Congratulations to the winners of the National Hospital Radio Awards 2020.
The National Hospital Radio Awards is an annual celebration of the excellent year-on-year standards found in hospital radio stations across the country.
The awards are open to any HBA member station, and are divided into different categories, each one recognising a specific area of excellence; some are awarded to individuals, others to stations.
Most of the categories recognise gold, silver, and bronze winners; however, two prizes are awarded to only one individual with no runner-up places. We also had a dead heat for Station of the Year meaning two Silver awards were awarded.
Your Winners
Station of the Yearsponsored by PPL |
Gold: RADIO BROCKLEYThe judges said this is incredible hospital radio of the highest quality. From royal visits to local elections, the station appears embedded in both hospital and community life. There is considered presentation by highly talented volunteers who are obviously passionate about their craft and supporting the patients recovery. This was – according to the judges – a brilliantly textured entry, showing the huge diversity of content the station produces. Joint Silver: BHBNThe judges said there are some perfectly pitched elements in this entry that elevates it about other stations. From the neo-natal baby unit piece to the transplant games, the presenters are clearly skilled at handling speech content. This was all combined with a real sense of personality and is an excellent entry from a first-rate station. Joint Silver: Radio RedhillRadio Redhill is described as a brilliant station which not only covers hospital events but also things happening in the wider community. With guests including Dame Judi Dench, the volunteers are great communicators and interviewers. There’s a real warmth about their presentation and a clear desire to go above and beyond. This is hospital at its best.
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Play Radio Brockley's Gold Entry |
Male Presenter of the Yearsponsored by PRS |
Gold: Ross Maxwell, Grampian Hospital RadioWonderfully enthusiastic is how one judge summed up Ross. Professional sounding and really talks to the listener, making him very relatable. He’s good at storytelling and showed brilliant interaction with patients. Silver: Rajiv Hasan, Nottingham Hospitals RadioNice style and delivery is how one judge summed up Rajiv’s entry. Very strong content and good use of sensitive language when talking about patients. He also showed a great rapport with interviewees. Bronze: Joe Smith, Southend Hospital RadioThe judges said that Joe has a lovely friendly style about him and was really engaging with a good local feel about his show.
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Female Presenter of the Yearsponsored by PRS |
Gold: Julie Caston, Nottingham Hospitals RadioThe judge gave Gold to Julie as they felt she was the perfect, warm, friendly voice and was so easy to listen to. You can tell Julie is very much at home behind the microphone. This entry hit all the right notes from the judges – they couldn’t fault it all. . Silver: Philippa Clarkin, BHBNThe judges said that from the first few seconds you could tell Phillipa was loving her show. Such great energy and warmth and a lovely interview technique asking the right questions and making her guests feel at ease from the offset. A very strong entry, indeed.
Bronze: Hansa Varsani, Radio HarrowAs one judge put it – wow, what an incredibly positive and fun entry this was, from the first 10 seconds it was all about energy. Hansa has also mastered that “one to one” skill of broadcasting, brilliantly.
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Play Julie Caston's Gold Entry |
Special Event |
Gold: HOSPITAL TO HOSPITAL SPONSORED WALKHOSPITAL BROADCASTING SERVICEThe judges found this entry entertaining and informative. They said there was some wonderful chemistry between the team, with a clever use of music – a really good listen.
Silver: Brunel University Volunteers Fayre, Radio HillingdonThe judges described this entry as a beautifully produced illustration of how people come together to support their community. It was warm and conversational – with a nod to the music, woven in.
Bronze: St Peter's Open Day Coverage Radio WeyThe judges said this entry had a special warmth about it – a feeling of community. It was educational but also fun and the kids were lovely. |
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Best Speech Package |
Gold: WORLD TRANSPLANT GAMES BATON HANDOVER, BHBNThe judges said this was a quality piece of radio – with a good appreciation of sound and one amazing moment. Special mention is made of Phillipa Clarkin for an emotional and riveting interview.
Silver: Life on the Farnes, Durham Hospitals RadioThe judges praised the great ambition and lovely friendly style in this entry. It came close to being their winner – they suggested with a little more actuality and a stronger description, it might well have clinched gold.
Bronze: Tor Bridge High Radio Show - Carers Week, Hospital Radio PlymourhOne judge said that, for them the best radio tells them something they didn’t know – and this entry did just that. Amazing insights, simply told. A worthy winner. |
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Best Newcomersponsored by BroadcastRadio |
Gold: Shannon Griffin, Hospital Radio MedwayShannon in seen as a very versatile and authentic broadcaster with an attractive voice which she uses well. She also has good listening skills and an empathy with the listener. Silver:Jojo Sanderson, CHBNJojo is described as hugely likeable and clearly a creative presenter with a good voice and a thoroughly natural approach. Bronze: Anandi Shah, Radio HarrowAnandi is a really promising presenter with much to offer. She displays her intelligence engagingly in her content and questioning. |
Play Shanon Griffin's Gold Entry |
Best Specialist Musicsponsored by PPL |
Gold: THE GEORDIE HOUR, RADIO TYNESIDEThe judges felt Karis and Gary worked well together. The show is totally “local” and will be inclusive and relatable to listeners. Lots of information, presented in a friendly chatty style with a variety of – all local – music, flowing nicely in a way that gave the listener every reason to stay tuned for the entire hour. Silver: Fresh Sounds, Radio GrapevineThere was plenty of content for the judge to get their teeth in to – a live interview, a live session, lots of local info too. They said it was clear a lot of preparation had gone in to the show, which was also very well presented.
Bronze: The Rock Show, HWDThe judges said the presenter is clearly enthusiastic about his subject and felt the show is presented in a knowledgeable, humourous and chatty style. |
Play Radio Tyneside's Gold Entry |
Best Programme with Multiple Presenterssponsored by PPL |
Gold: KATHERINE AND MARIA'S THE YOUNG WEY, RADIO WEYThe judges said this show had a real sense of fun and felt inclusive to the audience it was aimed at. One judge said that Maria and Katharine compliment each other nicely, and you wanted to keep listening to them, throughout. Silver: SHR Kids, Southend Hospital RadioThe judges praised this nicely delivered content. They said that Kara and Kathryn demonstrated the required relevance to the hospital patient and the wider hospital community. Fun and enjoyable to listen too. Bronze: Dolphin Beats, Radio MedwayEllie and Brooke are two sisters and the judges said they sounded natural, fun and both are very comfortable interviewers. A really good listen. |
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Station Promotion
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Gold: MUSIC WAS MY FIRST LOVE, RADIO GLAMORGANThe judges said this was simply executed but often keeping things simple offers the best way to engage your listener. A series of clips, nicely put together, promoting the station.
Silver: The Young Wey - Temporary Trailer, Radio WeyThe judges enjoyed this promo – hooking them in from the beginning, with an unexpected twist.
Bronze: How to LIsten to Radio Hillingdon, Radio HillingdonThe judges liked this short promo, using a certain smart speaker device, to highlight how listeners can interact with the station. Nice and simple – but got the message across.
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Recognising Innovation Across Hospital RadioSponsored by Myriad 5 Playout |
Radio WeyFor many years the station broadcast on Hospicom to St Peter’s and by air headphones at Ashford Hospital, however patients often complained that headphones were uncomfortable and navigating the last few screens that were working was difficult. Looking for a solution, the team at Radio Wey started working on a cost effective solution to stream the station from the internet and, after a bit of trial and error, they came across suitable Wi-Fi speakers, which, with the use of an App, could be locked on to Radio Wey and brought great sound quality too. 14 were purchased to trial the system and, it proved so popular, the hospital trust provided the station with a grant to enable more speakers to be purchased. They now have 60 such speakers, meaning every bay in every ward has one and staff and patients like having something in the background to listen too. Requests have shot through the roof as a result – as well their listening figures. A great way of using technology to keep themselves on air and to reach even more patients |
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The John Whitney Award |
WINNER: ROy GladishCHBNRoy has been connected with hospital radio since the late 1940s, when, whilst visiting his Grandfather in hospital, he had the idea to give the patients more choice other than the BBC Home and Light stations. He borrowed a reel to reel tape recorder and persuaded a local record store to loan him some records and put together a one hour music show which was broadcast from the distribution cupboard at the weekend. This pioneering idea resulted in a weekly request show which continued for some years and must have been one of the earliest examples of hospital radio. Until 18 months ago he hosted a weekly 2 hour live show on his station and held the unbeaten record of presenting live every week since he joined CHBN in 2012. During that time Roy was the first presenter in the station’s history who hosted a 2 hour live programme on Christmas Day as he appreciated how important a live programme was to those who were unfortunate to be in hospital at that time. He was a key part of the team that launched the station under its community radio license in 2014 and transitioned it to become a hospital and community Radio service, working hard hard to ensure that its broadcast standards were as high as possible and that the station was providing the best possible service to it’s listeners. In the last couple of years his health deteriorated which meant that he was no longer able to physically visit the studio every week, however he was still the station's most committed listener. Sadly, Roy could not beat his illness and he died at home in October last year. All at CHBN were greatly affected by his passing but his legacy will live on through the many recordings of him that the station still has. Gone but not forgotten. Our John Whitney Award this year, goes to the amazing Roy Gladish…of CHBN.
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Special Recognition |
JUNE SNOWDENThis year is the HBA’s 50th anniversary and the trustees wanted to award a Special Recognition for June Snowden, someone who’s been key to the association's success throughout its time. There surely isn’t a station she hasn’t been to and she’s proved to be an outstanding ambassador for the HBA and for hospital radio over many many years. HBA or NAHBO - the National Association of Hospital Broadcasting Organisations – was formed by a small group, meeting in Hull fifty years ago this year. Among those founders was none other than Brian Snowden, June’s late husband. Together they formed Hospital Radio Goodies – helping better promote stations with merchandise and, in 1994 the first ever Conference Bursary was awarded, in memory of Brian. June has continued – often despite ill health – to travel the length and breadth of the country, as our President, attending station events, being interviewed and never missing a conference. The Association just wouldn’t be the same without her.
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