Missing out: Nick Grimshaw failed to get a nomination for this year's Sony Awards
Chris
Evans will take on the Today programme and Christian O'Connell for best
breakfast show at the Sony Awards - but Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw is not
on the shortlist.Grimmy took over the morning slot late last year from Chris Moyles, however his show was not among the nominations for the prestigious title which were announced on Wednesday.
Broadcaster Danny Baker, who was memorably axed by Radio London last year and signed off his years on the station by going on air for a two-hour rant about his treatment, is up for two prizes at the awards including speech broadcaster of the year.
The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter faces competition from station colleagues Nicky Campbell and Victoria Derbysire as well as the World Service's Stephen Sackur and Radio 4's Eddie Mair - who memorably gave Boris Johnson a hard time in a TV interview last month.
Baker's show is also up for best entertainment programme, battling Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show (Absolute Radio), Radio 1's Greg James, 1Xtra's Charlie Sloth and former Big Brother winner Kate Lawler (Kerrang!).
James, who also received a nomination for his Radio 5 Live Sports Programme Not Just Cricket, told MailOnline of his nods: 'I used to watch the nominations online as a teenage radio nerd to see if my favourite presenters got nominated so to see my name pop up today was insane. So excited. To get one for "arsing about" on Radio 1 and the cricket show too is mind-blowing!'
Sloth is also in the running for music radio personality of the year in a varied category which sees him against Classic FM's John Suchet, 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, Absolute's O'Connell and Radio 2's long-standing mid-morning host Ken Bruce.
Grimshaw, who took the Radio 1 breakfast show to its lowest audience for almost seven years during his first months in the job, did get one nomination in the awards, officially called the Sony Radio Academy Awards. He was shortlisted for the 'best use of multiplatform' prize.
One of the most prized awards of the event - station of the year - will see Classic FM and Radio 5 Live taking on the BBC Asian Network, a station which three years ago had been earmarked for closure.
Danny
Baker, who was memorably axed by Radio London last year, is up for two
prizes at the awards including speech broadcaster of the year
Last
year the title was taken by 6 Music which was proposed for the chop at
the same time, but was similarly reprieved after an outcry.Former chart star Cerys Matthews - who had a string of hits with her band Catatonia - is among the contenders for music radio broadcaster of the year. She is up against jazz musician Jamie Cullum and Johnnie Walker - both Radio 2 - as well as 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie and Suzy Klein who presents for Radios 3 and 4.
Other well-known chart figures are up for best music programme, with Jarvis Cocker nominated for his 6 Music show Sunday Service, and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood in the running for his Absolute Radio programme.
Also in the category are Radio 2's Dermot O' Leary, 6 Music's Lauren Laverne and Radio 1's Zane Lowe.
Today programme veteran John Humphrys - whose tough grilling of George Entwistle prompted his early departure from the role of BBC director-general after only 54 days in the job - is shortlisted for the title of radio journalist of the year. He is up against Radio 4's Becky Milligan, the Capital East Midlands News Team, Radio 4's Jon Donnison and Key 103's Michelle Livesey.
Presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray - who landed a talkSPORT show shortly after they were axed from TV in a sexism row - will have a chance to defend the best sports programme title they collected in 2012.
Chris Evans is due to host the 2013 Awards Ceremony on May 13 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
This year's event will also see the introduction of the Sony Golden Headphones Award, which will be voted by radio listeners to choose their favourite presenter.
Chairman of the awards' organising committee John Myers said: 'This year's nominations make me proud to be part of the UK radio industry - the sheer range of talent across stations of all shapes and sizes is inspiring.'