theartsdesk an essential site of 2009: BBC Radio 5 Live

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theartsdesk received a New Year's gift last night when we were given a significant accolade from BBC Radio 5 Live. In Web 2009 with Helen and Olly, the station's podcasters and self-styled "internet obsessives" Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann recognised theartsdesk as one of the five "essential sites of 2009" in a series of awards to the "cream of weblebrity". The shortlist included such big names as Google Streetview and Spotify, the winner.

Our category consisted of sites which "this year seemed to become entirely essential" and the presenters (pictured right) praised theartsdesk's "distinguished journalists" as well as its in-depth interviews and unusual approach to stories. Zaltzman enthused about our "august arts coverage with a sense of fun... and angles you wouldn't be able to get away with on a newspaper."

You can hear what they said about theartsdesk here: BBC R5 Short Clip. The full programme Web 2009 with Helen and Olly on Radio 5 Live is available online until 7 January on the BBC Radio 5 Live website. Helen's Answer Me This! blog rounds up all the awards.

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