Camping, Fleabag and People Just Do Nothing

Camping, Fleabag and People Just Do Nothing have been nominated for this year’s South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

The three shows comprise the shortlist in the comedy category the accolades that span the arts.

Last month Chortle reported how Kieran Hodgson had been nominated for breakthrough category in the South Bank awards. The shortlist comprises one emerging artist from each of ten genres, including TV drama, classical music and visual arts.

That award is sponsored by The Times, whose comedy critic Dominic Maxwell praised Hodgson’s last solo show, Maestro, saying: ‘It was an hour about love and accepting yourself: he played his naive young self and his unsuitable romantic partners, role-swapping with casual virtuosity…. And it proved that this 29-year-old could make a personal story as funny as it is resonant.’

In other categories, I, Daniel Blake – starring comedian Dave Johns – has been nominated for best film.

All winners will be revealed at a ceremony on July 9, which will be broadcast on Sy Arts three days later.

Awards host Melvyn Bragg said: ‘The South Bank Sky Arts Awards are unique. They are the only major awards wholly dedicated to the arts. They cover the spectrum - from pop music to classical music, from comedy to literature... They are focused on the best in the British arts which over the last couple of generations have steadily moved to the front in world status

‘Each category has three nominees whittled down via an independent judging panel. The three nominees are invited to the awards and it is quite a sight to see such a cross-section in one room at the same time, a sort of rainbow effect of the current state of the arts in Britain.'

Published: 6 Jun 2017