Frank Skinner and Jason Byrne win at Sony Awards 2011
Frank Skinner has picked up Gold at the Sony Radio Awards for his Absolute Radio show. The comedian's Saturday morning show was named Best Entertainment Programme by the Sony judges, who described it as having "the whole package: entertaining and engaging, with laugh-out-loud moments." The judges added: "Frank Skinner is a natural host; warm and inclusive, he is fantastic at getting the best from those who appear with him on his show."
Meanwhile Jason Byrne (pictured) picked up the top comedy award at the bash, which took place at The Grosvenor House Hotel earlier tonight. The Irish comedian won for his Radio 2 stand-up series, The Jason Byrne Show. Sony described the show as "organic comedy with great timing and huge warmth. The judges were won over by the best use of the audience in any entry this year and by its consistent laugh-out-loud moments."
Radio 4's Just A Minute picked up the Silver award in the 'Best Comedy' category, with judges describing it as "an evergreen show at the top of its form, still sounding as fresh as ever."; whilst Tom Wrigglesworth took Bronze with the judges noticing his stand-up show "took the listener on a real journey, literally and metaphorically." They also noted Tom Wrigglesworth's Open Letters "combined very cleverly structured story-telling with comedy that had a genuine social point."
Also in the running for the comedy award but un-placed was Rhod Gilbert's Bulging Barrel of Laughs, which the judges praised as a "hugely energetic and generous comedy with some wonderfully entertaining rants from Rhod Gilbert and great chemistry between the performers, particularly demonstrated in his rapport with the talented Lloyd Langford"; and panel show The Unbelievable Truth, which Sony noted provided "a fresh and entertaining spin on a classic idea, combining sharp scripting and anarchic repartee. Very disciplined comedy delivered with deceptive ease."
Elsewhere in the awards, Wireless Kenny Everett - a documentary about Kenny Everett's influential radio work - won Bronze in the 'Best Feature' category, whilst Robin Ince alongside Brian Cox picked up Gold in the Best Speech category for The Infinite Monkey Cage, their Radio 4 science series. Meanwhile podcasters Olly Mann and Helen Zaltzman were awarded Gold in the Internet category for their "engaging, warm and funny" weekly comedy podcast series, Answer Me This!
Radio 5 Live panel show Fighting Talk pipped more serious programmes such as World Cup Breakfast to claim the title of 'Best Sports Programme'. The judges remarked that Colin Murray's show was "brilliantly produced and expertly presented by a host completely at home in this format. Like a modern version of old-fashioned Music Hall with a winning mix of sport and comedy."
'The Sonys' are generally considered to be the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For more details about the Sony Awards and the winners in all the categories visit www.radioawards.org