Absolute radio host Geoff Lloyd wins commercial award

Absolute Radio host Geoff Lloyd was named presenter of the year at an awards event to honour the cream of commercial radio.

The broadcaster, who presents the afternoon show, won the top presenting prize for stations with a million-plus audience at the annual Arqiva Awards last night.

Presenter Nick Ferrari celebrated a double win, taking the honours for top breakfast show and picking up the Gold Award for his outstanding contribution over the past year.

Ferrari, rewarded for his show on London station LBC 97.3, was described by Arqiva's director of radio Paul Eaton as "a sparkling jewel in commercial radio's crown".

Absolute landed a further prize when station boss Clive Dickens was named programmer of the year at the London event hosted by the station's presenter Christian O'Connell.

Other presenters of the year were Moray Firth Radio's Knoxy, who took the award for smaller stations, and 96.3 Radio Aire's Rich Williams, who collected the prize for mid-sized stations.

Williams was described by judges as "a real self-starter with a knowledge of Leeds that gives him a unique edge over the competition" and they applauded Knoxy as "vibrant, funny and a great ambassador for the station".

Sheffield's Hallam FM was named station of the year with an audience of more than a million, Lancaster-based The Bay took the award for mid-sized stations and 106.4 Andover Sound took the title for smaller broadcasters.

FunKids was the digital station of the year.

Take That were the most played artists on commercial radio for the third year running.

The awards, in their 15th year, are organised by RadioCentre, the industry body for commercial radio.

The main winners were:

:: Feature of the year - The Afghan Diaries: On the Front Line (Radio City 96.7)

:: Special programme of the year - Ali Booker's Cancer Diaries (Oxfordshire's 106 JACKfm)

:: Specialist programme of the year - Friday Night Sport Show with Bill & Ben (102.5 Radio Pembrokeshire)

:: Breakfast show of the year - Nick Ferrari at Breakfast (LBC 97.3)

:: Schools radio award - Pudsey Grangefield School

:: Most played UK artist on commercial radio - Take That

:: Journalist/news team of the year - Real Radio North West News Team

:: Programmer of the year - Clive Dickens (Absolute Radio)

:: Newcomer of the year - Lucy Jones (107.6 Banbury Sound)

:: Radio presenter of the year (audience under 300,000) - Knoxy (Moray Firth Radio)

:: Presenter of the year (audience 300,000 to one million) - Rich Williams (96.3 Radio Aire)

:: Presenter of the year (one million-plus audience) - Geoff Lloyd - Absolute Radio

:: Lifetime achievement award - John Perkins (former managing director of IRN)

:: RadioCentre chairman's award - Lisa Kerr (RadioCentre)

:: Digital station of the year - FunKids

:: Station of the year (under 300,000) - 106.4 Andover Sound

:: Station of the year (300,000 to one million) - The Bay

:: Station of the year (one million-plus) - Hallam FM

:: Gold Award - Nick Ferrari (LBC 97.3)