• Nominations reflect diverse and creative industry
• Virgin Radio's Christian O'Connell to host ceremony at new London venue
• Arqiva sponsors awards for the seventh year running

Broadcast transmission group Arqiva and the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) have today announced the nominations for the 2006 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards.  Set to be hosted by Virgin Radio's Christian O'Connell, the awards - now in their 11th year - seek to recognise excellence in all aspects of Commercial Radio including presentation, programming, technical innovation, and sales & marketing. The 2006 awards have received a record number of entries (over 500), reflecting an increasingly diverse and flourishing industry, and will be held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. Full details of the nominations can be found below. 

According to latest RAJAR figures , Commercial Radio accounts for 65% of listening for digital-only stations and the entries received for Digital Station of the Year reveal both innovation and investment in this growing sector.  Gaydar, Kerrang! Radio and Planetrock are among the stations competing for this award on the 30th June.

This year's nominations reveal an industry that is strong across all the UK's regions and demographics: Presenter(s) of the Year sees LBC 97.3 FM's Nick Ferrari take on 107.4 The Quay's Sam Matterface and Galaxy Manchester's Wes Butters, Polly Garside & Alan Toner, while Programmer of the Year pits Heart 106.2's Mark Browning against Dee 106.3's Phil Rodgers and Radio City 96.7's Richard Maddock.  Meanwhile Station of the Year (>1 million TSA) is a three way battle between stations based in London, North West England and Scotland: Heart 106.2 FM, 100.4 Smooth FM and Real Radio Scotland.

Independently-owned stations made a strong showing in the entries this year. Alongside Dee 106.3 in the short-list, other nominations include digital station GaydarRadio and Bright 106.4 in Sussex.

The last twelve months have seen the emergence of some significant news stories which, at times, demanded something very different from commercial radio.  Among what was the highest number of entries for the News Award ever, Chrysalis, GCap and GMG have the honour of all having stations reach the shortlist.

Commercial Radio's creativity is very much in evidence in today's nominations with documentaries on local war-time memories, John Lennon and the Bradford City Fire earning the distinction of being nominated for the Programme or Feature of the Year Award.

Similarly, the Social Action Initiative nominations include community-focused campaigns aimed at raising money, stamping out bullying and increasing literacy levels among local schoolchildren. 

The future for Commercial Radio looks bright with some fresh new talent recognised in the Presentation Newcomer(s) of the Year award with rising stars from Fox FM, Choice FM and Kerrang! - Oxford, London and Birmingham - going head-to-head to win a training grant (courtesy of Skillset).

Paul Eaton, Head of Radio at Arqiva, said: "Arqiva takes great pride in supporting the CRCA Awards and recognising the range of talent and innovation in the Commercial Radio sector. Year-on-year Commercial Radio continues to increase its reach across a wide range of demographics and formats. The past year has highlighted the ability of digital radio, and independently-owned stations in particular, to adapt to the changing trends of a modern audience and we have no doubt that we will continue to see a steady output of fresh ideas from the industry."

Alison Winter, Research and Communications Manager at the CRCA, commented: "CRCA have organised these awards since 1996. In 2007 they pass to our new industry body The RadioCentre, and we could not have handed them over in better shape.  With another change of venue to accommodate our guests, over 500 entries received, and an amazingly diverse list of nominations it is clear that there is much to celebrate in our industry."

The nominations are outlined in full below: -

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Programmer of the Year

• Mark Browning - Heart 106.2
• Phil Rodgers - Chester's Dee 106.3
• Richard Maddock - Radio City 96.7

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Marketing Award

• 100.7 Heart fm Marketing
• Matt McClure & Andy Saxton - Galaxy 105 & 106 
• Sue Green, Graham Lysaght, Hamish Law - 107.6 Juice FM

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Social Action Initiative Award

• Coins for the Quake - 105.4 Leicester Sound
• Galaxy Yorkshire Sponsorship & Promotions, Humberside Police & The Vulnerable Children's Fund
• Radio in Schools - GWR FM Bristol

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (<300,000 TSA)

• 102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire
• Bright 106.4
• FIRE 107.6FM

The Arqiva Commercial Radio News Award

• 96.4 BRMB Newsteam
• Chrysalis Radio News for LBC 97.3FM, LBC News 1152AM and Heart 106.2
• Real Radio Yorkshire News Team

The Arqiva Local Sales Team of the Year

• Kerrang! 105.2 Sales Team
• Real Radio Scotland
• The Dearne FM Sales Team

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Technical Innovation Award

• Chrysalis Radio Engineering for LBC 97.3FM and LBC News 1152AM
• GCap Media plc / Future Technologies Team
• My Content - GCap Media

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (300,000 to 1 million TSA)

• 107.6 Juice FM
• 97.2 Beacon Radio (West Midlands)
• Trax FM

The Arqiva National Sales Team of the Year

• Classic FM Sales Team
• Emap Advertising
• Virgin Radio

The Arqiva/British Heart Foundation Action on Health Award

• 96.6 TFM
• Happy New You with Simone Bienne - Southern FM
• Wessex FM

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Programme or Feature of the Year

• Home Front : Ayrshire War Time Memories - West Sound
• Nobody told me there's be days like these: John Lennon 25 Years on - Magic 1548
• The Bradford City Fire: 20 Years After - Real Radio Yorkshire

The Arqiva/Skillset Commercial Radio Presentation Newcomer(s) of the Year

• Rupert Jones and Thomas Bowker - Fox FM Oxfordshire
• Selena - Choice FM 107.1 & 96.9 FM
• Stuart Cable - Kerrang! 105.2

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Digital Station of the Year

• GaydarRadio
• Kerrang! Radio
• Planetrock, The UK's Classic Rock Station

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station Sound Award 

• Matt Fisher - XFM
• Peter Gee / Jonathan Young / Liz Brace - talkSPORT
• Vince Lynch, Lee Price, Adam Belloni - Virgin Radio

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Presenter(s) of the Year - in association with x-trax

• Nick Ferrari - LBC 97.3FM
• Sam Matterface - 107.4 The Quay
• Wes Butters, Polly Garside and Alan Toner - Galaxy Manchester

The Arqiva Commercial Radio Station of the Year (>1 million TSA)

• 100.4 smooth fm
• Heart 106.2
• Real Radio Scotland