SONG OF THE YEAR: Kasabian - Eez-Ehh!
Nothing came close to this during 2014. Quite often songs which have an initial appeal lose their lustre over time, but this three minute slice of genius is still gorgeously addictive to my ears. Although i've never really rated Kasabian that highly (particularly their last couple of albums which never appealed much to me), this pogo-ing session of indie-tech-pop is so utterly infectious that i can't help but dance.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Errrm.... Ummm....
It hasn't been a particularly album oriented year for me. Work patterns and a growing preference for listening on demand to more speech based radio shows mean i haven't had the opportunity to listen properly to a number of albums i bought in the summer which deserve proper attention before i build an opinion on them. In terms of which album i've spent most time listening to, well last year's winner in this category (Bent van Looy's Round The Bend) is undoubtedly the leader in that metric.
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: BBC Radio Sheffield
I've fallen for the tone, warmth and conviviality of BBC Radio Sheffield. From Toby Foster's brilliant breakfast show to Bernie Clifton's audience driven Live-ish and the sublimely fun Treasure Hunt game Clueless, the station's output is pitched superbly.
MUSIC RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Well this is awkward...
I've had an awkward year with music radio. There doesn't seem to be a great deal of variety out there. Having long been a fan of dance music based radio shows, the current crop feels a bit weak. There are a lot of people doing the same thing, with very similar music apparently belonging to different genres whilst a wider world of music gets ignored. In a year which has seen the end of Rob da Bank's weekly Radio 1 shows and the opportunities for specialist music shows get reduced by the lengthening of most late night and overnight slots to three hours, it feels like we are approaching something of a fin de siecle with regard to new music. The whole music industry is in desperate need of a movement which feels genuinely dangerous and exciting to shake up the mainstream and the various youth-targeted radio stations reflect this stagnation.
FACTUAL RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Clueless (BBC Radio Sheffield)
Continuing last year's theme of Treasure Hunt styled games on local radio being my new favourite thing, BBC Radio Sheffield's Clueless has raised itself head and shoulders above the competition in my estimation. Howard Pressman's chairmanship is superbly judged, a combination of excitement, organisation and entertainer. Kat Cowan's role as the clue hunter (ably assisted by the Anti-Stig) is always entertaining and she throws herself in to the show wholeheartedly. The mysterious Cluemaster also adds to the revelry with banter, hints, solutions and the "Ask the Cluemaster" feature. The show never takes itself too seriously and is always good fun, especially when things go awry for Howie and Kat.
Also deserving a mention is the second series of BBC WM's Hunted, which returned in March and follows a similar format to Clueless. Similarly anarchic, with a penchant for double entendre and in jokes, Hunted is brilliant Sunday morning fun.
PODCAST OF THE YEAR: Iain Lee (BBC Three Counties Radio)
Despite Iain being the big name fronting the show, the Three Counties breakfast show is distinctly a team effort. The inspired combination of Iain Lee, Katherine Boyle, Kelly Betts and Justin Dealey has truly come of age in 2014. Given the creative freedom to try something different with the potentially stuffy format of BBC local radio breakfast, the team have elevated the zoo format to a newly credible level, being both entertaining and having the teeth to tackle serious material. It can be quite a rollercoaster ride, often veering in to the surreal. It definitely isn't what you'd expect from a show in that slot and that makes it all the more exciting.
