Some good news to share with you. WHYS was last night nominated for a Sony Academy radio award in the category of “Listener Participation.” That’s you that is.
The entry, which Iain put together, featured your messages to Alan when he was in captivity, (and Alan talking to you on the day of his release) , Lubna (of course) , the programme from Issa’s house in Uganda and the shows in Harlem and your questions to the British Foreign Secretary David Milliband.
We’re up against some top shows – most of whom have won Sony gold awards in the past – so it’s a bit like West Ham being in the Champions League (for those who don’t follow football, this is a reference to an extremely unlikely event) but to be judged by your peers in the industry as producing one of the best shows of the year is an honour so forgive me this chuffed tone.
Each nomination carries four “invitations” to the ‘do’ at the Grosvenor House on May 12 when we’ll find out where we came. Ros will take one invite (naturally) and we’ve asked Alan to be our guest for one of the others. The other two places we’ll draw on the night. So, given that the nomination is for you lot, if any of you are in London on that evening, come and see us and we’ll put your name in the hat.
I know we haven’t won anything yet, but thank you. It isn’t much of a show without you.
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BBC World Have Your Say 
Congratulations WHYS, you deserve the nomination for all the hard work you put into the program
*pats the WHYS team on the back :D*
ps i am in london on the 12th May 😀
Congratulations – I hope the program wins!
Let’s be more realistic – West Ham to win the Premier League. 😛
COME ON United! (Manchester, that is!) 😀
Congratulations WHYS.
Being nominated is an award in itself.
It means you are doing very well.
Good Luck.
Congrats!
Wish I were in London to be considered haha. Well, wish I were in London anyways!
Brett ~ Richmond, Va.
Good progress!
1) in registering emotional response.
2) in obtaining local response from some with internet access.
Needed:
a) More input and debate among those who know what they are tallking about.
b) More background facts on which to base discussion.
Hi Precious Mark. Wow, I’m feeling really sooooooooo happy today. This amazing news really deserves a prestigious celebration. A very very big CONGRATULATION to the whole supermarvellous WHYS team. I’m really sooooooo grateful to all of you guys. Can you hear that Sarah ?! Can you hear that Noor ?! Both of you guys have just become very big STARS ! Now both of you guys will always be remembered, and never be forgotton, never ! Also I say to Alan : Getting to talk to you on air on the 4th of July was really the award of my life. You’re gonna always be my hero, always. THANKS A MILLION to all of you guys at the WHYS team. I do owe each of you guys alot, alot. With my love. Yours forever, Lubna in Baghdad.
Congratulations to the TEAM!
You are pioneers on that vast Internet frontier. It takes courage to push forward into the unknown.
One of those days you will be able to sit back and reminisce about when it all started.
congratulations to whys for being recognized. ros and the whys team represents themselves professionally by maintaining high standards of balance. the program is an important vehicle to propagate information from around the world and bring understanding among its participants. now if the bbc would just give you more airtime.
Thumbs up to WHYS. I can boldly attest to the fact that the show is only getting better by the day. I have learnt a million things (and still counting..) from it. I once used excepts from one of your programmes in a school debate and I won a school essay so easily with it. The cream of men you have in your team is SUPER.
Brothers and sisters, keep that flag flying because your programme and your radio service (as a whole) has become a model for the world to copy. I cant forget Alan Johnston. and the travails he once passed through in the hands of people who didn’t wish him well, but only succeed in making him the most popular media correspondent ever. My regards to him and his family.
I will be in London soon and I look forward to May 12. Love u guys!
AMOS UMOH
Ondo State, Nigeria
Hi, WHYS Team! 🙂
Congratulations to all of you! Your great efforts are making people recognise you, and that’s really good. Remember that just being nominated is a great step that will help you to achieve many other goals! My best wishes for all of you, and keep on working hard.
And, don’t worry! You already have the best prize! You already have people’s credibility 🙂
Hugs from Colombia!
Congratulations!!!
Can you forward this to the ignorants from San Francisco who think that WHYS is just another talk show, but worse? It takes a lot of dedication and hard work of a team to get nominated for any award, while we bloggers just “waste away “some time at work or at home and have fun discussing the topic of the day.
Keep up the good work, I’m always looking forward to hearing from you guys over the air waves!
Congratulations WHYS! You deserve the nomination and to win. I’ll keep my finger crossed for you. Bravo.
It is deserved and welcome that WHYS is getting recognition. Good Show!
Well done!
WHYS brings us together from all over the world – we are so different, yet so similar, and we still manage to share, advise, and sometimes even heal – makes WHYS a winner in my book everyday!
Thanks.
Savane
Nairobi Kenya
wins you
Fan bloody tastic – and totally deserved-
congrats. Swan up there and over do the gushing when you receive your Oscar!
Congratulations BBC WHYS from Miami Florida
As a former member of the WHYS team and ex BBC employee, I am really proud of this nomination ! Well done guys and keep up the good work, it was an honour to be part of the team for those few months last year when we spoke to Lubna, went to Issa’s house and sent messages to Alan. Thank you for letting me be part of it. Fingers crossed for the 12th May…. Vicki
Dear Victoria, is it you the student I had when I was in NOttingham teaching Spanish as a Teaching Assistant?
Besos,
Maria Jose
The BBC isn’t new to receiving prestigious international a wards through its programmes and journalists. HARDtalk won the Royal Television Society’s prestigious award through Tim Sebastian http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/2000692.stm . Talking point which later became known as Have Your Say has also won the award of The One World Media: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/2786767.stm . I cited these two programmes because the first is still alive and kicking while the second was unfortunately put to sleep, without the BBC giving justification for this blunt euthanasia.
WHYS also deserves to be award winning as most of the show’s agenda are set by the listeners, which I guess something unique in international media. WHYS has helped people from all over the world to connect through comments on the blog or live contributions on the show.
From its start in October 2005, it has made up to now more than 600 shows, with thousands of listeners taking parts from all over the world. It has tackled subjects of different interests, from politics, economics, religion, morality, sports, social issues etc. I can “certify” that the show has so far left no stone unturned! On my part I have tried to send my contributions on every topic, however shallow they may be. I hope the committee deciding the award for WHYS won’t use them as an excuse to deprive WHYS from its merited award.
As everyone who has joined, CONGRATULATIONS and may the show continues to get better and better through time. Let it be a show through which listeners nod in approval, laugh up in their sleeves or show whatever reaction. The important is that dialogue between listeners of different persuasions should continue.
A warm hello to the WHYS team! Congratulations…you guys are just AWESOME.Your program is definitely among the best radio programs in the world,probably the best.The diversity of topics discussed & the people participating is wonderful.It takes a lot of effort on your part to maintain the show’s success.Thanks & best wishes,Angelina
To the entire WHYS team,
Congratulations! The program is wonderful and you all deserve to win. We’ll keep our fingers crossed here in Oregon on May 12th. Wish I could be in London to celebrate with you.
Amy
Thankyou for the above kind and encouraging comments (and the positive criticism too).
Will, it always winds me up when people refer to “United” like there’s only one, but as it’s you, i’ll let you off…
and Hannah, come and see us that night and wear your posh frock and, as they say in the movies, you may go to the ball !
and Lubna,we will raise a (non-alcoholic)glass to you that night, win or lose.
Well done,WHYS team and all contirbutors!
You do deserve to win. I know of no other programme which brings so many people together on a daily basis making everyone feel they are actually contributing something towards solving the worlds problems and making all feel like the members of one family. It can only mean good for all diverse communities in all parts of the world to come together like this in one forum. It shows that communication is one of the important tools we have.
Congratulations!!!
World Have Your Say should win the
award…..
Dennis~Madrid, United States of America