Vote for the Radio Times moment of the year at the 2026 Audio and Radio Industry Awards

The Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS) are back for their 10th anniversary, honoring both established and up-and-coming talent in the radio world.

TopMob is proud to team up with the Audio Academy again this year to recognize outstanding achievements! Now, it’s up to you to vote for the winners!

It’s been a busy year filled with everything from political debates and serious moments, to exciting sports wins and royal news. Now it’s time to ask: who will you choose?

You can vote until May 8th. Please be certain of your choice before submitting, because your vote is final once you click!

Interviews by Caroline Frost and Gareth McLean

The ARIAS TopMob moment of the year nominees are…

Sarah Speaks: The Southport Attacks, on BBC Radio Merseyside

I have to admit, it sounds strange, but listening to Sarah, a survivor of that horrific stabbing at the Taylor Swift dance class in Southport this past July, actually left me feeling… hopeful. That’s how BBC Merseyside’s Kev Duala described it to me, and I completely agree – it was a truly life-affirming experience.

Realizing how quickly a normal day could turn chaotic made me think of my own daughters – this could happen to any child. But even amidst all the heartbreak, I was amazed by this young girl who calmly explained how she’d taken charge and helped the other girls get to safety.

Duala shared with TopMob that what makes this moment so meaningful is Sarah’s incredible resilience and dedication to helping others. Despite a difficult experience in Southport, she refused to let it hold her back and instead used it to grow.

Scotland v Denmark World Cup qualifier, on BBC Radio Scotland

Veteran sports commentator Alasdair Lamont, after almost three decades of calling games, choked up with emotion when Scottish midfielder Kenny McLean scored an incredible goal from the halfway line. He managed to exclaim, “We’re going back to the World Cup! What a night!”

Looking back on that night, Lamont told RT that the game had many shifts in momentum. He especially felt the excitement when Scotland scored their third and fourth goals, sharing in the joy of all the fans. He was both surprised and moved by the positive response to his commentary, which captured the disbelief and happiness of a nation returning to the World Cup after a 27-year absence.

As for working at this year’s tournament in the US and Mexico, Lamont calls it “a dream come true”.

Chelsey Ward shares her experience of racist abuse in Yorkshire, on BBC Radio Sheffield

People who tune into Toby Foster’s show on BBC Radio Sheffield, Leeds, and York often hear Chelsey Ward. She typically delivers the traffic reports during the program, and she did so on a particular day last October.

Then a story appeared about a chip shop in Doncaster that had been vandalized with a racist message. Hearing the shop owner describe how the incident affected him and his worries for his family, Ward felt she needed to share her own experience with racism. With a shaky voice, she explained that she had never felt so insignificant in a place she considered home.

Listeners responded in their droves, demonstrating the power of local radio to connect people.

The King’s Music Room, on Apple Music

For Commonwealth Day, King Charles revealed a playlist of his favorite songs to people around the globe. The list included artists like Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, and Grace Jones, showcasing his diverse musical taste.

I Don’t Like Cricket, I Love It, on Three Counties Radio

10cc’s hit reggae song, “Dreadlock Holiday,” topped the charts in the UK and other nations back in 1978, famously including the line, “I don’t like cricket, I love it.” Nearly 47 years later, presenter Justin Dealey finally took 10cc’s frontman, Graham Gouldman, to see his first cricket match at the Oval. Dealey recalls they first discussed the idea in 2018, but it took seven years to coordinate due to the pandemic and the band’s touring schedule, ultimately making the experience worthwhile.

People listening were able to hear Graham Gouldman’s initial impression of the sound of a cricket bat hitting the ball. According to Dealey, Graham was smiling the whole time and, without any preparation, spontaneously said, ‘I don’t just like cricket, I love it,’ which perfectly captured the feeling of the day.

The Human Cost: How tool theft pushed one listener to the brink of suicide, on Fix Radio

Fix Radio is a unique UK station broadcasting specifically for people in trades like plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work. Despite being a small operation, it’s achieved significant success – winning awards at last year’s Arias for both its breakfast show (Silver) and its station sound (Gold). This year, its afternoon program is proving to be another strong performer.

On his show, The Clive Holland Show, Clive Holland discussed two major issues affecting UK construction workers – the increasing problem of tool theft and the critical issue of suicide – with guest Steve Baker.

Baker bravely shared his story of how having his tools stolen led to a severe mental health crisis, highlighting the real human impact behind the numbers. It’s a stark reminder that every 12 minutes, a tradesperson experiences tool theft, and tragically, two tradespeople die by suicide each day.

80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, on BBC Radio 3

Petroc Trelawny was initially hesitant when he learned about a proposal from BBC Radio 3’s Sam Jackson to broadcast from the site of the Auschwitz concentration camp on Holocaust Memorial Day and examine the role of music within that tragic place.

We’d become known for doing live, on-location broadcasts, but those were usually straightforward nature programs like ‘The River Severn’ or ‘A Journey across the Highlands,’ explained Trelawny to TopMob. This new project felt different, and I worried about finding the right balance – respecting the subject matter, telling a compelling story, playing beautiful music, and keeping the audience engaged.

After talking with Jewish friends and addressing his initial concerns, Trelawny moved forward with the project. Thanks to the incredible work of producers Susan Kenyon and Michael Rossi, who discovered these powerful stories and arranged them into a stunning sequence, the final radio program was deeply touching and impactful.

“Listen love, you’re trying ever so hard”, on Bloomberg

Mishal Husain is still trying to figure out if Nigel Farage calling her “love” during an October 2025 interview about Russia was a deliberately rude tactic or a way to avoid her question. Speaking to TopMob, Husain said it might have been both, but she decided to continue pressing him. Ultimately, that single word led Farage to reveal a significant change in his position, which became a major news story and quickly spread online, highlighting his difficulty with being held accountable.

Live Aid Relived, on Greatest Hits Radio

To mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid, a special 10-hour broadcast recreated the iconic event. It featured the original music and artists remembering July 13, 1985, when people around the world united for a common cause. Presenter Simon Mayo shared that listeners were eager to recall their personal experiences of that day, with “everyone hav[ing] their own particular moment.”

Listeners shared heartfelt reactions to the broadcast. One message expressed how the broadcast evoked powerful memories of the day and of loved ones who are now gone. Another listener, who had been at the Wembley concert, thanked us for rebroadcasting it, calling it a truly amazing day.

Comedian Dan Skinner swims with the Blue Tits Chill Swimmers off the Pembrokeshire coast, on Great Escapes podcast

It was such a fun moment when Dan Skinner unexpectedly jumped into the sea off the Pembrokeshire coast! As a listener, it felt really personal and made me chuckle. I could almost feel the cold with him when he announced, “It’s October and I’m in the sea!”

Skinner shared with RT that the most surprising part of his experience was the shockingly cold water – almost freezing – but also how quickly he adapted to it. This adventure was part of a larger goal for his podcast: to showcase the incredible beauty and people found throughout the UK, often in places very close to home.

The 2026 ARIAS take place on Thursday 21 May.

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

I’m a big fan of TopMob, and Katelyn Mensah is a huge part of why! She’s their Senior Entertainment Writer, and she really knows her stuff when it comes to everything – from the biggest shows on TV to the latest, most impactful documentaries. Before TopMob, she was writing about reality TV and celebrity news at The Tab, and she’s got a Journalism degree too, so she definitely knows how to get the story right.

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2026-04-14 09:36