Amateurs take over broadcasting as Guy Garvey and Nick Clegg lead nominations for Radio Academy Awards

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey has successfully translated his warmth from the stage to the radio studio (Getty Images)

Once pop stars just wanted their records played on radio. But now the UK radio industry’s biggest awards ceremony has recognised a number of music stars forging a new career as broadcasters.

Guy Garvey, the Elbow frontman, is nominated for Music Broadcaster of the Year at this year’s Radio Academy Awards, for his Sunday afternoon shown on BBC 6 Music.

The singer faces competition from rapper Scroobius Pip, who broadcasts on XFM and is also nominated for best specialist music programme.

Alex James, the Blur bassist, is a double nominee for his Magical Mystery Show programme on Classic FM, in which he travels the UK, celebrating the music created in leading cities and towns. James competes against jazz star Jamie Cullum for best music programme.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also finds himself in the nominations with his weekly LBC 97.3 phone-in Call Clegg up for best speech programme and best news programme.

Clegg, who competes against Absolute Radio's Frank Skinner Show and Radio 4's The Reunion, Short Cuts and The Digital Human, has been praised for allowing himself to be challenged on air by disgruntled voters.

The radio interlopers enjoyed more success than some established radio broadcasters. Nick Grimshaw (Radio 1) and Chris Evans (Radio 2) missed out on nominations for the best breakfast show prize. Evans was overlooked despite enjoying the biggest radio breakfast audience in Europe.

Evans does find himself in the running for another highly prized award, as he battles for the music radio personality title against station colleague Graham Norton, as well as Absolute Radio's Christian O'Connell, BBC Radio 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie and Gem 106's Sam & Amy.

The much prized award for national station of the year - landed by BBC Radio 5 live in 2013 - will be fought between Radio 2, Radio 4 and talkSport.

David Rodigan, who was axed by Kiss after many years, has found himself nominated for best specialist music programme after finding a new home at Radio 1Xtra.

The national breakfast show of the year title - won last year by Radio 4's Today - will be fought between Radio 5 live, Kiss Breakfast With Rickie, Melvin And Charlie, LBC's Nick Ferrari, BBC London's Penny Smith and Paul Ross and Capital's double act Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon.

Music stars who have enjoyed recent success at the Academy Awards include 6 Music’s Jarvis Cocker and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood for his Absolute Radio show.

The awards - formerly known as the Sony Radio Academy Awards until the sponsor pulled out last year after a long association - take place at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on 12 May, hosted by Chris Evans.

Selected nominations for the 32nd Radio Academy Awards

Breakfast Show of the Year (10 million plus)

• 5 live Breakfast (BBC Radio 5 live)
• KISS Breakfast with Rickie, Melvin & Charlie (KISS)
• Nick Ferrari at Breakfast (LBC 97.3)
• The Breakfast Show with Penny Smith & Paul Ross (BBC London 94.9FM)
• The Capital Breakfast Show with Dave Berry & Lisa Snowdon (95.8 Capital FM)

Best Music Programme

• Alex James's Magical Musical Tour (Classic FM)
• Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2)
• John Suchet (Classic FM)
• The People's Songs (BBC Radio 2)
• The XFM Evening Show with Danielle Perry (XFM)

Best Specialist Music Programme

• David Rodigan (BBC Radio 1Xtra)
• Mistajam (BBC Radio 1Xtra)
• The Beatdown on XFM with Scroobius Pip (XFM)
• The Folk Show with Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2)
• Zane Lowe (BBC Radio 1)

Best Entertainment Programme

• Alex James's Magical Musical Tour (Classic FM)
• Greg James (BBC Radio 1)
• Rob Howard (Capital North East)
• The 12 O'Clock Show (BBC Radio Bristol)
• The Dermot O'Leary Show (BBC Radio 2)

Best Speech Programme

• Call Clegg (LBC 97.3)
• Short Cuts (BBC Radio 4)
• The Digital Human - (BBC Radio 4)
• The Frank Skinner Show (Absolute Radio)
• The Reunion (BBC Radio 4)

Best Sports Programme

• 5 live Sport (BBC Radio 5 live)
• Gerr'um On Side (102.4 Wish FM/107.2 Wire FM)
• The Day We Won Wimbledon (BBC Radio 5 live)
• The Team That Never Was (BBC Radio Oxford)
• World Football (BBC World Service)

Best News & Current Affairs Programme

• Asian Network Reports (BBC Asian Network)
• Call Clegg (LBC 97.3)
• PM (BBC Radio 4)
• The World at One (BBC Radio 4)
• Victoria Derbyshire (BBC Radio 5 live)

Music Radio Personality of the Year

• Chris Evans (BBC Radio 2)
• Christian O'Connell (Absolute Radio)
• Graham Norton (BBC Radio 2)
• Radcliffe & Maconie (BBC Radio 6 Music)
• Sam & Amy (Gem 106)

Music Radio Broadcaster of the Year

• Guy Garvey (BBC Radio 6 Music)
• Mary Anne Hobbs (BBC Radio 6 Music)
• Scroobius Pip (XFM)
• Tom Service (BBC Radio 3)
• Zane Lowe (BBC Radio 1)

Speech Radio Personality of the Year

• Alan Robson (Metro Radio/TFM)
• Danny Baker (BBC Radio 5 live)
• Johnny Vaughan (talkSPORT)
• Nick Ferrari (LBC 97.3)
• Phin Adams (CAMFM)

Speech Radio Broadcaster of the Year

• Jane Garvey (BBC Radio 4)
• Justin Webb (BBC Radio 4)
• Melvyn Bragg (BBC Radio 4)
• Rony Robinson (BBC Radio Sheffield)
• Victoria Derbyshire (BBC Radio 5 live)

Best Comedy

• Bridget Christie Minds The Gap (BBC Radio 4)
• Here Be Dragons (BBC Radio Wales)
• John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (BBC Radio 4)
• The Blagger's Guide To Doctor Who (BBC Radio 2)
• The Secret World (BBC Radio 4)

Best Drama

• Babbage (BBC Radio 3)
• Darkside (BBC Radio 2)
• How To Have A Perfect Marriage (BBC Radio 4)
• Lost and Found (BBC Radio 4)
• The Morpeth Carol (BBC Radio 4)

Station of the Year (under 1 million)

• BBC Tees
• Moray Firth Radio
• National Prison Radio

Station of the Year (1 million plus)

• BBC Radio Ulster
• LBC 97.3
• Metro Radio

UK Station of the Year

• BBC Radio 2
• BBC Radio 4
• talkSPORT