER
The Discovery of Endurance
Dan Snow’s History Hit podcast
BRONZE
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
talkSPORT
THE COMEDY AWARD
GOLD WINNER
The Skewer: The Queen
unusual for BBC Radio 4
SILVER
Nature Table
BBC Studios for Radio 4
BRONZE
From The Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast, Series 2
Baby Cow for Audible
BEST MUSIC BREAKFAST SHOW
GOLD WINNER
1Xtra Breakfast with Nadia Jae
BBC Audio for Radio 1Xtra
SILVER
Big John at Breakfast
Hallam FM
BRONZE
Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James
BBC Audio for Radio 1
BEST MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT SHOW
GOLD WINNER
Craig Charles
Audio Always for BBC Radio 6 Music
SILVER
My Life
Mighty Mouth Productions for Fun Kids
BRONZE
Throwback Throwdown
We Are Grape for BBC Sounds
BEST SPECIALIST MUSIC SHOW
GOLD WINNER
For the Love of Hip Hop with Romesh Ranganathan
Folded Wing for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds
SILVER
Night Tracks
BBC Audio for Radio 3
BRONZE
National Prison Radio's Rock Show
Prison Radio Association
BEST MUSIC SPECIAL
GOLD WINNER
Deep Hidden Meaning Radio with Nile Rodgers
Apple Music Radio
SILVER
A Career in Music with Harmony Samuels
Cast Iron Radio for BBC Radio 4
BRONZE
Pass The Mic
Novel for KISS FM
BEST FACTUAL - SINGLE PROGRAMME
GOLD WINNER
File on 4: Isobel's Story
BBC Radio 4
SILVER
Justice for The 97
BBC Radio Merseyside
BRONZE
Nightwatch
BBC Scotland Productions for BBC Radio 4
BEST FACTUAL - SERIES
GOLD WINNER
In Dark Corners
BBC Scotland Productions for Radio 4
SILVER
Who Killed Daphne?
Wondery
BRONZE
Assume Nothing: The Last Request
BBC Radio Ulster and Radio 4
BEST NEW PODCAST
GOLD WINNER
Colouring In Britain
BBC Sounds Audio Lab
SILVER
Go Love Yourself
Crowd Network
BRONZE
Off The Beaten Jack
Jack Boswell
BEST DRAMA
GOLD WINNER
Dear Harry Kane
BBC Audio Drama London for Radio 4
SILVER
Algorithms
RooksNest for Audible
BRONZE
The Rez
Rezilience and Gen Z Media
BEST AUDIOBOOK OR READING
GOLD WINNER
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney
Coronet Books
SILVER
This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan
BBC Audio Books for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds
BRONZE
Voices in the Valley by Andrew Michael Hurley
BBC Audio Books for Radio 4
BEST STATION SOUND
GOLD WINNER
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Popular Music Station Sound
SILVER
Fix Radio
Devaweb & Fix Radio
BRONZE
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on talkSPORT
Wireless Creative
BEST COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP
GOLD WINNER
Magic Radio Breakfast with On the Beach
SILVER
Free Flow sponsored by Shannon Trust
National Prison Radio
BRONZE
The Thursday Team Talk with Macmillan Cancer Support
talkSPORT
THE CREATIVE INNOVATION AWARD
GOLD WINNER
Fun Kids Mission Transmission
SILVER
Soundworlds
BRONZE
Radio 1’s Murder Mystery
BBC Audio for Radio 1
THE GRASSROOTS AWARD
GOLD WINNER
United Against Knife Crime
BBC Radio Merseyside
SILVER
Life After Prison podcast
Prison Radio Association
BRONZE
Ocean Youth Radio
THE IMPACT AWARD
GOLD WINNER
You, Me, and the Big C
BBC Radio 5 Live
SILVER
In Dark Corners
BBC Scotland Productions for Radio 4
BRONZE
Justice for Joseph
Hits Radio Manchester
BEST LOCAL SHOW
GOLD WINNER
Pulse 1 Breakfast with Mylo & Rosie
SILVER
Justin Dealey
BBC Three Counties Radio
BRONZE
The Big Saturday Football Show
Forth 1 & The Hits Radio Network Scotland
THE 2022 SPECIAL AWARD, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HM THE QUEEN
GOLD WINNER
Daily News Reportage
James Bryant & Jonny Dymond, for BBC News
SILVER
The Skewer: The Queen
unusual for BBC Radio 4
BRONZE
The Second Elizabethan Age
Tortoise Media
COMMUNITY STATION OF THE YEAR
GOLD WINNER
Vectis Radio
The Isle of Wight
SILVER
Bro Radio
The Vale of Glamorgan
BRONZE
Pride Radio
North East of England
THE JOHN MYERS AWARD FOR BEST LOCAL STATION OF THE YEAR
GOLD WINNER
Clyde 1
SILVER
BBC Radio Merseyside
BRONZE
BBC Radio Ulster
UK STATION OR NETWORK OF THE YEAR
GOLD WINNER
BBC Radio 4
SILVER
talkSPORT
BRONZE
BBC Radio 6 Music
RADIO TIMES MOMENT OF THE YEAR
GOLD WINNER
Tony Livesey won’t say goodbye to Dame Deborah James on BBC Radio 5 Live
SILVER
Fun Kids’ Mission Transmission
BRONZE
Liz Truss BBC Local Radio interviews
Pictured: Rob Delaney