Celebrity line up announced for South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2015

Melvin Bragg, South Bank Show

Stephen Fry, Grayson Perry, Emilia Fox, Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan are just some of the celebrities who are to feature at this year’s South Bank Sky Arts Awards hosted by Melvyn Bragg.

The stars of television will mingle alongside personalities from the world of dance, theatre, literature, visual art and more in the only award ceremony to recognise the broad spectrum of arts across the UK.

Guests including Emilia Fox, Richard E Grant, Christopher Eccleston and Jessica Hynes will join their peers from the acting world at the awards, whilst up-and-coming individuals from across all nomination categories including, from the comedy world, Sara Pascoe, will attend to see who will be named The Times Breakthrough Award winner.

Mark Strong, who starred in the Young Vic’s A View from the Bridge, will attend, along with Rupert Goold who directed King Charles III at the Almeida and Wyndham’s Theatre, which both go up against the Donmar Warehouse’s Henry IV. Bringing together a diverse range of music stars, from Anna Netrebko and Nitin Sawhney to violinists Maxim Vengerov and Tasmin Little, with the great and good of the Visual Arts world, including Grayson Perry, Gavin Turk and Don McCullin, this year’s guest list is as broad and exciting as ever.

From the world of dance, Sylvie Guillem, Akram Kahn, Matthew Bourne and Tamara Rojo are just some of the world-renowned names who will walk the red carpet on the Sunday night.

“I grew up watching The South Bank Show on a Sunday night, so it’s a particular honour to find myself amongst such an eclectic array of talent from all corners of the Arts world” – David Nicholls, whose novel Us is nominated for the literature prize.

Various famous faces will join Melvyn Bragg on stage throughout the evening to present the awards, with categories across Dance, Opera, Literature, Pop, Film, Visual Art, Comedy, TV Drama, Theatre and Classical – plus the Outstanding Achievement Award and The Times Breakthrough Award. Details of the evening’s classical and pop music performances are still to be announced.

This year’s event which will take place on Sunday 7th June at the Savoy Hotel for broadcast later on Sky Arts.