Theatre News

Hangmen wins South Bank Sky Arts Award

Eddie Izzard, Mike Bartlett and Northern Ballet were among the other winners

| London |

6 June 2016

Martin McDonagh added another trophy to his cabinet this weekend as his play Hangmen won the theatre award at this year's South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

The play, which debuted at the Royal Court before transferring to the West End last year, saw off competition from the Almeida's Oresteia and Duncan Macmillan's People, Places and Things.

Reece Shearsmith, who appeared in the show at the Royal Court, collected the award which was presented by Olivier Award-winning actor Kenneth Cranham.

In the TV category, Mike Bartlett won Best Drama for Doctor Foster, which he can add to his 2015 award for King Charles III.

Eddie Izzard joined the likes of Tracey Emin and JK Rowling, when he was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award by Lenny Henry.

Some theatre stars were not as fortunate however as rapper Stormzy saw off Matt Henry, Zizi Strallen and Barney Norris to take home the Breakthrough gong.

Tim Minchin gave guests at the event, including Martin Freeman, Will Young and Dame Gillian Lynne, a world premiere performance of a song from his upcoming musical Groundhog Day.

Elsewhere, theatre director Caitlin McLeod was one of five emerging artists to win the Sky Academy Arts Scholarship, taking home £30,000 funding and mentoring to take their careers to the next level.

Director of Sky Arts, Phil Edgar Jones said: "Once again the range of creative talent on show at this year's South Bank Sky Arts Awards demonstrates the Arts are in rude health in the UK."

Full Winners List – 2016 Awards

Classical Music: Mark Simpson, The Immortal

Literature: Sunjeev Sahota, The Year of the Runaways

Theatre: Hangmen, Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

Pop: Benjamin Clementine, At Least for Now

Comedy: Catastrophe, Channel 4

TV Drama: Doctor Foster, BBC One

Opera: The Force of Destiny, English National Opera

Visual Art: Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Verses After Dusk

Film: 45 Years

Dance: 1984, Northern Ballet

The Time Breakthrough Award: Stormzy