Nick Ferrari has taken home two Golds at the 2010 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards.
The LBC 97.3 presenter won the top award of the night, the Arqiva Gold, along with Best Breakfast Show.
In addition, Bauer Radio took home five awards and Fun Kids was name Digital Station of the Year.
Bauer Radio triumphed by winning no less than five awards across the evening, including two of the three Presenter of the Year Awards for Moray Firth Radio’s Knoxy (<300,000 TSA) and 96.3 Radio Aire’s Rich Williams (300,000 to 1m TSA).
Absolute Radio’s Clive Dickens was named RCS Programmer of the Year, praised for making Absolute ‘one of the most engaging and ambitious stations in the UK, and the first to achieve over 50 per cent of its national listening on digital’, whilst Geoff Lloyd of Absolute was named Presenter of the Year (1m to TSA).
There was further double success for Oxfordshire’s 106 JACKfm, winning Special Programme of the Year for Ali Booker’s Cancer Diaries, praised as ‘a moving, and often funny account which touched listeners in a big way’, and Station Imaging of the Year; The Bay, winning both Station of the Year (300,000 to 1m TSA) and Local Sales Team of the Year, applauded for having seen their profits rise by 40 per cent; Hallam FM, winning Radio Marketing Award for Get Me to the Church on Time 2 and Station of the Year (1m to TSA), described by judges as possessing ‘fantastic marketing activity and community interaction’; and Real Radio North West, winning the News Team of the Year and Social Action Initiative Award for Websafe, an ‘ambitious and effective multi-media campaign, using the web and local TV as well as radio, to tackle a serious issue affecting young people’.
FunKids was honoured as Digital Station of the Year, described by judges as ‘unique in targeting parents who want their children to listen to radio for fun, games and learning’, while 106.4 Andover Sound picked up the Station of the Year (<300,000 TSA), and applauded as ‘an integral part of countless charitable and community events’. Technical Innovation of the Year was awarded to the Global Radio Creativity Technology Team for their RadioVIS System, for ‘providing an enhanced visual experience for over 80 radio stations.’
GTN were awarded National Sales Team of the Year and credited with ‘exciting advertisers with brand new on-air ideas’. John Perkins, former Managing Director of IRN, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards, whilst Lisa Kerr was awarded the RadioCentre Chairman’s Award in recognition of her ‘exceptional performance in the long term development of commercial radio’. For the third year running Take That was named as the PPL Most Played UK Artist. Pudsey Grangefield, where over 200 pupils participate in the school’s station, was awarded the Schools Radio Award, presented in association with the Vision Charity.
Lucy Jones of 107.6 Banbury Sound fought of competition from Heart’s Emma Bunton to be named Skillset Newcomer of the Year, while Radio Feature of the Year was scooped by Radio City 96.7 for The Afghan Diaries – On the Front Line, described by judges as ‘emotive and brutally honest’. Specialist Programme of the Year was awarded to 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire’s Friday Night Sport Show with Bill & Ben.
Paul Eaton, Director of Radio, Arqiva, said: “Arqiva is hugely proud to be associated with these prestigious awards. They recognise the incredible diversity, talent and dedication that exist within commercial radio, both on and off-air, and the level of expertise among entries get stronger every year. Many congratulations to all the winners.”
Andrew Harrison, Chief Executive, RadioCentre, commented: “The Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards are a testament to the incredible hard work that our stations commit to producing the very best content for listeners across the country. With the standard of entrants higher than ever, and the introduction of new awards, they are a true reflection of the terrific service the commercial radio sector delivers.”
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards 2010 winners list:
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Feature of the Year – The Afghan Diaries – On the Front Line – Radio City 96.7
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Special Programme of the Year – Ali Booker’s Cancer Diaries – Oxfordshire’s 106 JACKfm
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Specialist Programme of the Year – Friday Night Sport Show with Bill & Ben – 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Social Action Initiative Award – Real Radio Websafe – Real Radio North West
The Arqiva/Triple A Breakfast Show of the Year – Nick Ferrari at Breakfast – LBC 97.3
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Schools Radio Award (in association with The Vision Charity) – Pudsey Grangefield School
The Arqiva/PPL Most Played UK Artist on Commercial Radio – Take That
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Marketing Award – Get Me to the Church on Time 2 – Hallam FM
The Arqiva Local Sales Team of the Year – The Bay Sales Team
The Arqiva National Sales Team of the Year – GTN
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Technical Innovation Award – Global Radio RadioVIS System – Global Radio Creativity Technology Team
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station Imaging Award – Oxfordshire’s 106 JACKfm
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Journalist/News Team of the Year – Real Radio North West News Team
The Arqiva/RCS Commercial Radio Programmer of the Year – Clive Dickens – Absolute Radio
The Arqiva/Skillset Commercial Radio Newcomer of the Year – Lucy Jones – 107.6 Banbury Sound
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Presenter of the Year (<300,000 TSA) – Knoxy – Moray Firth Radio (MFR)
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Presenter of the Year (300,000 to 1m TSA) – Rich Williams – 96.3 Radio Aire
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Presenter of the Year (1m + TSA) – Geoff Lloyd – Absolute Radio
Special Award – Lifetime Achievement Award – John Perkins
Special Award – The RadioCentre Chairman’s Award – Lisa Kerr
Special Award – The Arqiva Gold Award – Nick Ferrari – LBC 97.3
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Digital Station of the Year – FunKids
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (<300,000 TSA) – 106.4 Andover Sound
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (300,000 to 1m TSA) – The Bay
The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (1m + TSA) – Hallam FM
The ceremony was hosted by Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza Hotel, and guest presenters included Emma Bunton, Shadow Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw, John Whittingdale MP, Ken Livingstone, Iain Lee, Mark Goodier, David Jensen and Tom Parker Bowles. Attendees were treated to live performances from best-selling female artist, Katie Melua, girl band sensation, The Saturdays, and new boy band, The Wanted.