Riots coverage earns three stations Sony award nominations

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Three radio stations' live coverage of last summer's riots are competing against each other for a prize at this year's Sony Radio Academy awards - the Oscars of the UK radio industry.

BBC Radio 5 Live and commercial stations BRMB in Birmingham and Real Radio in the north-west of England have all made the shortlist in the breaking news category for their reports from the disturbances. They will compete in a category that also includes nominations for BBC Radio 4's PM programme and 5 Live's coverage of the death of Wales football manager Gary Speed.

In the best news and current affairs programme category, forces station BFBS and Oxfordshire commercial station Jack FM are competing against three BBC bulletins: Radio 1's Newsbeat, Radio 4's The World at One and 5 Live's drive programme.

Commercial radio managed three out of five nominations in the category of news journalist of the year, with mentions for GMG Radio's north-west news hub, another Jack FM franchise, in Hertfordshire, and Metro Radio in Newcastle. Also shortlisted in this category are Radio 4's Mike Thomson and John Sudworth.

GMG's north-west news team also has a nomination in the community programming award, for a feature on cocaine, alongside two nominations for National Prison Radio and shortlist places for BBC Radios Oxford and Berkshire.

The BBC World Service, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, is nominated in the best live event category for its coverage of the royal wedding. The broadcaster has a further nomination in the best speech programme category for World Have Your Say, alongside programmes from 5 Live, LBC and Radio 4.

The World Service also has two nominations in the best news feature category, alongside a Radio 4 documentary on the Hackney riots, a Radio 1 Newsbeat special on file-sharing and a Radio 3 programme on the Troubles, told from the point of view of north Belfast children.

The title of speech broadcaster of the year will be contested between Radio 4's Jenni Murray and Evan Davis, Radio 2's Jeremy Vine, 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire and LBC presenter Nick Ferrari.

Victoria Derbyshire was named as the Sony gold winner of the best news and current affairs programme at last year's awards ; Radio 5 was handed the award for breaking news coverage.

The BBC dominates the best interview shortlist this year, with nominations for interviews with Anne Diamond, Julie Nicholson, Helena Tym, Ricky Gervais and Ken Clarke.

The chairman of the awards organising committee, Radio Academy chief executive John Myers said in a release: "What a privilege it is to listen to the enormous talent displayed by this year’s nominations - there is no question that the UK has the most richly diverse radio industry in the world.

"Radio is the most intimate media, it has the power to make us laugh, cry, think, learn and, of course, irritate and anger.

"These nominations honour the producers and presenters that are masters at this. We look forward to celebrating them on what is going to be an incredible 30th anniversary evening."

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 14 May and the full list of nominations can be found on the Sony Awards website.