ARIAS 2023 - winners

03 May 2023 - Press release

The ARIAS 2023, hosted by Rylan with a voiceover from Fleur East, took place tonight at London's Theatre Royal. Winners of 28 awards were announced, including Best Music Breakfast Show, Best New Audiobook or Reading, Best New Podcast and Network of the Year.

After another landmark year for audio and radio, the ARIAS celebrated the achievements of the UK's individuals, networks and stations over the last 12 months. Attendees included Greg James, Fearne Cotton, Ken Bruce, Rob Delaney, Romesh Ranganathan, Sam Thompson, Adele Roberts, Rick Edwards, Jamie Laing, Lou Sanders, Dan Snow and more.

Radio icon Tony Blackburn was honoured with the Pioneer Award, presented by Greg James, celebrating nearly 60 years in broadcasting and his key contribution to the popularity of soul music in the UK. 

Rylan paid tribute to Paul O'Grady, describing him as a "21st Century national treasure" to great applause from the audience. 

This year, there were four new categories including Best Audiobook or Reading, which Rob Delaney won for his memoir A Heart That Works, about the loss of his young son Henry. He was presented the award by friend and fellow comedian Rosie Jones.

"Tony Livesey won't say goodbye to Dame Deborah James on BBC Radio 5 Live" won the public-voted Radio Times Moment of the Year. You, Me and the Big C was also awarded The Impact Award, presented by Adele Roberts. The show's producers Mike Holt and Alex Entwistle collected the award on host Lauren Mahon's behalf and said - "We'd like to dedicate this to our friend and inspirational colleague Deborah James. Deborah would be so thrilled. From us, check your balls, from the girls, check your boobs, and from Debs, check your poo!"

As podcast audiences in the UK continue to rise rapidly, Audio Lab for BBC Sounds Colouring In Britain took Gold for the new category Best New Podcast, and Zak and Jules were awarded Best New Presenter for their Life After Prisonpodcast. Folding Pocket Productions for BBC Sounds Moment of Truth took home Best Sports Show, and BBC Radio 4's File on 4: Isobel's Story won Best Factual Single Programme.

The BBC took home 17 Gold awards in total, with Radio 4 claiming the first spot in seven categories including the prestigious UK Station or Network of the Year, The Smugglers' Trail for Best News Coverage, File on 4: Isobel's Story for Best Factual – Single Programme and The Skewer: The Queen for The Comedy Award. The Skewer host Jon Holmes gave a welcome shout-out to the team's colleagues in BBC local radio. 

Further BBC winners included BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast for Best Speech Breakfast Show, BBC Radio 6 Music's Craig Charles for Best Music Entertainment Show, BBC Radio 2's For the Love of Hip Hop with Romesh Ranganathan for Best Specialist Music Show and more. On receiving the award, Romesh said - "The team has been incredible, they've worked around my incompetence so well... It's an honour to host this podcast, and I hope I continue to keep doing it until I get cancelled".

Bauer Media radio brands were also celebrated on the night with Absolute Radio awarded Best Coverage of an Event for Mental Health Awareness Week and Best Commercial Partnership for Magic Radio Breakfast with On the Beach.

Further wins across the evening included Nile Rodgers, who was awarded Best Music Special for his Deep Hidden Meaning Radio show on Apple Music, Fun Kids Mission Transmission took home The Creative Innovation Award, Adrian Durham was crowned as Best Speech Presenter for his talkSPORT show, and The Isle of Wight's Vectis Radiotook Gold for the brand new category Community Station of the Year. 

Full List of Winners

BEST NEW PRESENTER
 
GOLD WINNER
Zak and Jules
Life After Prison podcast

SILVER
Harriet Rose
KISS FM UK

BRONZE
Alyx Holcombe
BBC Introducing Rock on Radio 1

BEST NEW RADIO SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
Room 5 
BBC Radio 4

SILVER
Shaun Keaveny's Community Garden Radio

BRONZE
PATRICK KIELTY
Banana Stand for BBC Radio 5 Live

BEST NEWS COVERAGE
 
GOLD WINNER
The Smugglers' Trail 
BBC Audio Documentaries Unit for Radio 4

SILVER
Stories of Our Times: The British Man Rescuing Ukrainians from Putin's War 
Wireless Studios for The Times

BRONZE
Sitrep: Inside Ukraine's Capital
BFBS

BEST SPEECH BREAKFAST SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
5 Live Breakfast 
BBC Radio 5 Live

SILVER
Today
BBC Radio 4

BRONZE
Good Morning Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster

BEST SPEECH PRESENTER
 
GOLD WINNER
Adrian Durham  
talkSPORT

SILVER
Dan Snow  
History Hit podcast

BRONZE
Helena Merriman 
BBC Radio 4

BEST SPORTS SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
Moment of Truth 
Folding Pocket Productions for BBC Sounds

SILVER
The Big Saturday Football Show 
Forth 1 & The Hits Radio Network Scotland

BRONZE
Fast and Loose
Novel for Wondery

BEST COVERAGE OF AN EVENT
 
GOLD WINNER
Mental Health Awareness Week 
Absolute Radio

SILVER
The Discovery of Endurance
Dan Snow's History Hit podcast

BRONZE
The 2022 UEFA Champions League Final
talkSPORT

THE COMEDY AWARD
 
GOLD WINNER
The Skewer: The Queen 
unusual for BBC Radio 4

SILVER
Nature Table 
BBC Studios for Radio 4

BRONZE
From The Oasthouse: The Alan Partridge Podcast, Series 2
Baby Cow for Audible

BEST MUSIC BREAKFAST SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
1Xtra Breakfast with Nadia Jae
BBC Audio for Radio 1Xtra

SILVER
Big John at Breakfast 
Hallam FM

BRONZE
Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James 
BBC Audio for Radio 1

BEST MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
Craig Charles  
Audio Always for BBC Radio 6 Music

SILVER
My Life 
 Mighty Mouth Productions for Fun Kids

BRONZE
Throwback Throwdown 
We Are Grape for BBC Sounds

BEST SPECIALIST MUSIC SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
For the Love of Hip Hop with Romesh Ranganathan  
Folded Wing for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds

SILVER
Night Tracks 
BBC Audio for Radio 3

BRONZE
National Prison Radio's Rock Show 
Prison Radio Association

BEST MUSIC SPECIAL

GOLD WINNER
Deep Hidden Meaning Radio with Nile Rodgers  
Apple Music Radio

SILVER
A Career in Music with Harmony Samuels
Cast Iron Radio for BBC Radio 4

BRONZE
Pass The Mic 
Novel for KISS FM

BEST FACTUAL - SINGLE PROGRAMME
 
GOLD WINNER
File on 4: Isobel's Story  
BBC Radio 4

SILVER
Justice for The 97  
BBC Radio Merseyside

BRONZE
Nightwatch 
BBC Scotland Productions for BBC Radio 4

BEST FACTUAL - SERIES
 
GOLD WINNER
In Dark Corners 
BBC Scotland Productions for Radio 4

SILVER
Who Killed Daphne?  
Wondery

BRONZE
Assume Nothing: The Last Request  
BBC Radio Ulster and Radio 4

BEST NEW PODCAST

GOLD WINNER
Colouring In Britain  
BBC Sounds Audio Lab

SILVER
Go Love Yourself 
Crowd Network

BRONZE
Off The Beaten Jack
Jack Boswell

BEST DRAMA
 
GOLD WINNER
Dear Harry Kane 
BBC Audio Drama London for Radio 4

SILVER
Algorithms 
RooksNest for Audible

BRONZE
The Rez
Rezilience and Gen Z Media

BEST AUDIOBOOK OR READING
 
GOLD WINNER
A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney 
Coronet Books

SILVER
This Is Not A Pity Memoir by Abi Morgan
BBC Audio Books for Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

BRONZE
Voices in the Valley by Andrew Michael Hurley
BBC Audio Books for Radio 4

BEST STATION SOUND
 
GOLD WINNER
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Popular Music Station Sound

SILVER
Fix Radio 
Devaweb & Fix Radio

BRONZE
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on talkSPORT 
Wireless Creative

BEST COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP
 
GOLD WINNER
Magic Radio Breakfast with On the Beach

SILVER
Free Flow sponsored by Shannon Trust
National Prison Radio

BRONZE
The Thursday Team Talk with Macmillan Cancer Support 
talkSPORT

THE CREATIVE INNOVATION AWARD
 
GOLD WINNER
Fun Kids Mission Transmission

SILVER
Soundworlds

BRONZE
Radio 1's Murder Mystery
BBC Audio for Radio 1

THE GRASSROOTS AWARD
 
GOLD WINNER
United Against Knife Crime  
BBC Radio Merseyside

SILVER
Life After Prison podcast 
Prison Radio Association

BRONZE
Ocean Youth Radio

THE IMPACT AWARD
 
GOLD WINNER
You, Me, and the Big C
BBC Radio 5 Live

SILVER
In Dark Corners 
BBC Scotland Productions for Radio 4

BRONZE
Justice for Joseph
 Hits Radio Manchester

BEST LOCAL SHOW
 
GOLD WINNER
Pulse 1 Breakfast with Mylo & Rosie

SILVER
Justin Dealey 
 BBC Three Counties Radio

BRONZE
The Big Saturday Football Show
Forth 1 & The Hits Radio Network Scotland

THE 2022 SPECIAL AWARD, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF HM THE QUEEN
 
GOLD WINNER
Daily News Reportage
James Bryant & Jonny Dymond, for BBC News

SILVER
The Skewer: The Queen
unusual for BBC Radio 4

BRONZE
The Second Elizabethan Age
Tortoise Media

COMMUNITY STATION OF THE YEAR

GOLD WINNER
Vectis Radio
The Isle of Wight

SILVER
Bro Radio 
The Vale of Glamorgan

BRONZE
Pride Radio 
North East of England

THE JOHN MYERS AWARD FOR BEST LOCAL STATION OF THE YEAR
 
GOLD WINNER
Clyde 1

SILVER
BBC Radio Merseyside

BRONZE
BBC Radio Ulster

UK STATION OR NETWORK OF THE YEAR
 
GOLD WINNER
BBC Radio 4

SILVER
talkSPORT

BRONZE
BBC Radio 6 Music

 RADIO TIMES MOMENT OF THE YEAR 
 
GOLD WINNER
Tony Livesey won't say goodbye to Dame Deborah James on BBC Radio 5 Live

SILVER
Fun Kids' Mission Transmission

BRONZE
Liz Truss BBC Local Radio interviews