University News Last updated 08 April 2011
Two Birmingham City University students will be taking on established stars from the worlds of comedy, rock and broadcasting to win an internationally renowned award.
BA hons Media & Communication (Radio) Students from Birmingham City University have been nominated for a Sony Radio Award, arguably the radio equivalent of the Oscars. They have been nominated in the “Best Music Special” category for a documentary they produced which marks 30 years of UB40’s landmark album Signing Off.
Students Steve Thornton and Chris Williams worked on the one hour feature as a university research project for the Birmingham Music Archive. However their work so impressed the management of national station Absolute Radio that they broadcast the documentary on their Absolute Eighties DAB station. It has also been broadcast on BBC WM, Birmingham community station, Switch FM, and Radio New Zealand.
Third year students, Steve and Chris, face competition from the BBC to win the prestigious award as programmes broadcast on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 6 have also been nominated. They include a BBC 4 documentary about Africa presented by Lenny Henry, a profile of legendary Led Zeplin drummer Jon Bonham which is presented by Foo Fighters and former Nirvana member, Dave Grohl, and two documentaries for BBC Radio 2; one about singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka and another presented by member of 90s ‘Britpop’ band Pulp, and BBC Radio 6 presenter, Jarvis Cocker.Paul Sylvester, Executive Producer at Absolute Radio said: “Some people wait for their entire career to be nominated for a Sony Radio Award – the most prestigious prize in radio.
“For the Birmingham City University guys to get it before they’ve even started work professionally is testament to their talents and the quality of this programme. They sent it to me on CD, I listened and loved it so much it went straight on Absolute 80s with no amends – this almost never happens. It’s reasons like this why student radio is so important for the future of our industry and the University should be immensely proud of this nomination.”
The students’ documentary includes an interview with UB40 at the pub where the band played their first gig, the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath. Other contributors include Ranking Roger from The Beat, and exclusive interviews from Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders, producer Bob Lamb and Dr Paul Long from the University’s Birmingham School of Media.
Birmingham City University’s School of Media has a strong reputation with excellent league table positions (it was ranked in the top five in the country by the Guardian for Media Studies, Communications and Librarianship) and accreditations from professional bodies (Broadcast Journalism Training Council, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and the Sector Skills Council for Media Training). The University is the only Skillset Media Academy in the West Midlands and the School of Media maintains excellent connections with local and national media providers including the BBC, Sky, Endemol, Maverick Television and Channel 4.
Degree Leader for Radio Sam Coley helped produce the documentary. He said: “It is rare for a university project to be judged alongside professional production companies. It shows that students are capable of producing industry standard work. Chris and Steve deserve to be recognised for all their hard work and creativity. It’s a great effort.”
The Sony nomination isn’t the only connection the University has with UB40. Saxophonist, Brian Travers has close links the University’s School of Media, and its research centre, The Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research. Brian has worked with the School of Media on projects such as the Birmingham Music Archive. In 2010 Birmingham City University established the Brian Travers Achievement Award which is given to the final year BA Media & Communications (Music Industries) student who gains the best overall mark.
TV and radio presenter Chris Evans will host the Sony Radio Awards ceremony where the winners will be announced on May 9th at The Grosvenor House Hotel, London. The documentary can be heard here;http://www.mixcloud.com/bcu/ub40-the-30th-anniversary-of-signing-off-documentary/
Birmingham City University will be running a major awareness campaign in the Midlands to demonstrate how it is upgrading the future of individuals and companies. From Monday 11 April you will be able to find out more at www.bcu.ac.uk