BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast show host Mark Murphy is celebrating today after winning a top award at the radio equivalent of the Oscars.The 38-year-old presenter scooped a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award and carried on celebrating with his team well into today.

BBC Radio Suffolk breakfast show host Mark Murphy is celebrating today after winning a top award at the radio equivalent of the Oscars.

The 38-year-old presenter scooped a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award and carried on celebrating with his team well into today.

He said: "The whole thing was an absolute dream and we celebrated our victory into the wee small hours.

"We were just expecting to come up and have a good night and then watch someone else walk away with the trophy but this is a dream come true."

Later this month he adds a new string to his bow with his debut column in The Evening Star.

Gerald Main, managing editor of the station, said the last bottle of champagne was cracked open at around 4am today.

"It was a fantastic day for the radio station, he said. "It's a fantastic achievement for Mark and a fantastic achievement for the news team at Ipswich."

Mr Murphy, who received his award from Kirsty Young, beat off competition from Edward Stourton of BBC Radio 4, Lyse Doucet of the BBC World Service, and 5 Live's Julian Worricker to win the gong, for News Broadcaster of the Year.

He collected his award at a ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, watched by his wife Lesley Dolphin, who is also a presenter at the Ipswich-based BBC station.

His nomination for the prize was only the second time in the station's 13-year history it had made the shortlist for the Sony Awards.

Mr Murphy begins a Saturday column in the Evening Star on May 17.