The National Hospital Radio Awards 2025

Previous Award Winners

Awards Submission NOW OPEN!
https://www.hbauk.com/dashboard/awards-submission/

Guidelines & Categories for 2025

We’re pleased to reveal the categories and criteria for the 2025 National Hospital Radio Awards! Use the links below to jump to a category or scroll below to find out more information about the awards

 

GUIDANCE & RULES:

Important Dates | Uploading Entries | Audio & Entry requirements | Judging Information

AWARD CATEGORIES: 

Station of the Year | Male Presenter of the Year | Female Presenter of the Year | Special Event | Best Speech Package | Best Programme with Multiple Presenters | Best Newcomer | Best Specialist Music Programme | Station Promotion | HBA Lifetime Achievement Award | Recognising Innovation across Hospital Radio | The Unsung Hero Award

General Information

Please read the following information carefully before entering. It contains important information on the submission of your entries. All criteria must be met, which may include photos or narrative, as well as the audio. If any of the criteria is missing from the submission, your entry/entries could be refused. All entries submitted must be received from hospital radio stations, who are HBA Member stations by the closing date.

 

Important dates

Qualifying Period: Material used in each entry must have been broadcast between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024

Submission dates: 23 September – 10 November 2024

Entry form closes: 5pm on 10 November 2024 (Don’t worry, you can submit your entries until 23:59 on 10 November).

Entries received after the closing date on Sunday 10th November 2024 will not be accepted. 

Uploading your entries

After you complete the entry form, you will be sent a link to a folder to upload your entries to. This will be sent out by a member of the conference team. You then have until the end of the closing date to upload your entries. Please do not leave it until the last minute to submit your entry form and/or upload your entries. No late entries will be accepted.

An acknowledgement email confirming entries that have been received will be sent during the week after the closing date.

To support each entry, stations are requested to provide a short narrative and supporting photographs. Please note that unless specified, the narrative and photographs do not contribute to the judging process, however, will aid judges by putting your content in context.

Attention should be paid to the narrative and photograph criteria. The HBA communications team may use quotes from the narrative and/or the accompanying photographs to promote the awards, following the shortlists and/or the winners being announced.

Audio Requirements

Please read these carefully, as these have changed.

  • All entries should meet the criteria detailed for the category the entry is entered for and must be no longer than the specified length as required. Please note that entries over the specified length may be disqualified.
  • If the submission is a compilation, this should be of no more than ten unedited extracts of audio.
  • Audio compilations should always be a series of unedited extracts. Each extract should fade in and out from a moment of silence. Please do not use station imaging or FX to montage the extracts.

Naming of Entry Files

Files should be named using the following guidelines. Failure to do so could mean that entries are refused.

 

Station of the Year

 

Station Name_Station of the Year.MP3

 

Special Event

 

Station Name_Entry Title_Special Event.MP3

 

Station Promotion

 

Station Name_Entry Title_Station Promotion.MP3

 

Specialist Music Programme

 

Station Name_Entry Title_Specialist Music.MP3

 

Best Speech Package

 

Station Name_Entry Title_Speech Package.MP3
 

 

Best Programme With Multiple Presenters

 

Station Name_Entry Title_Multiple Presenters.MP3

 

Best Newcomer

 

Station Name_Individual Name_Newcomer.MP3

 

Male Presenter of the Year

 

Station Name_Individual Name_Male.MP3

Female Presenter of the Year

 

Station Name_Individual Name_Female.MP3

 

Innovation

 

Station Name_Individual Name_ Innovation.DOC /.PDF

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

 

Station Name_Individual Name_lifetimeAch.DOC /.PDF

 

Unsung Hero Award

 

Station Name_Individual Name_UnsungH.DOC

/.PDF

The photo file names should be in the same format.

In the file properties under “details”, the title should be the category and the artist should be either the individual for the individual categories or the station name for the station categories.
The files should all be in the same folder (it is not necessary to create sub folders for each category).

It is not necessary to save the narrative from the entry form to individual word documents.

Station Logo

A copy of the station logo should also be included. This should be saved with a transparent background (.png format).

Judging Information

Our judges come from one of three areas – either a broadcasting background, work in the NHS or have previously volunteered in hospital radio.

A first stage of judging takes pleace when all entries are listened too and written submisions are read through by 3 judges for each category. These entries are scored, in the main, on five criteria:-

  • Variety of material included in the entry
  • Relevance (to the station’s primary audience)
  • Entertainment value of the broadcast
  • Originality of the audio
  • Overall standard of the entry

Each judge will give a score out of 10 for each of the criteria above, resulting in an overall score out of 50.

The Top 10 highest scoring entries then make up our Top 10 shortlist.

This shortlist is then judged again, with judges listening to the Top 10 entries and reading the written submission before deciding between them their top 3, the bronze, silver and gold winners.

 

2025 Award Categories

 

PPL - UK and international recorded music royalty collectionStation of the Year

This Award showcases the best of hospital radio, from the interaction with station listeners to the delivery of an engaging station output. Submission is limited to a maximum 15- minute recording, featuring a maximum of 10 extracts from your station output. For Station of the Year only, an extract can include a number of related examples (e.g.a number of clips to show how you present requests for patients, or clips from the same event). Please leave a one second gap between each extract and the overall entry must not exceed the total time of 15 minutes. The entry should show the judges a variety of programme content from the station. Please use the opportunity to include a written narrative to inform the judges a little more about your station (this could include for example how many years your station has been on-air, how many volunteers you have and other information you think they would find of use).

The entry may include material from any special programmes or events covered during the year.

PRS for Music: royalties, music copyright and licensing

Male Presenter of the Year

Designed to accurately demonstrate the diversity of presentation skills and awareness of, and engagement with, the audience. Entries should showcase a variety of subjects and style. Passion, energy and personality should be evident to the listener.

We welcome entries from individuals who identify with this category.

Entries should include a number of extracts, ideally not all from the same programme. The trophy will bear the name of the presenter.

PRS for Music: royalties, music copyright and licensing

Female Presenter of the Year

Designed to accurately demonstrate the diversity of presentation skills and awareness of, and engagement with, the audience. Entries should showcase a variety of subjects and style. Passion, energy and personality should be evident to the listener.

We welcome entries from individuals who identify with this category.

Entries should include a number of extracts, ideally not all from the same programme. The trophy will bear the name of the presenter.

Best Special Event

This award is for a ‘one-off’ programme broadcast by the station. The entry should be a compilation of the programme’s output demonstrating originality, production and presentational quality, by the submitting station, as well as listener engagement.

The special event must be a one-off and not part of the station’s normal output. For example, an outside broadcast or a hospital event that takes place regularly (i.e. annually) should not be entered for this category, unless it is the first time the station has covered the event or hasn’t been covered on the station within the last three years.

The entry must not include any full music tracks and no more than 10 extracts from the broadcast.

The trophy will bear the name of the station but the name of the event will be published on the short / winners lists and will appear on issued certificates.

Best Speech Package

This award is designed to showcase the power of speech through the medium of radio. Entries should be submitted from a single programme, interview or podcast. The material must be original, produced and presented by the submitting station. The entry must not include any music.

The trophy will bear the name of the station but the name of the event will be published on the short / winners lists and will appear on issued certificates.

Best Programme with Multiple Presenters

Recognising that many hospital radio stations have programmes presented by a group of people, this award celebrates the ingredients that make hospital radio unique, such as patient and staff interaction, requests and personality.

This can be a difficult format to get right to ensure the listener feels included rather than on the outside.

Entries should demonstrate how the programme seeks to be relevant to the hospital patient in the first instance and also the wider hospital community.

The entry should include extracts from more than one edition of the same programme.

The trophy will bear the name of the station but the name of the programme, which should be included on the entry form, will be published on the short / winners list and will appear on the certificates.

PPL - UK and international recorded music royalty collection

Best Newcomer

Designed to celebrate and recognise new talent across the hospital broadcasting community, this award is open to anyone who joined a hospital radio station for the first time during the two years prior to the closing date.

The judges are looking to hear what the newcomer has achieved on air in the short time they have been broadcasting. The entry should demonstrate the diversity of presentation skills and awareness of, and engagement with, the audience. Entries should showcase variety of subject and style. Passion, energy and personality should be evident to the listener.

An individual may only enter this award once. The trophy will bear the name of the presenter.

PPL - UK and international recorded music royalty collection

Best Specialist Music Programme

Designed to demonstrate the presenter’s expert knowledge of the music in question. Evidence of energy and passion for the genre should be evident to the listener. The entry may also include any content applicable to the programme. For example, an event guide / what’s on feature relating to the show. Entries may include any genre such as jazz, classical, country etc.

The trophy will bear the name of the station but the name of the programme will be published on the short / winners lists and will appear on issued certificates.

Station Promotion

Designed to allow demonstration of delivering an engaging, clear and concise message within a specific time, this entry must be produced and presented by the station. The entry can consist of a promotion or trailer and should convey the message and attract the ear of the listener.

Entries which appear to be a “jingle” rather than a promotion and/or produced by a third party will be disqualified from entry.

The trophy will bear the name of the station but the name of the promotion will be published on the short / winners lists and will appear on issued certificates.

HBA Lifetime Achievement Award

The award celebrates an outstanding contribution, by an individual, to their station/hospital radio. The nomination should explain why the candidate has made a real and long-lasting impact.  The nominee must be volunteering in hospital radio, may be drawn from the broadcasting arena but may equally be found from a technical or administrative background. They may have worked for a single or multiple stations over the years.

The trophy will bear the name of the individual. Please note, there is only one winner in this category and no shortlist.

    

Recognising Innovation across Hospital Radio

Designed to recognise those behind the scenes, this award celebrates pushing the boundaries, using innovative, novel or pioneering ideas.

This award is open to all across the various roles hospital broadcasting organisations may have. Technical to administrative, fundraising to Trust or Board engagement – this award celebrates achieving a goal using new and inspiring techniques.

Consideration for the innovation award, should focus on what different ways your organisation has addressed a specific challenge.

This challenge could include practical issues, such as a technical or fundraising problem, a unique way to address equality, diversity, inclusion or volunteer recruitment and retention etc.

The entry may be for an individual or small team and requires a written submission of no more than 400 words on the station’s official letter heading, explaining why this award is justified, what the objectives were and what outcomes and benefits were achieved.

The trophy will bear the name of the individual or in the case of a team, the Station name.

    

The Unsung Hero Award

The “Unsung Hero” award recognises an individual who consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication, enhances the listener or patient experience, supports fellow volunteers, brings creative ideas to improve the organisation, collaborates effectively with the team, and actively champions the radio station within the hospital or local community. It’s not just about the hours, it’s about the energy, enthusiasm and contribution they bring. In a sector predominantly driven by volunteers, this award honours those who serve as an example and inspiration to all.

The nominee must be volunteering in hospital radio. They may have worked for a single or multiple stations over the years.

The trophy will bear the name of the individual. Please note, there is only one award in this category.

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