Including Alan Partridge, Jason Manford and Kim Noble

Alan Partridge, Jason Manford and topical Radio 4 show The Skewer are up for the biggest award in audio comedy.

But the shortlist for this year’s Arias – the Audio & Radio Industry Awards – includes less high-profile programmes too.

Also nominated in the comedy category are Kim Noble’s independently produced podcast Futile Attempts (At Surviving Tomorrow), BBC Radio Wales show The Musical Life Of… and Radio 4’s  multi-ethnic sketch show Sketchtopia.

Noble’s ten-episode show, released last autumn, features hidden-mic recordings, philosophical narration and dream-like music as the comic grapples with life. It  was described as ‘morbidly compelling’ by The Guardian.

Meanwhile, The Musical Life Of… , written by Dan Kiss and Dave Cribb,  tells the story of famous Welsh people through song and stars Mike Bubbins, Steph Siadatan, Garnon Davies, Amanda Wilkin, Tom Price, Abigail Burdess, Dan Starkey and Kayed Mohamed-Mason.

And Sketchtopia is performed by James McNicholas, Jamie-Rose Monk, Nimisha Odedra, Vivienne Acheampong and Susheel Kumar

The full comedy category shortlist is:

• Alan Partridge: From the Oasthouse, Audible
• Futile Attempts (At Surviving Tomorrow), Novel
• The Jason Manford Show, Absolute Radio
• The Musical Life Of..., The Rubber Chicken Ltd for BBC Radio Wales
• Sketchtopia, Gusman Productions Ltd for BBC Radio 4
• The Skewer, Unusual Productions for BBC Radio 4    

The Skewer, created by former Now Show regular Jon Holmes, is also nominated for best new programme; while Elis James and John Robins are up for best speech presenters for their BBC Radio 5 Live show and  Chris and Rosie Ramsey’s Shagged, Married, Annoyed has been nominated for best independent podcast.

Stand-up Toby Foster is also up for best local radio show for his breakfast programme on BBC Radio Sheffield.

The Arias award ceremony will  be streamed on May 26 hosted by Kiss presenters and former Diversity stars Jordan & Perri.

 • Q&A with Alan Partridge as This Time... returns

Published: 21 Apr 2021