Nominations announced for 2022 Audio Production Awards

• Poppy Jay & Rubina Pabani, stars of BBC Sounds podcast Brown Girls Do It Too, announced as hosts

Poppy & Rubina have been confirmed as the hosts of this year’s Audio Production Awards ceremony to be held on Wednesday 23rd November.

The Awards, sponsored by Audible, will be held at a gala evening at the BFI on London’s South Bank.

The APAs, organised by AudioUK (the trade body which champions and supports independent audio production businesses in the UK), celebrate outstanding achievement in audio production across a huge range of audio content including; podcasts, audiobooks, sound design, radio, presenting and more.

Producer, Sound Designer and Presenter Axel Kacoutié received nominations across three categories, as did Producer Victoria Ferran, nominated for Best Arts & Culture Producer, Best Entertainment Producer and Producer of the Year.

Presenter category nominees include talkSPORT’s Lianne Sanderson for Best New Voice, Claudia Winkleman and Rob Beckett for Best Presenter, BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Throwback Party hosts Joelah, Keke and DJ Silk for Best Ensemble Cast, and Minnie Driver for Bonnier Books UK for Best Narrator.

Carousel, an organisation supporting learning disabled people to fulfil their creative ambitions in the arts, received a first time nomination for the Grassroots Production Award. Newcomer Talia Augustidis for Message Heard received two nominations for Best New Producer and Best New Voice. Plus a new category for 2022, Publisher or Network of the Year, proved “tough competition”, said judges.

Tickets to attend the awards ceremony on sale now: bit.ly/APAs_2022

Bernard Achampong, Founder of Unedited, Vice Chair of AudioUK and Chair of Judges, said:

“This year we received a record breaking number of entries across the 22 categories which reflects the sheer growth, creativity and talent working in this space. It is so encouraging to see, and such an exciting industry to be a part of. Our vision is to champion the most outstanding producers whose work we will listen back to in 20 years time and all be proud of. Congratulations to all the nominees, I’m looking forward to raising a glass to the winners of 2022”.

Chloe Straw, Managing Director of AudioUK, said:

“Thank you to everyone who entered the Audio Production Awards this year - it is fantastic that we have had a record number of entries once again, testament to the growth of the UK audio industry, and the people who make such quality audio content.

Thank you to our judges who give their expertise so willingly to help decide the shortlist and winners. We have an excellent team who help run the awards; thank you to Sophie Cantopher and Ria Penido; thanks to our excellent Chair of Judges, Bernard Achampong; and thanks to Yassine Senghor who works with us consulting on equality, diversity and inclusion.

A huge thank you to our lead sponsor Audible, without whom the awards would not be able to happen, and to Amazon Music & Wondery who have joined us this year to sponsor the Pay What You Can scheme. Thank you also to our key sponsors: BBC Sounds, BetterHelp, In:Quality, The Podcasting Seriously Awards Fund, The Podcast Show and Radiocentre.

Finally, congratulations to all the nominees. I’m incredibly proud of the quality of work that we hear in the UK audio industry and the brilliant people who make it. I look forward to seeing you all on the 23rd November at the BFI”.

Full list of Nominees for the APAs 2022 below.

Audio Production Awards 2022 Nominees

Best Arts & Culture Producer

• Hannah Dean - Falling Tree Productions
• Hannah Hufford - BBC Audio
• Geoff Bird - Freelance
• Lyndsay Fenner & Victoria Lloyd - Storyglass
• Steven Rajam - Overcoat Media
• Victoria Ferran - Just Radio

Best Audiobook Producer

• Chris Thompson - Penguin Random House
• David Beck - Wireless Theatre for Audible
• Kathleen Moroney - Red Apple Creative for Audible
• Laura-Leigh Smith - String and Tins for Audible
• Lily Ridett - Freelance
• Tanya Hougham - HarperCollins

Best Branded Sound Producer

• Adam Venton - Little Monster Media
• Ali Rezakhani - BBC Sounds
• Chris Nicoll - WIZZFX
• Kenny Southavy - Reelworld
• Luke Berry - BBC Popular Music Station Sound
• Sam Parker - WIZZFX

Best Drama & Fiction Producer

• Andrew Mark Sewell - B7 Productions
• Barnaby Eaton-Jones & Ian Haig - Idea Hat Productions
• Celia de Wolff - Pier Productions
• Jacqueline Rayner - Big Finish Productions
• Melanie Harris - Sparklab Productions
• Nicolas Jackson - Afonica

Best Ensemble Cast

• Elis James & John Robins - Audio Always
• Helen Brown, Terri Sweeney, Emma Goswell & Beena Khetani - Effin Hormones
• Joelah, Keke & DJ Silk - 1Xtra’s Throwback Party
• Kat Anderson & Natalia Anderson - Expat Immigrant Podcast
• Kim Davis & Raffaella Coleman - The Scene
• William Hanson & Jordan North - Audio Always

Best Entertainment Producer

• Adem Waterman - Absolute Radio
• Lorna Skingley - 7digital
• Lucy Dearlove - Storyglass
• Meera Kumar - Auddy
• Ore Olukoga - TBI Media
• Victoria Ferran - Just Radio

Best Factual Producer Sponsored by In:Quality

• Axel Kacoutié - Falling Tree Productions
• Eva Krysiak - Freelance
• Joshua Kelly - The Guardian
• Kate Taylor - Audible
• Redzi Bernard - Falling Tree Productions
• Russell Finch - Wondery

Best Lifestyle & Society Producer (New for 2022) Sponsored by BetterHelp

• Andrew Gold - Freelance
• Anouszka Tate - Freelance
• Lina Prestwood - Scenery Studios
• Sangeeta Pillai - Soul Sutras
• Selina Ream - Somethin’ Else
• Sylvie Carlos - Unedited

Best Music Producer

• Arthur Hagues - Prison Radio Association
• Helen Watherhead - Audio Always
• Jack Howson
• Katie Callin - Multitrack
• Keana Bernard - BBC Audio
• Nate Goodman - We Are Grape

Best Narrator

• Andy Serkis - HarperCollins
• Julie Hesmondhalgh - HarperCollins
• Kristin Atherton - Penguin Random House
• Minnie Driver - Bonnier Books UK
• Tom Alexander - HarperCollins
• Tracy Wiles – Almost Tangible

Best New Producer Sponsored by BBC Sounds

• Charlotte North - Whistledown
• Julian Maclurg - Freelance
• Pippa Smith - Novel
• Redzi Bernard - Falling Tree Productions
• Rufaro Faith Mazarura - Audio Always
• Talia Augustidis - Message Heard

Best New Voice Sponsored by BBC Sounds

• Afrodeutsche - Reform Radio
• Cara McGoogan - The Telegraph
• Lianne Sanderson - talkSPORT
• Lily Baldwin - Audible
• Peter Waring - Whistledown
• Talia Augustidis - Message Heard

Best News & Current Affairs Producer

• Ant Adeane - Freelance
• Daniel Rosney - BBC Newsbeat
• Edward Drummond - The Times and The Sunday Times
• James Shield - The Times and The Sunday Times
• Ruth Abrahams - Freelance
• Taryn Siegel - The Times and The Sunday Times

Best Presenter Sponsored by The Podcast Show

• Axel Kacoutié - Falling Tree Productions
• Claudia Winkleman - TBI Media
• Danny Robins - Bafflegab Productions
• Elis James & John Robins - Audio Always
• John Sweeney - Chalk and Blade
• Rob Beckett - TBI Media

Best Sound Design Producer

• Axel Kacoutié - Freelance
• Benbrick
• Hannah Dean - Falling Tree Productions
• John Wakefield - Audible
• Kit Milsom - Mags Creative
• Steve Urquhart - Freelance

Best Sports Producer

• Adonis Pratsides - The Athletic UK
• Chessie Bent - TBI Media
• Christian Hewgill - BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat
• Joel Grove - Guardian News and Media
• Isabel Minter - talkSPORT
• Olly Clink - talkSPORT

Gethin Thomas Award for Best Comedy Producer

• David Tyler - Pozzitive
• Ed Morrish - Lead Mojo Productions
• Gus Beattie - Gusman Productions
• Gwyn Rhys Davies - BBC Studios
• Kurt Brookes - Made In Manchester
• Matt Thomas - Audio Always

Grassroots Production Awards Sponsored by Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund

• Boz Temple-Morris & Fin Kennedy - The Waves
• Carousel
• Miranda Rae - Afrikan Queens
• Modus Arts C.I.C - Tape Letters
• Steve Urquhart - Doing Bird
• Vic Elizabeth Turnbull - MIC Media

Producer of the Year (New for 2022)

• Hana Walker-Brown - Broccoli Productions / Freelance
• Hannah Dean - Falling Tree Productions
• Jack Howson
• Jon Holmes - unusual
• Steve Urquhart - Freelance
• Victoria Ferran - Just Radio

Production Company of the Year Sponsored by Radiocentre

• Holy Mountain
• Reduced Listening
• TBI Media
• Unedited
• We Are Grape
• Whistledown

Publisher of Network of the Year (New for 2022)

• Crowd Network
• Fun Kids
• Mags Creative
• Resonance FM
• Sky News
• talkSPORT

The Sustainability Award (New for 2022)

• Jo Kennedy & Cathy Shaw - Nature Tripping
• Loftus Media - Funghi: The New Frontier
• The Long Time Academy - Scenery Studios
• Lucia Scazzocchio - Wild Eye
• Reform Radio
• Resonance FM