Entertainment

Killing Eve and Patrick Melrose among nominees at South Bank Sky Arts Awards

Melvyn Bragg will host the ceremony in July.
Melvyn Bragg will host the ceremony in July. Melvyn Bragg will host the ceremony in July.

Killing Eve, Patrick Melrose and A Very English Scandal will go head to head at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, while Lily Allen is among the artists up for the pop prize.

The awards – now in their 23rd year – celebrate every genre of the arts including dance, theatre, music, television, film, literature, opera and comedy.

Assassin drama Killing Eve, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Patrick Melrose and A Very English Scandal, based on the Jeremy Thorpe scandal, are all in the running in the TV drama category.

Allen is up against Sons Of Kemet and Idles for pop at the ceremony, which will be hosted by Melvyn Bragg on July 7.

Lily Allen on stage
Lily Allen on stage Lily Allen (Yui Mok/PA)

In the comedy category, Channel 4 leads the way with nominations for Derry Girls and Hang Ups, with dark comedy Inside No 9 rounding out the list.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, Michael Pearce’s thriller Beast and Peter Jackson’s documentary They Shall Not Grow Old are in the running for film.

The Times Breakthrough Award shines a spotlight on up-and-coming talent in the British Arts.

Rising stars nominated in the category this year include singer-songwriter Freya Ridings, former banker turned opera singer Nadine Benjamin, young author Anna-Marie Crowhurst and multi-sensory visual artist Haroon Mirza.

The Welsh National Opera and English National Opera will be up against each other in the opera category for Rhondda Rips It Up! and Porgy And Bess respectively, with Garsington Opera also being nominated for Falstaff.

Diana Evans (Ordinary People) and Rachel Cusk (Kudos) fly the flag for women in the literature category, with Tom Rachman also nominated for The Italian Teacher.

The Inheritance, Company and Sweat go head to head for the coveted Theatre Award.

The recipient of this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award has yet to be announced.

British artist Mat Collishaw has been commissioned to design this year’s award, which uses the motif of Nike, Goddess of Victory, aka Samothrace.

Host Bragg said: “This looks as if it will be a cracking awards year.

“British Artists have excelled themselves.”

Melvyn Bragg on the red carpet
Melvyn Bragg on the red carpet Melvyn Bragg (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Zai Bennett, Sky director of programmes, said: “We are honoured to be hosting the 23rd South Bank Sky Arts Awards and continuing our investment and support of the arts in the UK.

“British culture is really thriving right now, and this year’s awards nominees reflect the exceptionally gifted and diverse range of talent across the creative industries.”

The awards take place on July 7 at the Savoy Hotel in London and will air on July 10 at 8pm on Sky Arts.