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The Radio Academy has announced its nominees for the 2025 ARIAS – the ‘Oscars’ of the radio industry – and we have received six nominations across six categories.
The shortlisted entries were announced at a ceremony at News UK’s headquarters near London Bridge on the 8th April – hosted by Natalie Sawyer and Jim White, with special guest announcements from last year’s host Romesh Ranganathan, and ARIA award winners Scott Mills and, the Prison Radio Association’s very own, Lady Unchained.
The ARIAS are a celebration of the very best of UK audio and radio. They are open to all UK-based content creators who are members of The Radio Academy. The Radio Academy is the UK’s charity that supports people in audio and radio. They aim to highlight the personal and social impact that audio has with listeners and to celebrate all the incredible people who make it possible.
Best Commercial Partnership Award – Hold or Fold with GambleAware
A podcast supported by GambleAware for anyone who has suffered from gambling related harm. Hold or Fold explores the ‘hidden addiction’ that is gambling with a keen eye on how this affects those with experience of the Criminal Justice System.
Best Comedy Award – Christmas Dinner with Kurupt FM
National Prison Radio brings prisoners entertainment and laughs on Christmas Day with the cast of the hit BBC comedy, People Just Do Nothing.
Best Music Award – Free Flow with The Shannon Trust
Free Flow is Lady Unchained’s weekly show encouraging listeners to get creative with lyrics, to a soundtrack of beats.
Free Flow was crowned Best Specialist Music Show at the 2024 ARIAS.
Best New Presenter – Scout Tzofiya Bolton
Scout worked with us while serving a sentence at HMP Styal. Now released, she presents one of our most popular shows on National Prison Radio – The Rock Show. Supremely talented, wildly knowledgeable about all things music, and just so warm and so human on the mic.
The Creative or Technical Innovation Award – The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag
In 2023, Scout Tzofiya Bolton entered a grocery store in the small town where she lived, carrying a toy gun.
Our BBC Radio 4 documentary is a blend of poetry, music and testimony, all created by Scout herself, who got involved with National Prison Radio while serving her sentence. It’s the story of Scout’s relationship with alcohol, and with the tag that monitors her.
The Social Impact Award – Life After Prison
Our smash hit podcast for people who have left prison, hosted by Zak and Jules.
This is the 3rd year in a row Life After Prison has been nominated for an award. The past two years we picked up an array of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards – will this year follow suit?
Last year, we took home an incredible six awards, including Gold for our show Free Flow sponsored by The Shannon Trust and hosted by the incredibly inspiring poet, radio presenter, and Prison Radio Association staff member Lady Unchained.
This type of recognition from our peers in The Radio Academy is valuable acknowledgement of the world-class quality of our work. We find ourselves among the best in the business.
Receiving these awards and getting this industry recognition is so important to us because it continues to prove that we are not just a small organisation doing our thing in isolation, we are a registered charity that produces the highest quality audio work alongside some of the most talented presenters and producers, who just so happened to have spent time in prison.
The ARIAS Ceremony takes place on Wednesday 14th May at a brand new venue, ODEON Luxe, Leicester Square.
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National Prison Radio is the world’s first national radio station for people in prison. It’s available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on in-cell TV.
National Prison Radio was founded by the Prison Radio Association – a registered charity. Our shows help people to cope with life inside prison and thrive on release. If you would like to support our work, and enhance the futures of people in prison across the UK you can make a donation: