Russell Brand bags top radio award

1:36pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

Russell Brand won his first Gold award at the radio industry "Oscars" - while Simon Mayo beat John Humphrys to Speech Broadcaster of the Year.

Brand, who launched his Saturday late-night Radio 2 show in 2006, picked up the Entertainment Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.

Radio 1's Chris Moyles won a Sony Gold for best Breakfast Show and Jonathan Ross on Radio 2 won the Music Radio Personality Award.

Radio 4 won UK Station of the Year, putting Radio 2, the UK's most popular station, in second place.

But Today veteran John Humphrys was pipped by Simon Mayo on Radio 5 Live to the Speech Broadcaster of the Year title.

Dermot O'Leary beat fellow Radio 2 DJ Johnnie Walker to the Music Programme award. Planet Rock, the radio station which is expected to close at the end of the month if it cannot find a buyer, was named Digital Station of the Year.

Queen guitarist Brian May has said he is involved in a "rescue operation" to save the GCap Media station.

Jenny Abramsky, who is stepping down as director of audio and music at the BBC to chair the Heritage Lottery Fund, won the Special Award.

British broadcaster Brian Matthew won The Gold Award for "an impressive record of more than 50 years of national and international radio broadcasting".

BBC 6 Music's George Lamb was awarded Rising Star award, beating Kelly Osbourne on Radio 1.

Around Herefordshire