The nominees have been announced for this year’s Sky Arts Awards, returning to London’s Roundhouse on 16 September.

Launched last year as an evolution of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, The Sky Arts Awards honours outstanding achievement across a wide spectrum of artistic disciplines. It remains the only event in the world that recognises the full breadth of cultural genres with categories including classical music, comedy, dance, film, literature, poetry, opera, popular music, television, theatre and visual arts.

Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, Executive Director, Unscripted Originals, Sky said: “The Sky Arts Awards remain the only night of the year in which all the arts are recognised at once. Poets and sopranos join actors, writers, dancers and musicians to celebrate the contributions they have made to the sector which not only fuels our economy but brings us joy, empathy and hope. Our independent juries have now assembled across every discipline to shortlist the best of the best and all that remains is for us to reveal the winners in what promises to be an unmissable night at The Roundhouse.”  

Nominees across all categories have been shortlisted by independent juries comprised of industry peers from all artistic disciplines. Artists or arts organisations are nominated for a single outstanding work, or for their entire body of work over the last year.

For Comedy, Elf Lyons (pictured) is nominated for her genre-defying show Horses, alongside Jen Brister for her critically acclaimed body of work and Sarah Keyworth for their standout show, My Eyes Are Up Here.

In Film, political thriller Conclave is nominated alongside Rich Peppiatt’s biopic KNEECAP and Karan Kandhari’s formally daring debut, Sister Midnight.

In Popular Music, avant-pop superstar Charli xcx is nominated for her album Brat, up against Irish trio KNEECAP for their album, Fine Art, and Lola Young for her landmark album, This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway. 

For Television, Netflix’s searing four-part drama Adolescence co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne is nominated alongside BBC’s deeply human drama, Mr Loverman, and the lavish adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals from Disney+.

Winners will be announced at the Sky Arts Awards ceremony on 16 September, hosted by Bill Bailey. Watch it on the night on Sky Arts, Freeview and streaming service NOW.

Full list of nominees is as follows:

Classical Music  

• Bold Tendencies – Body of work 

• Errollyn Wallen – Body of work 

• Manchester Camerata – Body of work

Comedy

• Elf Lyons – Horses 

• Jen Brister - Body of work  

• Sarah Keyworth - My Eyes Are Up Here

Dance

• Lost Dog - Ruination 

• Nederland Dans Theatre and Complicité – Figures in Extinction 

• Stopgap Dance Company – Lived Fiction

Film

• Conclave        

• KNEECAP 

• Sister Midnight

Literature

• Alan Hollinghurst - Our Evenings 

• Gwyneth Lewis - Nightshade Mother: A Disentangling

• Sally Rooney – Intermezzo

Opera

• Garsington Opera - Body of Work  

• Opera North - Simone Boccanegra

• Sound Voice - The Sound Voice Project

Poetry

• Caleb Femi - The Wickedest 

• Janetta Otter-Barry - Body of work 

• Roundhouse - The Roundhouse Poetry Slam

Popular Music             

• Charli xcx - Brat

• KNEECAP - Fine Art  

• Lola Young - This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway

Television

• Adolescence (Netflix) 

• Mr Loverman (BBC)  

• Rivals (Disney+) 

Theatre

• David Byrne - Body of work 

• Jamie Hale - Body of work 

• LUNG - The Children's Inquiry

Visual Art         

• Barbara Walker - Being Here

• Claudette Johnson - Three Women

• Michelle Roberts - Body of work, including Red Blue Up

The Times Breakthrough Award 

• Alex Margo Arden (Visual art) 

• Nussaibah Younis (Literature) 

• Owen Cooper (TV)

Lifetime Achievement Award 

TBA