Real Radio in the northwest has been crowned Station of the Year in GMG Radio’s annual awards ceremony.
The station won the group’s most coveted award for its outstanding performance both on air and commercially over the last year.
The 2010 GMG Radio Awards were held at Manchester’s plush Palace Hotel where the station’s Ditchy and Salty also picked up the award for Best Breakfast Show and David Heane, host of The Evening Show, won Presenter of the Year.
The Wanted, Joe McElderry and Olly Murs were among the performers at this year’s award ceremony.
Real Radio’s north east news team won the award for News Story of the Year for its coverage of the Raoul Moat shooting spree, while its sister Real Radio station in Yorkshire was declared to have the News Team Of the Year.
Real Radio north east’s Vote Joe campaign – which urged people to vote for Joe McElderry in the 2009 X-Factor and has already won several industry awards – won the Event Marketing Award.
Commercially Smooth Radio’s East Midlands sales team won Sales Team of the Year while Real Radio Scotland’s Jill Todd won the individual Sales Person of the Year title.
Special Awards went to Real Radio Wales’ Chris Moore who celebrated 10 years as the station’s morning presenter in October and Smooth Radio Glasgow’s afternoon host Dave Marshall, who hangs up his headphones this month after an incredible 35 years in radio.
GMG Radio Chief Executive Stuart Taylor said: “As a brand Real Radio has had a fantastic year but our north west station is to be congratulated on its great achievements both on and off air over the last 12 months. Throughout GMG Radio we have a wealth of extremely talented and dedicated individuals and our annual awards enable us to celebrate some of their achievements.”
Andy Carter, Managing Director of GMG Radio’s stations in the north west, said: “What a great end to a wonderful year for Real Radio. The team have put in 110 per cent and it’s a testament to that work to be recognised with not one but three of the top programming awards.”
[b]AWARDS IN FULL[/b]
Station of the Year – Real Radio Northwest
Station Employee of the Year – Lisa Shaw, Real Radio Northeast
Group Employee of the Year – Wendy Phillimore, GMG Radio Solutions
Best Newcomer – Ciaran Howley, Real Radio Northwest
Scott Trust Award – GMG Radio Northeast ‘Power of 10’
Salesperson of the Year – Jill Todd, Real Radio Scotland
Sales Team of the Year – Smooth Radio UK (East Midlands) Commercial Team
Promotional/Sponsorship Campaign – Real Radio Wales S&P ‘Bride on the Run’
Best Creative Campaign – GMG Radio Creative Solutions / Stuart Robertson ‘Matalan Jingle Bells’
Best Use of Digital – GMG Radio National SandP Team ‘Terry’s Chocolate Orange’
Event Marketing Award – Real Radio Northeast ‘Vote Joe’
Best Breakfast Show – Real Radio Northwest ‘Ditchy and Salty’
Presenter of the Year – Real Radio Northwest, David Heane
News Team of the Year – Real Radio Yorkshire News Team
News Story of the Year – Real Radio Northeast News Team, ‘Last Days of Raoul Moat’
Sports Award – Real Radio Northeast Sports Team
[b]People’s Choice[/b]
Chris Reynolds Commercial Scheduling Team
Dave Brierley-Jones Network Producer
Teresa Gough GMG Radio Solutions
[b]Special Awards[/b]
Chris Moore – Real Radio Wales
Dave Marshall – Smooth Radio Glasgow