PRH and HC win at Audio Production Awards

Penguin Random House and HarperCollins have both scooped prizes at this year's Audio Production Awards.

The winners were announced in an online ceremony last night (26th November), and the awards were sponsored by Audible. 

The winners in the Best Audiobooks/Readings Producer category were Tanya Hougham (HarperCollins) who received bronze, Roy McMillan from PRH who took silver, and bagging the top gold award, Lily Ridett (pictured), a freelance affiliated with the Royal National Institute of Blind People. 

The gold award for Audio Performer of the Year was won by Ciaran Hinds for Imaginary Fred (HarperCollins), Carl Prekopp received the silver award for The Little Match Girl, produced by Almost Tangible, and Cherylee Houston won bronze for Tinsel Girl (Penguin Random House). Nathan Osgood (HarperCollins) was also highly commended in this category.

Elsewhere it was a particularly good night for George the Poet and producer Benbrick as they collectively won four gold awards for "Have you Heard George’s Podcast?"

BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne won gold for Best Presenter in the music category, while Gordon Lundy won best station producer for the Audio Content Fund-financed "Absolute Radio 40s", specially produced to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day.

The lifetime achievement award went to Annie Nightingale, in recognition of her 50-year career at BBC Radio 1, where she remains on air with 1Xtra.

A special gold award went to the online radio station No Signal, which champions black music, including scheduling "clashes" between different DJs, some of which had over 200,000 listeners.

The Gethin Thomas Comedy Award gold prize was presented to Jon Holmes/Unusual for "The Skewer".

AudioUK chair Kellie While said: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to all the winners and nominees. We’re so pleased at how this event was able to continue during the lockdown period in England, and it was a great night. The APAs team put together a really fun event and it was great to reward people’s hard work in our sector over the last year.”

The new Life in Lockdown Award, which recognises innovative and/or creative production during the Covid-19 restrictions, went to Aoife Allen and "Brixton's Got Talent". Made at HMP Brixton by Prison Radio in May, "Brixton's Got Talent" featured inmates at HMP Brixton performing rap, song and poetry.

The Production Company of the Year Award went to The Prison Radio Association, which aims to contribute to a reduction in reoffending using radio, and also won three golds, and New Voice award for Anthony Olanipekun.