Sky Arts Awards: Mr Bates v Post Office and comedian Fern Brady among winners at inaugural event
Audiences were treated to performances by The Darkness and Lemn Sissay
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Your support makes all the difference.Mr Bates vs Post Office, Fern Brady, and How to Have Sex were among the big winners at the inaugural Sky Arts Awards ceremony on Tuesday (17 September).
Hosted by Joe Lycett, the event built on the legacy of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, and took place at the Roundhouse in London. It aims to showcase the best of British and Irish arts across all industries from TV and film to poetry, classical music and literature.
Audiences were treated to live performances from acts including The Darkness – who have recently reached international attention after Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce were seen singing along to their song – and Mancunian poet Lemn Sissay. TikToker Ren also performed at the event.
Melvyn Bragg received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as a broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. His career has spanned six decades.
Indie rock band The Last Dinner Party won in the popular music category.
Winners were awarded with statuettes designed by comedian Vic Reeves, whose real name is Jim Moir. The TV personality best known for his work alongside Bob Mortimer, also works as an artist and said about the figurines: “The finished pieces are bronze sculptures standing roughly one foot tall, they’re heavy too at four kilograms so will fit perfectly on a mantlepiece– or used as a doorstop!”
“We passionately believe everyone should have access to the arts to enrich our lives and bring us all the joy of a better experience,” said Phil Edgar-Jones, director of Sky Arts.
“Arts, culture, entertainment, music, storytelling, the visual arts - whatever you’re into we believe it’s something we do better than anywhere else in the world and at Sky Arts we will never stop banging on about how important arts and culture is.”
Full list of Sky Arts Awards winners:
Theatre: Ryan Calais Cameron
Dance: Boy Blue
Television: Mr Bates vs the Post Office
Opera: Death in Venice
Classical music: James MacMillan for The Cumnock Tryst 2023
Comedy: Fern Brady
Film: How to Have Sex
Visual art: Lindsey Mendick
Poetry: Momtaza Mehri’s Bad Diaspora Poems
Literature: Paul Murray for The Bee Sting
Popular music: The Last Dinner Party
Arts hero: Sally Spencer
The Times Breakthrough: Aigul Akhmetshina
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