Mayo pips Humphrys to award

SIMON Mayo beat John Humphrys to speech broadcaster of the year at the radio industry "Oscars" last night.

Russell Brand, the comic who launched his Saturday late-night Radio 2 show in 2006, also won his first "gold" award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, picking up the entertainment award.

Radio 4 won UK station of the year, putting Radio 2, the UK's most popular station, in second place. Radio 1's Chris Moyles won a Sony gold for best breakfast show and Jonathan Ross on Radio 2 won the music radio personality award.

But Today veteran Humphrys was pipped by Mayo on Radio 5 Live to the speech broadcaster of the year title.

Planet Rock, the radio station which is expected to close at the end of the month if it cannot find a buyer, was named digital station of the year, while the broadcaster Brian Matthew won the gold award for "an impressive record of more than 50 years of national and international radio broadcasting".

The awards were announced at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

The broadcaster Paul Gambaccini hosted the gold, silver and bronze awards across 31 categories.