Double Sony Gold for Evans

New Sony Radio Award host Chris Evans stole the show at this year's event, picking up two prizes himself. The Radio 2 DJ's drivetime show took the Entertainment Award while Evans was also named Music Radio Personality of the Year.

[size=15][b]Photos: [link=http://radiohub.co.uk/RadioToday/albums/35]Arrivals[/link] / [link=http://radiohub.co.uk/RadioToday/albums/34]Winners[/link][/b][/size]
Magic 105.4's Neil Fox picked up the Gold Award and BBC Radio 3 was named UK Station of the Year for the first time ever. Three of the five station of the year awards went to commercial radio, but it was the BBC's night – the corporation took the lion's share of the gold prizes dished out.
BBC 5 Live stood on the winners' podium for the Sports Award – taking Gold at the Sonys for their coverage of the 2008 Olympics. It was one of five golds for 5 Live – others included the Speech Award for Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode, and the Breakfast Show Award – picked up by Nicky Campbell and his team.
There were four awards in total – two gold and two bronze – for prison radio station Electric Radio Brixton. The station, based at HMP Brixton in London, took Gold in the Community Award and the Listener Participation Award.
Special Awards went to Paul Brown for being 'a champion about all that is best about British radio', and BBC Radio Nottingham's Colin Slater for 'his 40 year dedication to our medium'.
Tim Blackmore, chairman of the Sony Radio Academy Awards, said: "This has been a difficult year for UK Radio. One in which all sides have experienced tough challenges. but through it all, hundreds of hours of great radio and audio have still been created. More people are listening to radio in the UK than at any time in the last 10 years."
Presenters of the awards included Ronan Keating, Frank Skinner, Philip Glenister, Sharleen Spiteri and Kate Thornton.
[b]Sony Radio Academy Gold Winners 2009[/b]
The Music Programme Award – Words and Music – BBC Radio Arts and Radio 3 for Radio 3
The Specialist Music Programme Award – David Rodigan – Kiss Specialist Production Team for the Kiss Network
The Music Radio Personality of the Year – Chris Evans – BBC Radio 2
The Music Broadcaster of the Year – Mark Radcliffe – Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2
The Music Special Award – Vaughan Williams: Valiant for Truth – BBC Radio 3
The Entertainment Award – Chris Evans Drivetime – BBC Radio 2
The Music Programming Award – Classic FM
The Drama Award – Mr Larkin's Awkward Day – BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4
The Sports Award – 5 Live Olympic Breakfast – BBC News Programmes and BBC Sport for 5 Live
The Speech Award – Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode – BBC News for 5 Live
The News and Current Affairs Award – The World Today – BBC World Service News and Current Affairs for the World Service
The News Special Award – The Investigation: Never Too Old To Care – A Stark Production for BBC Radio Scotland
The News Journalist of the Year – Gavin Lee – BBC News for 5 Live
The Speech Radio Personality of the Year – Vanessa Feltz – BBC London 94.9
The Speech Broadcaster of the Year – Nick Ferrari – LBC 97.3
The Breakfast Show Award – 5 Live Breakfast – BBC News for 5 Live
The Listener Participation Award – Electric Radio Brixton: Daily Show – Prison Radio Association and Electric Radio Brixton for Electric Radio Brixton
The Comedy Award – Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! – Komedia Entertainment and Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 4
The Feature Award – Between The Ears: Staring At The Wall – BBC Radio Documentaries for Radio 3
The Interview Award – Feargal Keane interviews Lana Vandenberghe – Taking a Stand, BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4
The Breaking News Award – The Rangers Riot – BBC Radio Manchester
The Live Event Coverage Award – Absolute Coldplay – Absolute Radio and TBI Media for Absolute Radio
The Community Award – A Sound Fix (Spots) – Prison Radio Association for Electric Radio Brixton
The Themed Programming Award – Family Life – BBC Hereford and Worcester
The Promo Award – Kiss The Planet – What Will You Do? – Kiss Imaging Team for the Kiss Network
The Competition Award – Facebuck$ – Galaxy Network Imaging for Galaxy (Manchester, Birmingham, Yorkshire and North East)
The Station Imaging Award – 1Xtra
The Internet Programme Award – The Budgerigar and the Prisoner – Clifton Diocese.com
The Multiplatform Radio Award – Wimbledon – BBC Radio 5 Live Interactive for 5 Live
Station of the Year (Under 300,000 listeners) – Beacon Radio (Shropshire)
Station of the Year (300,000 – one million) – BBC Hereford and Worcester
Station of the Year (One million plus) – Kerrang 105.2
Digital Station of the Year – Fun Kids
UK Station of the Year – BBC Radio 3
Special Award – Paul Brown
Local and Regional Lifetime Achievement Award – Colin Slater
Gold Award – Neil Fox