2023 Community Radio Awards winners announced

The best of Community Radio has been celebrated in Newcastle-upon-Tyne at the Community Radio Awards.

Hosted by last year’s male and female presenter of the year winners, Rupa Mooker from Awaz FM and Stephen Higgs from Switch Radio, the evening celebrated the hard work of recipients from up and down the country, from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Sheppey, and Glasgow to Glamorgan.

Recipients from the length and breadth of the country took home certificates and trophies to celebrate their achievements, and share their stories.

Martin Steers, awards chair, said: “We’ve been running the awards now for eight years, and as ever the standard is immense, and our judges have a really tricky job”.

“It was great to hold the event further north than ever before, and really appreciate that so many made the journey.”

In his remarks before presenting the Male Presenter award, Stephen Higgs said: “We’re all here to create things that never existed before. Not just presenters, but social media producers, techies, engineers and volunteers. We’re here to entertain and inform people, and if these awards push us a little bit harder, if it makes us set a slightly higher standard, that is why it matters.”

“We’re part of a creative community that strives for excellence – whether it be an outside broadcast from a remembrance day, or commentating on live local sports. To just be a speck in that landscape has been an honour.”

Recipient of the Honours award was David McGealy, from Oldham Community Radio, who sadly passed away two weeks ago. David was a pioneer and champion of both the hospital and community radio sectors since the 1970s.

The awards followed the UK Community Radio Network Annual Conference, which took place in the same venue earlier in the day.

  • Expressions of interest to host the 2024 Community Radio Awards next October alongside the UKCRN Conference will open later this month, and entries for the awards open again next Spring.

The winners are as follows:

Special Category: HM Queen Elizabeth II – Her life, Her reign, and her passing

Gold      Northampton remembers and celebrates HM Queen Elizabeth II - NLive Radio

Silver    The Queen In Birmingham - Switch Radio

Bronze  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Has Died - Cambridge 105 Radio

 

Special Category: Coronation of King Charles III

Gold      Coronation of the King - BFBS Aldershot

Silver    The Coronation Ceilidh Special Broadcast - Radio Skye

Bronze  The Day the King Came - Bolton FM

 

Newcomer of the Year

Gold      Ian Campfield - Gateway 97.8

Silver    Jenny Jefferies - Black Cat Radio

Bronze  Phil Norris - Vectis Radio

 

Sage Person of the Year (Over 60)

Gold      Sam Hinks - Radio Skye

Silver    Paul James - Academy FM Thanet

Bronze  Norman Ross - Quality Radio

 

Young Person of the Year (under 25)

Gold      Josh Holmes-Bright - Caroline Community Radio

Silver    Daisy Barker - Chelmsford Community Radio

Bronze  Dafydd Furnham - Bro Radio

 

Volunteer of the Year

Gold      Maggie Currie - Vectis Radio

Silver    Steven Weighill - Sheppey FM 92.2

Bronze  Brian Dobson - Black Cat Radio

 

Sports Show of the Year

Gold      Saturday Sports Show: Non-League Day Special - Black Country Radio

Silver    Varsity 2023: Bedfordshire vs Northampton - Radio LaB 97.1FM

Bronze  The Local Sports Mix - Mix 92.6

 

Arts & Creative Radio of the Year

Gold      Frankenstein the Pantomime - Chelmsford Community Radio

Silver    The Art of Listening - Resonance FM

Bronze  The Space Folk Horror Lounge Mummer’s Play - Frome FM

 

News, Journalism & Factual Storytelling of the Year

Gold      The Host - Ukraine 1 Year On - Hope FM

Silver    Trinity Theatre Seniors - West Kent Radio

Bronze  Forced Out - BFBS Aldershot

 

Specialist Content Show of the Year

Gold      A Space to Speak Your Mind – SourceFM

Silver    Your Voice - Black Cat Radio

Bronze  The Parents’ Show - Mix 92.6

 

Specialist Music Show of the Year

Gold      Baker’s Dozen Radio Show  - Ipswich Community Radio

Silver    Friday Night Trad - Radio Skye

Bronze  Currently Country - K107fm

 

Entertainment Show of the Year

Gold      Gemma-Leigh James - BFBS Brize Norton

Silver    Glenn Jones - Cambridge 105 Radio

Bronze  Tom & Matty’s Monthly Montage - Maritime Radio

 

Live Event or Outside Broadcast of the Year

Gold      Carols for Christmas – SourceFM

Silver    Varsity 2023: Bedfordshire vs Northampton - Radio LaB 97.1FM

Bronze  Mix 92.6 at The National League Play Off Final - Mix 92.6

 

Female Presenter of the Year

Gold      Priya Matharu - Switch Radio

Silver    Dr Audrey Tang - NLive Radio

Bronze  Gemma-Leigh James - BFBS Brize Norton

 

Male Presenter of the Year

Gold      Ste Greenall - Black Cat Radio

Silver    Patrick Foster - Academy FM Thanet

Bronze  Neil Kefford - Academy FM Thanet

 

Community Show of the Year

Gold      Sophie Preece - Switch Radio

Silver    The Erskine Veterans Radio Show - Quality Radio

Bronze  A Space to Speak Your Mind - SourceFM

 

Community Impact Project of the Year

Gold      Rehabilitation into Education - Sheppey FM 92.2

Silver    The 4Ps Radio Training School for Young People - Vectis Radio

Bronze  Food For Thought - The Voice FM

 

Station of the Year

Gold      Sheppey FM 92.2

Silver    Vectis Radio

Bronze  Ujima Radio

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