Sony Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards (the Sonys), started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by the Radio Academy.
In 2002, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington were awarded the Bronze Entertainment Award:
Improvisation at it’s best. This show’s natural and uninhibited style is well matched to Xfm’s audience. We liked the feeling of eavesdropping on ‘behind the scenes’ conversations. A good team, producing unforced humour.
It was an accolade they did not value as highly as their many other awards, and Ricky personally felt that they deserved much better, once stating, "We don't get out of bed for bronze."
In 2003, Ricky, Steve and Karl were nominated for the Entertainment Award. Although "all of the judges felt that Karl was the real star of the show and deserved a special mention for being the underdog who believes in every urban myth going and manages to keep a straight face despite the hilarity around him," they were not awarded.
It was after this event that Ricky and Stephen seriously considered leaving radio for good. On the following Xfm show, they interviewed panelist, Dr Neil Fox, who claimed that their show wasn't "entertaining".