Johnny Marr to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Sky Arts Awards

Sky announced that Johnny Marr will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this evening's Sky Arts Awards, recognising his iconic songwriting and enduring influence on modern music.

Johnny Marr began his prolific career with The Smiths, founding a legacy as one of the most influential songwriters and guitarists in British independent music. Since launching his solo career Johnny has scored six UK Top 10 albums, including his critically acclaimed latest record, The Age Of Everything. 2026 has seen the largest headline show of his solo career at Manchester's Castlefield Bowl, and later this month his best-selling memoir, Set the Boy Free, will receive a special 10th anniversary publication.

Recently Johnny has written and recorded with Gorillaz, Billie Eilish, Franz Ferdinand, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and performed on the HELP(2) album - the latest in a long line of exciting collaborations. Marr will also treat guests to a very special live performance at the ceremony at London's Roundhouse, alongside a host of performers appearing across the night.

Co-hosts of the ceremony Sir Grayson Perry and Rebecca Lucy Taylor (AKA Self Esteem) will perform together to kick off tonight's proceedings in style. Self Esteem will also deliver a signature performance to end on a high, bringing her distinctive blend of alternative pop, theatricality and fearless self-expression to the ceremony.

Rising British Ugandan singer-songwriter Victor Ray, whose breakout tracks Comfortable, Stay for a While and It Only Cost Everything have earned him a rapidly growing global following, will join forces with English National Ballet's Jakob Wheway Hughes for a unique collaborative performance. Jakob will also soon embark on a nationwide tour of ENB's Romeo & Juliet.

In the midst of her UK tour, SHINE, saxophonist Jess Gillam MBE will also take to the stage. A trailblazer in classical music, Jess made history as the first saxophonist signed to a major record label. Both of her albums reached No.1 in the UK Classical Charts, she is the recipient of a Classical BRIT Award and was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to music.

The Orchestral Qawwali Project, comprised of members of City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, described by VOGUE as 'The Holy Trifecta of Music', will captivate audiences with its powerful fusion of Sufi poetry, Indian classical dance and orchestral arrangements. Created by composer Rushil Ranjan and featuring the soaring vocals of Abi Sampa, the collective will be joined by award-winning dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra in a spellbinding performance that brings together music, movement and storytelling.

The evening will also feature a specially curated performance from Scottish tenor Nicky Spence OBE, one of the leading voices in opera today, joined by writer, broadcaster and priest Reverend Richard Coles. Together with the legendary London Gay Men's Chorus, Europe's largest LGBTQ+ choir, they will deliver a memorable celebration of arts, music and community.

The Sky Arts Awards are commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, Executive Director, Unscripted Originals at Sky for Cécile Frot-Coutaz, Chief Advertising and Content Officer Sky, CEO Sky Studios. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Leanne Cosby, and the Project Manager is Vanessa Woodard.

The awards are produced by DRUM Studios, part of Omnicom Media. Executive Producers are Danny Carvalho and Andy Holland.

The Sky Arts Awards 2026 will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and streaming service NOW tonight at 9pm. More information is available at skyartsawards.sky.

Classical Music Nominees

Music in the Round and Ensemble 360 - Sheffield Chamber Music Festival

Anna Meredith - body of work

Chineke! - 10 year anniversary concerts

Comedy Nominees

Nick Mohammed - Show Pony

Sam Nicoresti - Baby Doomer

Susie McCabe - Coming of Rage

Dance Nominees

Marc Brew / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - an Accident/a Life

Alesandra Seutin - Mimi's Shebeen

Oluwaseun Alatise - AfroDanceBlast

Film Nominees

Hamnet

My Father's Shadow

Pillion

Literature Nominees

Wendy Erskine - The Benefactors

Oyinkan Braithwaite - Cursed Daughters

Robert Macfarlane - Is a River Alive?

Opera Nominees

Welsh National Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru - Peter Grimes

English National Opera - Dead Man Walking

Irish National Opera and Jennifer Walshe - MARS

Poetry Nominees

Danny Carlo Pandolfi - Raise the Bar

Ashley Hickson-Lovence - Why I Am Not a Bus Driver

Joelle Taylor - Maryville

Popular Music Nominees

CMAT - EURO-COUNTRY

Jim Legxacy - black british music

Jacob Alon - In Limerence

Television Nominees

Grenfell: Uncovered (Netflix)

Gaza: Doctors Under Attack (Channel 4)

Babies (BBC One)

Theatre Nominees

Graeae Theatre Company - Bad Lads

KPPL Productions - Punch

Michael Sheen - Welsh National Theatre

Visual Art Nominees

Andy Goldsworthy - Fifty Years

Linder - Danger Came Smiling

Julianknxx - Shifting / Spirit / Time

Jurors - Classical Music

Myleene Klass (Chair) — Broadcaster, presenter and classically trained musician

Anoushka Shankar — Sitar player and composer

Nubya Garcia — Saxophonist, composer and bandleader

Alexis Ffrench — Pianist and composer

Fiona Maddocks — Classical music critic and writer

Alison Balsom — Trumpeter and classical musician

Jurors - Comedy

Shane Allen (Chair) — Television comedy executive and producer; former BBC Controller of Comedy Commissioning

Krista MacDonald — Television and comedy producer

Katherine Ryan — Comedian, writer, presenter and actor

Shaparak Khorsandi — Comedian, writer and poet

Abi Clarke — Comedian, writer and social media creator

Tim Harding — Comedy producer and executive

Jurors - Dance

Sir Alistair Spalding (Chair) — Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler's Wells

Dame Darcey Bussell — Former ballet dancer, judge and broadcaster

Jonzi D — Dancer, choreographer, rapper and theatre-maker

Sir Wayne McGregor — Choreographer, director and founder of Studio Wayne McGregor

Nifè — Dancer and choreographer

Lyndsey Winship — Dance critic and writer

Jurors - Film

Ian Nathan (Chair) — Film critic, journalist and author

Tanya Seghatchian — Film producer and executive

Iwan Rheon — Actor and musician

Boyd Hilton — Film and television critic and journalist

Anna Smith — Film critic, journalist and broadcaster

Stephen Armstrong — Journalist and author

Thomas Duke — Film journalist and writer

Jurors - Literature

Alex Clark (Chair) — Literary critic, editor and writer

Nihal Arthanayake — Broadcaster, presenter and journalist

Matt Cain — Author, journalist and broadcaster

Ian Rankin — Crime novelist and creator of the Inspector Rebus series

Chibundu Onuzo — Novelist and academic

Ruby Granger — Book-focused YouTuber, writer and content creator

Jurors - Opera

Neil Fisher (Chair) — Opera critic and arts journalist

Lesley Garrett — Opera singer and broadcaster

Nicky Spence — Tenor and opera singer

Katherine Jenkins — Mezzo-soprano and recording artist

Soraya Mafi — Soprano and opera singer

Isabel Canto — Opera singer and soprano

Jurors - Poetry

Lemn Sissay (Chair) — Poet, playwright and broadcaster

Judith Palmer — Poetry curator, editor and arts professional

Asif Khan — Poet and writer

Hollie McNish — Poet and writer

Nikita Gill — Poet and author

Dan Whitlam — Poet and spoken-word artist

Jurors - Popular Music

Edith Bowman (Chair) — Broadcaster, radio presenter and music journalist

Sharleen Spiteri — Singer, songwriter and musician; lead vocalist of Texas

Kitty Empire — Music critic and journalist

Omar — Singer, songwriter and musician

Pauline Black — Singer and musician; lead vocalist of The Selecter

Kojey Radical — Rapper, musician and visual artist

Guy Garvey — Singer, songwriter, musician and frontman of Elbow

Jurors - Television

David Olusoga (Chair) — Historian, author, broadcaster and documentary presenter

Adjani Salmon — Actor, writer and filmmaker

Dolly Alderton — Author, journalist, podcaster and screenwriter

Rose Ayling-Ellis — Actor and television presenter

Jim Moir — Actor, comedian, musician and artist

Anita Rani — Broadcaster and television/radio presenter

Boyd Hilton — Television and film critic and journalist

Jurors - Theatre

Alistair Smith (Chair) — Theatre journalist and editor

Indhu Rubasingham — Theatre director

Nica Burns — Theatre producer and co-owner of Nimax Theatres

Mat Fraser — Actor, musician and disability arts performer

Adjoa Andoh — Actor, director and writer

George Fouracres — Actor, comedian and theatre-maker

Jurors - Visual Arts

Waldemar Januszczak (Chair) — Art critic, curator, journalist and broadcaster

Eva Langret — Director of EMEA, Frieze

Alison Lapper — Artist and disability arts advocate

Sophie Tea — Artist, author and entrepreneur

Katy Hessel — Art historian, curator, author and broadcaster

Alastair Sooke — Art critic, journalist and broadcaster

Yinka Ilori — Artist and designer

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