This is a statement provided to Podnews, in response to this statement from a group of audio professionals.

The Radio Academy believes that transgender people should feel safe and included in the radio industry, at our events, and in society more broadly. We take diversity and representation very seriously in all areas of our work – from our board of Trustees, to our event speakers, to the make-up of our judging panels in the ARIAS and other schemes.

Nolan Investigates: Stonewall is a BBC Radio Ulster production, released in October 2021.

Most ARIAS entries come from regulated broadcasters, and our judging process focuses on the craft of audio production exhibited in a compilation of highlights.

At this years ARIAS, Stephen Nolan’s work has been nominated in four categories. Those four judging panels comprise of a total of 38 judges, which we can confirm included LGBTQ+ people. All panels reached their conclusions independently, based on the strength of the entry submitted.

We’ve recently had conversations with a group of audio professionals concerned about the nominations, and we hear the issues they’ve raised. We thank the group for engaging with us in the way that they have, and look forward to further conversations with them to ensure the Radio Academy remains an inclusive place for everyone in the industry.