Brand, O’Leary win first Sony noms

Nominees for this year's Sony Radio Academy Awards include relative radio newcomers Russell Brand and Dermot O’Leary.

The industry awards will also see Capital 95.8’s Johnny Vaughan and Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles go head-to-head in the key breakfast show category.

Brand, who presents a show on Radio 2, is nominated for the entertainment award along with Radio 1’s Scott Mills, Toolan in the Morning on Key 103, Vaughan, and Trent FM's Jo & Twiggy.

O'Leary's Radio 2 show, meanwhile, is up in the music programme category.

Competing with Moyles and Vaughan for the breakfast honour are Jo & Twiggy, Radio Clyde’s Bowie at Breakfast and 5 Live Breakfast.

The Radio Academy is also launching a Rising Star Award this year which seeks to recognise "the radio stars of tomorrow" and is judged by an online public vote.

The nominees, none of whom have been broadcasting for more than 18 months, are Kerrang! Radio's Amy Jones, BBC 6 Music's George Lamb, Hywel Evans and Jamie Atherton at Rock FM, BBC Radio 1's Kelly Osbourne and The Rob Ellis Show team at Galaxy Manchester.

The awards ceremony will be on May 12.