Jason Williamson aht Sleaford Mods. photo: Dave Parry
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the South Bank Sky Arts awards. Hosted by editor Melvyn Bragg, the awards big up everything that’s going on in the arts, searching far and wide for the best acts, entities and individuals to give ‘em a good owd pat on the back.
There are ten categories: literature, theatre, pop, comedy, TV drama, opera, visual art, film, and dance. Nominations have been released, with three per category, and there are some Nottingham faces arahd and abaht.
But this in’t the first time figures of our humble city have been seen poking their nose around with the big boys. Anish Kapoor, the chap who created Sky Mirror outside Nottingham Playhouse, has won multiple awards alongside This is England director Shane Meadows. Next to people like Richard Attenborough, Ted Hughes and Julie Walters, it’s enough to make yer cheeks blush with joy.
2016 sees our Sleaford Mods’ Key Markets album nominated next to Benjamin Clementine’s At Least For Now, and Years & Years’ Communion. Not bein’ funneh, but have they really got owt on our Jason Williamson’s charged rants and Andrew Fearn’s dutteh beats?
Maybe... Maybe not. Either way, there’s another chance for Nottingham to see the limelight in the TV drama section, where Channel 4’s Humans stands up against Wolf Hall on BBC2 and Doctor Foster on BBC. Humans first aired in June last year and starred Lucy Carless who was part of Nottingham’s Television Workshop. The story unfolds around a family who buy a human-like robot, or ‘synth’, and stuff gets pretty messy. Well worth a watch.
So get yer tellyboxes switched on and yer fingers crossed for our city and its talent, ever on the bleddy rise.
South Bank Sky Arts awards 2016 takes place in London on Sunday 5 June
It is aired on Sky Arts on Wednesday 8 June
Sleaford Mods Key Markets Tour Stop at Rock City
Sleaford Mods Invisible Britain Screening at Broadway Cinema
Extnddntwrk: Andrew Fearn’s Side Music Project
Shane Meadows Interview from 2004
Lucy Carless Interview
Anish Kapoor Exhibition Review at Nottingham Castle in 2011
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