Rob Burrow wins Arias awards including best new podcast

The audio and radio awards ceremony took place at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London.

Rob Burrow attending the Radio Academy Arias at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London

Rob Burrow has taken home several awards at the 2024 Radio Academy’s Audio And Radio Industry Awards (Arias) – including best new podcast.

The former English rugby league player was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2019 and has been a passionate campaigner and fundraiser for those with the disease, recently being awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours list.

Last year he launched a podcast titled Seven: Rob Burrow – after the number on his rugby shirt – in which he asks questions to a range of sporting greats using an eyegaze machine due to his MND.

ARIAS 2024 — Lindsey Burrow and Rob Burrow attending the Radio Academy Arias at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London (Yui Mok/PA)

On Tuesday, he took home two gold awards for best new podcast and the creative innovation award, and also won a silver prize in the best new presenter category for his BBC podcast.

After the ceremony, Burrow’s wife Lindsey said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support that we’ve received.

“Rob using his voice to do a podcast is probably something six or 12 months ago we wouldn’t have thought would be possible.

“So it’s really special to receive this award and continues to raise that awareness for people with MND, not just MND but other health conditions as well, so it’s really important.”

The ceremony at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane also saw colleagues of the late Steve Wright pay tribute to the DJ and one of the most familiar voices on the UK airwaves, following his death at the age of 69 in February.

Steve Wright death — DJ Steve Wright died at the age of 69 (Ian West/PA)

The radio DJ, best known for presenting Steve Wright In The Afternoon, was a fixture on BBC Radio 1 and then Radio 2 where he hosted Pick Of The Pops prior to his death.

Arias hosts Romesh Ranganathan and Alice Levine introduced the tribute, followed by a video featuring lead singer of Scottish rock band Wet Wet Wet Marti Pellow, who also gave a special musical performance onstage of the song Wichita Lineman which Wright often played during his BBC Radio 2 Sunday Love Songs show.

The awards also posthumously honoured Annie Nightingale, who received the pioneer award for paving the way for women and non-binary people in broadcasting.

The BBC Radio 1 presenter, who died aged 83 in January, was the first female DJ on the station where she stayed for more than 50 years.