Audio Production Awards 2021 – full winners list announced

Annie Mac won a new special AudioUK Award whilst production company Listen was named Entertainment named Production Company of the Year at the 2021 APAs.

The Audio Production Awards were held at a gala evening on Wednesday 24 November at the BFI on London’s South Bank hosted by BBC Radio 1 presenters Jordan North & Vick Hope.

This year’s winners also included Ade Oladipo, who won an award for Best New Voice for his work at talkSPORT, including the Audio Content Fund-financed ‘Kick-off: Added Time’.

The Grassroots award was won by We are VOICES, a British Red Cross/VOICES network initiative that involved refugees and asylum seekers learning production skills to make podcasts building understanding and empathy through stories of lived experience.

Lady Unchained won Best Host – Speech Audio for her work with Folded Wing and Prison Radio Association.

For audiobooks, actor Olivia Coleman won Gold for Best Narrator for her work with Harper Collins.

Made in Manchester’s Ricky Wilson won Gold for Best Music Host and another win for MIM came with Ashley Byrne taking the Silver award for Best Music Producer.

Ben Walker won Best Drama Producer for his work with new company Storyglass.

Kellie While, Chair of AudioUK, said: “It’s been fantastic to have everyone back together in one place to celebrate our wonderful industry- this year’s nominees and winners can all be so proud of their work, produced to such a high standard in times which are still difficult for many.

“We hope these awards will inspire the next generation of production talent to seek recognition and we hope to see them here next year, up on the stage where they belong.”

Audio Production Awards – Winners 2021

Best Arts Producer

GOLD – Michael Umney – Novel

SILVER – Leonie Thomas – Whistledown Productions

BRONZE – Ben Walker – Storyglass in association with English Touring Theatre

Best News Producer

GOLD – Rachel Stonehouse – BBC Newsbeat

SILVER – Elizabeth Cassin – The Guardian

BRONZE – Robert Nicholson – Whistledown Productions

Best Factual Producer

GOLD – Geoff Bird – Freelance

SILVER – Will Roe – Wireless Studios

BRONZE – Joe Kent – BBC Long Form Audio

Best Drama Producer

GOLD – Ben Walker – Storyglass

SILVER – Rosalind Ayres – Jarvis & Ayres Productions

BRONZE – Nicolas Jackson – Afonica

Best New Voice

GOLD – Ade Oladipo – talkSPORT

SILVER – Zakia Sewell – Falling Tree Productions

BRONZE – Liza Ward – Whistledown Productions

Grassroots Production Award

GOLD – We Are VOICES – British Red Cross/VOICES Network

SILVER – Lucy Evans – Fierce Green Productions

BRONZE – Multitrack

Best Sports Producer

GOLD – Chris Browning – Formula 1

SILVER – Tayo Popoola – Freelance

BRONZE – Olly Clink – talkSPORT

Best Ensemble Cast

GOLD – Elis James & John Robins – Audio Always

SILVER – Nikita & Islah – TBI Media

BRONZE – Zeze Millz & David ‘Sideman’ Whitely – Amazon Music

Best New Podcast Producer

GOLD – Olivia Swift – Reform Radio

SILVER – Victor Lee – The Lunar Company

BRONZE – Anna Staufenberg – Crowd Network

Best Sound Design Producer

GOLD – The Skewer – Unusual Productions

SILVER – Steve Bond – Freelance

BRONZE – Martin Austwick – Freelance

Best Entertainment Producer

GOLD – Lance Dann – Rezilience Ltd

SILVER – Natalia Rodriguez – Radio Wolfgang

BRONZE – Liam Conroy – BBC Radio 1

Best Station Sound Producer

GOLD – Chris Nicoll – WIZZFX

SILVER – Ali Rezakhani – BBC Sounds

BRONZE – Rob Green – Audio Always

Best Narrator

GOLD – Olivia Colman – HarperCollins UK

SILVER – David Haig – Pier Productions Ltd

BRONZE – Colleen Prendergast – Almost Tangible

Best Audiobook Producer

GOLD – Dirk Maggs – Audible Studios

SILVER – Richard Hughes – Anyway Audio

BRONZE – Caroline Raphael – Freelance

Gethin Thomas Award for Best Comedy Producer

GOLD – Benbrick – Novel

SILVER – Lance Dann – Rezilience Ltd

BRONZE – Jon Holmes – Unusual

Best New Radio Producer

GOLD – Hunter Charlton – Burning Bright Audio

SILVER – Rosie Merotra – Somethin’ Else

BRONZE – Eleanor Biggs – Novel

Best Host – Speech Audio

GOLD – Lady Unchained – Folded Wing / Prison Radio Association

SILVER – Elinor Hamilton – Tadah Media

BRONZE – Danny Robins – Bafflegab Productions

Best Host – Music Audio

GOLD – Ricky Wilson – Made in Manchester

SILVER – Vick Hope – BBC Audio

BRONZE – Miranda Sawyer – Freelance

Best Music Producer

GOLD – Jack Howson – Reduced Listening

SILVER – Ashley Byrne – Made in Manchester

BRONZE – Steven Rajam – Overcoat Media

Life in COVID-19 Award

GOLD – Judith Dimant & Julian Wilkinson – Wayward Productions

SILVER – Justin Dealey – BBC Three Counties Radio

BRONZE – Victoria Ferran & Kim Normanton – Just Radio Ltd

Production Company of the Year

GOLD – Listen Entertainment

SILVER – Made in Manchester

BRONZE – Fresh Air Productions