SCOTS broadcaster, Edi Stark, was among the winners at UK radio’s big awards ceremony last night: the Sony Radio Awards.
Nominated for two category prizes, she came away with a gold in the ‘News special’ one, for a documentary broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland.
Stark, also nominated in the ‘Speech broadcaster of the year’ category, in which she took bronze, said: “It’s great to be given this recognition by my peers in the industry.
“My priority is to keep producing programmes which Radio Scotland audiences find engaging – but winning such a prestigious award is big bonus.”
Her winning documentary was an investigation: Never too old to care.
Congratulating Stark, Jeff Zycinksi, head of Radio at BBC Scotland, said: “It’s a fantastic accolade for Edi and fully deserved.
“She has delivered consistently high quality programmes for our audiences over a number of years. I’m sure our listeners will be delighted as we are that Edi has been voted the best in such renowned company.”
Added Sharon Mair, commissioning editor for independents and executive producer of the investigation strand on BBC Radio Scotland, said: “Edi has a fantastic track record in producing compelling features, investigations and interviews for Radio Scotland. This accolade is fully deserved and we are delighted for Edi.”
Edi launched her own independent radio company, Stark Production, ten years ago and has been a familiar voice on BBC Radio Scotland since then, contributing the weekly interview show, Stark Talk, and other radio features, including investigations.
Edi is no stranger to success in the Sony Radio Academy Awards having previously won gold for ‘Best speech programme’ and bronze for ‘Best speech broadcaster’.
However, it wasn’t to be for Scot, George Bowie, or the news team at Radio Tay Am and FM.
Just as he was last year, Radio Clyde’s Bowie was in the running for the ‘Breakfast show’ prize.
The news team at Tay FM and Tay AM had been nominated in the ‘Breaking news’ category, for ‘Body on Arbroath beach’.
The night’s headlines were grabbed by a radio station broadcast solely within the perimeters of a prison and BBC Radio 3, the latter named ‘Radio station of the year’, the classical music, jazz and arts programme winning for the first time in its 42-year history.
While BBC Radio 1 failed to win any category prizes, Brixton Prison’s Electic Radio Brixton won two.
Run by the Prison Radio Association (PRA), whose patrons include Channel 4 News presenter, Jon Snow, most of the station’s music and speech output is produced and presented by prisoners. It broadcasts 24 hours a day.
London-based Scot, Nicky Campbell, was a winner also, as part of the 5 Live Breakfast team that took the ‘Breakfast show’ title. Despite being nominated for three categories, fellow Scot, Eddie Mair, missed out on gold.
BBC Radio 2 DJ, Chris Evans, took two golds: ‘Music radio personality of the year’ and the ‘Entertainment’ award.
Sony Radio Academy gold winners 2009
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 multi-platform 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
