Sky launches the Sky Arts Awards to celebrate the best of British and Irish arts and cultureWednesday 17 July 2024
The only awards to celebrate all arts disciplines, including a category recognising the unsung Arts Heroes behind the scenes
Four in 10 adults think the arts do not provide a viable' career.
84% of Brits aren't aware 3.5 million people have careers in the arts
There are over 650 different roles in the arts, but UK adults can only name nine
Sky Arts Awards juror and entertainer Beverley Knight alongside a team of Arts Heroes at The Roundhouse.
Sky is proud to announce the inaugural Sky Arts Awards, taking place on 17th September at The Roundhouse. The ceremony will celebrate the diverse and vibrant landscape of British and Irish arts and culture, rewarding excellence across all the arts, and will be broadcast live on Sky Arts and Freeview. Sky Arts has been free-to-air in the UK since 2020.
Building on the fantastic legacy of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, the Sky Arts Awards is the only event in the world that recognises the full spectrum of artistic genres, including classical music, comedy, dance, film, literature, poetry, opera, popular music, television, theatre and visual art. Also unveiled today is a first of its kind Arts Hero' category, honouring the unsung heroes whose efforts behind-the-scenes are integral to the success of the arts industry. Sky Arts invites the nation to nominate and celebrate these extraordinary individuals.
People working in the arts will be invited to nominate their Arts Hero, with the winner welcomed on-stage at the star-studded ceremony in September to receive their award. Everyone put forward will be entered into a ballot to win a pair of tickets to the awards, in recognition of their contribution to the arts.
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, said:
The arts are crucial to our society, our economy and our culture. But they have been devalued in recent years. The Sky Arts Awards showcases the remarkable contributions of individuals and organisations across the arts sector. We believe it's important to celebrate not only the performers and artists but also the countless unsung heroes: the people who run the box office, make the sets, light the stages, feed the crew, feed you, take your phone calls, all of whom work tirelessly to bring our cultural experiences to life and keep this economic powerhouse running."
But not everyone recognises the importance and scale of the arts industry. New research reveals that 84% of the UK population are unaware that some 3.5million people are employed within the arts in the UK.
39% feel that a career in the arts is not viable, and UK adults can only name an average of nine job roles in the arts, despite there being over 650 across all arts disciplines.
The Arts Hero Award is designed to help address this misconception, by showcasing the very best of these essential workers and highlighting the importance of every role within the arts ecosystem.
Nominations for the Arts Hero Award are now open, with a closing date of midnight on Sunday 11th August. To nominate someone deserving or to find out more about the Sky Arts Awards, visit skyartsawards.sky
For media inquiries, please contact: jonathan.zealander@workandclass.agency
The Sky Arts Awards were commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment, for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Leanne Cosby and the Project Manager is Vanessa Woodard. The Awards are produced by Somethin' Else TV, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Ian Sharpe serves as Executive Producer.
About Sky ArtsSky Arts exists to bring more art to more people across the UK. In 2020, with the creative industries under serious threat, we threw open our doors to make the channel free for everyone to watch. We've redoubled our mission to increase access to the arts and we're committed to getting everyone involved. The fact is, we need the arts like never before, and Sky Arts brings them straight to your living room.
About the Sky Arts AwardsA new, one-of-a-kind, world class event, rewarding and celebrating the best of British arts and culture, taking place on 17th September at The Roundhouse. Awards categories include Classical Music, Comedy, Dance, Film, Literature, Poetry, Opera, Popular Music, Television, Theatre, Visual Art. Plus, the new Arts Hero Award.
About the Arts Hero AwardSky Arts is launching a new category to its Sky Arts Awards ceremony to honour the unsung heroes. From heads of security and gallery technicians to roadies and community museum volunteers - the award will spotlight their invaluable contributions and show that every role counts.
Key research findings
84% of Brits aren't aware 3.5 million people have careers in the Arts and 58% thought there would be a lot less
28% have never considered the wide range of roles in the arts - instead thinking about the artists themselves rather than those who work behind the scenes
Brits can only name an average of nine jobs in the arts, despite there being close to 650 roles
39% of adults don't believe a career in the arts is viable
45% think the odds of making it in the arts sector are too low
42% have never considered the wide range of roles within the arts sector
53% believe there are misconceptions about the value of working in the arts
79% agree there are many unsung heroes in the arts industry
36% of the 626 parents polled have a child who's displayed interest in an arts career - but 33% encouraged them to go for it, hoping they'll change their mind later down the line
Notes to editors1Figures drawn from House of Lords article, published Friday 26th January 2024, based on data available in 2022. Link to the article can be found here
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
26/03/2026
Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...
26/03/2026
SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...
26/03/2026
LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100).
The C-Ban...
26/03/2026
The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...
26/03/2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...
26/03/2026
Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...
26/03/2026
FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...
26/03/2026
CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...
26/03/2026
Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...
26/03/2026
Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...
26/03/2026
DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...
26/03/2026
Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...
26/03/2026
Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...
26/03/2026
Spotify's partnership with NAVER, Korea's leading digital platform, is built around one simple goal: making it easier for listeners in Korea to discover...
26/03/2026
Exclusive to ComposerCloud for first month
Sample library and virtual instrument gurus EastWest have announced the upcoming release of a new virtual drum i...
26/03/2026
Friday 27 March
Friday 27 March will mark Dynamic Range Day 2026, the annual day of online activity that was started in 2010 by mastering engineer Ian Sheph...
26/03/2026
Includes four separate instruments
Max Richter's SRM Sounds venture have just announced their fifth release, ASMR Choir. Captured at the main live room ...
26/03/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), has been tasked with administering the Sixth Presi...
26/03/2026
By Matt Klein
Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...
26/03/2026
Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
New graphical configuration tool and...
26/03/2026
Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton March 26, 2026
0 Comments
Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/03/2026
Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...
26/03/2026
2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton March 25, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...
26/03/2026
Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...
26/03/2026
Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
HBO Max included for Sky and NOW customers from 26 March...
26/03/2026
Thursday 26 March 2026
Sky Sets Iconic Costumes Dancing Together Like Never Before' in Brand CampaignTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy o...
26/03/2026
Wuppertal March 26, 2026
CS live Builds Future-Ready OB Van With Riedel MediorNet and hi Control SystemRiedel Communications today announced that Czech-based ...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...
26/03/2026
Back to All News
The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...
26/03/2026
Enhancements to Harmonic's Sports Streaming Solution Introduce Server-Side Multiview, Contextual Metadata-Driven Advertising, Dynamic In-Stream Ads and Robu...
26/03/2026
Open the report
Our 2025 report brings together results from 79 business magazine titles across 22 market sectors, published by 49 media owners. Over the year,...
26/03/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
26/03/2026
RT Commercial today announced Fiat as sponsor of The Louise Duffy Show on RT Radio 1, Weekdays 3pm 4pm.
The Louise Duffy Show is the home of daytime music...
26/03/2026
That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices.
This we...
26/03/2026
Wayne, N.J., March 26, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the latest product li...
Sky launches the Sky Arts Awards to celebrate the best of British and Irish arts and cultureWednesday 17 July 2024
