Comedian Brand wins radio prize

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Wild-haired comic Russell Brand has won a Gold award for his BBC Radio 2 show at this year's Sony awards.

Radio 1's Chris Moyles took home the prize for Best Breakfast Show, beating Jonny Vaughan from Capital 95.8.

Simon Mayo, Jonathan Ross and Dermot O'Leary also won awards, while Radio 4 was named UK station of the year.

Jenny Abramsky, who is stepping down as director of audio and music at the BBC to chair the Heritage Lottery Fund, won the Special Award.

The Sony Radio Academy Awards were held in London and hosted by broadcaster Paul Gambaccini.

Gold, silver and bronze awards were given out in 31 categories.

'Pay rise'

Brand won the Entertainment Award for his late-night Saturday show, but was not at the ceremony to collect it.

Moyles was presented with his prize by his parents, Vera and Chris, who said: "Eight million listeners know he deserves it."

Despite winning, the DJ dismissed the Sony awards as "rubbish" and "boring".

Accepting his prize, he said: "Radio 1 won nothing until now. I should get a pay rise.

"Before all of us got together the Radio 1 breakfast show... oh, it was dreadful."

Jonathan Ross won the music radio personality award for his Radio 2 show, while his colleague at the station Dermot O'Leary took the music programme title.

On stage, Ross joked: "I've arrived at last. It's the vindication I've been seeking."

He thanked the "unsung heroes" like the lift engineers "who keep it running because we can't get to the sixth floor anymore".

Simon Mayo on Radio 5 Live beat Today programme presenter John Humphrys to the Speech Broadcaster of the Year title.

Mayo said he was "genuinely stunned" and paid tribute to Humphrys and his Today co-host James Naughtie, describing them as "the Ant and Dec of breakfast radio".

Rising star

The BBC World Service won four awards, including news journalist of the year for Owen Bennett-Jones and best news and current affairs programme for Newshour.

Commercial radio won four of the station awards. Among them was Planet Rock which was named digital station of the year, despite facing closure at the end of the month if it cannot find a buyer.

Brian Matthew won The Gold Award for "an impressive record of more than 50 years of national and international radio broadcasting".

Accepting her award, Ms Abramsky said: "It's been astonishing fun because I just think radio is truly special.

"It is the most personal medium, it is the most democratic medium. I think it's the most ambitious and the most creative, and that's because of what all of you do in this room."

Ms Abramsky announced in April that she was leaving the BBC after almost 40 years in radio.

New London mayor Boris Johnson, singer Will Young and politician Tony Benn were among those who presented the awards.



Source: BBC News

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