Now Evans gets radio's top Oscar

Chris Evans was the scourge of Radio 2 a few weeks ago, with hundreds of listeners up in arms over his appointment to the drivetime show.

Today he is celebrating a spectacular comeback after scooping music radio personality of the year at the annual Sony awards.

Evans, 40, beat DJs including Xfm's Lauren Laverne and Mark Riley of BBC 6 Music to take the prize some six years after he quit the British airwaves in disgrace.

His comeback began when he was signed as a regular presenter of Radio 2's Saturday morning show last summer, his first radio job since being sacked from Virgin Radio in 2000.

In March he was announced as the replacement for veteran drivetime host Johnnie Walker - a move that saw hundreds of the Radio 2 faithful slamming his "drivel time" efforts. To their horror it then emerged that he had landed a £540,000 contract.

But Sony Academy judges last night insisted: "He's back and he's brilliant. Chris Evans is on top form - sharp, natural, articulate, entertaining and engaging."

Evans himself swapped his trademark laddish banter for some well-timed humility at last night's Grosvenor House Hotel ceremony, dubbed the radio industry Oscars, insisting: "It's great to be back, I'm so lucky. "

Other big winners included Radio 1 breakfast host Chris Moyles - winning his first Sony gold in 16 years of broadcasting with the entertainment award.

Radio 1 also landed station of the year for the first time - sealing a tremendous return from an all-time audience low in 2004.

The station's acclaimed indie music DJ Zane Lowe was named music broadcaster of the year and took the specialist music programme prize.