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Radio 1 announces Lockdown Awards

By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 12 November 2020

You know what they say: if you can think of something, there’s an awards ceremony for it. That’s a thing they say, isn’t it? If you can think of a thing, there’s almost certainly a thing ‘they’ have said about it. Anyway, the BBC has announced the launch of the very first – and hopefully very last – Radio 1 Lockdown Awards.

In a special edition of the Radio 1 breakfast show on 26 Nov, Greg James will look back at some of his favourite moments from 2020, with categories including Favourite Live Performance, Biggest Zoom Fail and Fitness Inspiration Of The Year.

The awards have been launched as a result of the cancellation of this year’s Radio 1 Teen Awards, which, says the press release, “for over a decade … has been the ultimate event at which to celebrate the nation’s most-loved music, film, TV and sports stars”. While I’m pretty sure that’s not true, it does provide some justification for the Lockdown Awards, and I think that’s all we’re really looking for here, isn’t it?

“I know what you’re thinking”, claims James, “‘Oh great, another awards ceremony, just what we all need’. But actually, we’ve never been more reliant on nonsense to keep us going. It’s basically a great opportunity to re-live some of the things that have made us laugh during this pig of a year”.

Justification! Head Of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones adds: “In what has been an incredibly tough year for us all, many young people around the UK have found themselves facing new and previously unprecedented challenges. Although we always look forward to the Teen Awards, we hope the Radio 1 Lockdown Awards will provide a fitting alternative this year as Greg, with a little help from the listeners, helps us reflect on the past twelve months in true ‘Radio 1 Breakfast’ style”.

I think these awards should get an award. And I should get an award. We should all get awards. Awards all round! Fuck you, 2020.