Comedy honoured at South Bank Sky Arts ceremony

Catastrophe has won this year’s South Bank Sky Arts award for comedy

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s Channel 4 sitcom saw off competition from fellow nominees Peter Kay’s Car Share and Chewing Gum.

Horgan, who couldn’t be at today’s ceremony to collect the prize from award presenter Shappi Khorsandi tweeted: ‘Woo Hoo! Thanks so much.’

Chewing Gum’s creator Michaela Coel also missed out in the multi-arts breakthrough award, for which she was nominated.

It was instead presented to UK rapper Stormzy by Jessica Hynes, although Coel tweeted her congratualtions:

Congratulations to the lovely @Stormzy1 for winning a Sky Arts SouthBank Awards! I'm on his table no big deal tho 👀 pic.twitter.com/xKMkmMqIPb

— Michaela Coel (@MichaelaCoel) June 5, 2016

Inside Number 9’s Reece Shearsmith also took to the stage to receive the theatre award for the Royal Court’s production of Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen, which he starred in.

As announced yesterday, Eddie Izzard was given the outstanding achievement award, which was handed over Lenny Henry.

Host Melvyn Bragg said: ‘Eddie Izzard is a marvel. He works across such a wide waterfront with an unmatchable, often uncatchable style and wit. We’re delighted that he joins the ranks of those who have won this outstanding achievement award.’

Previous winners include Tracey Emin, J.K Rowling and The Who.

The ceremony will be broadcast on Sky Arts at 8pm on Wednesday.

Published: 5 Jun 2016