London - May 16, 2012 - Digital radio station BBC 6 Music has been named UK station of the year at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, two years after the station was saved from closure. It is the first time that a digital- only station has won the award.

6 Music was given a reprieve in 2010 after a campaign by its listeners. A BBC strategy review had marked it for closure, but that announcement sparked a huge backlash from musicians, listeners and politicians. The BBC Trust later ruled out its closure.

The increased exposure also led to a rise in listeners, doubling from 700,000 in early 2010 to 1.4 million at the end of 2011.