6 Music and Asian Network get Sony Radio nominations

Two BBC radio stations facing the axe by bosses have been nominated for prestigious industry awards.

6 Music and its presenters received seven nominations in the Sony Radio Academy Awards, while Asian Network was shortlisted for two prizes.

6 Music's Jarvis Cocker and Waqas Saeed of Asian Network are in the running for the public-voted "rising star" award.

The proposals to shut the stations will go through a public consultation before going to the BBC Trust for approval.

BBC director general Mark Thompson announced last month that the two digital stations were earmarked for closure as part of a shake-up of the Corporation.

The proposed BBC cuts have been criticised by music industry figures and BBC staff, and public campaigns have sprung up to persuade the BBC to save it.

Comedy and speech

At the nominations event on Wednesday, 6 Music's Lauren Laverne was nominated for Music Radio Personality of the Year and Best Music Programme.

The station has also received two nominations in the Music Broadcaster of the Year award, for Huey Morgan and Steve Lamacq, and Steve Levine was nominated for Best Specialist Contributor.

Adam and Joe are nominated for Best Comedy and 6 Music was also nominated for Best Station Imaging.

BBC Asian Network's Nihal was nominated for Best Speech Programme.

Passport To Murder, by BBC Birmingham for BBC Asian Network, was nominated for Best News Special.

The programme investigated allegations that some British Asians were going back to India and plotting to murder spouses or relatives.

LBC nominations

LBC's Nick Ferrari received five nominations - for Speech Radio Personality of the Year, Speech Broadcaster of the Year, Breakfast Show of the Year (10 million plus), Best Speech Programme and News Journalist of the Year.

Tim Blackmore, chairman of the Sony Radio Academy Awards, said: "The nominated entries represent the very best of UK radio, and happily there is a very great deal about which we can be very proud indeed."

The winners will be announced on 10 May.