As Inside No. 9, Derry Girls and Hang Ups vie for best comedy

Jessie Cave has been shortlisted as the breakthrough act in this year’s prestigious South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

The former Harry Potter star has won acclaim for her stage show Sunrise, about trying to get back on the dating scene while being a single mum, since it debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

The breakthrough award, sponsored by The Times, has one nominee for every field of the arts represented. Cave is up against Alpesh Chauhan for classical music; Joseph Sissens for dance;   Jessie Buckley for film; Anna-Marie Crowhurst for literature; Nadine Benjamin for opera;  Freya Ridings for pop;   Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss for theatre;  Chance Perdomo for TV drama and  Haroon Mirza for visual art.

Previous winners include Nick Helm and Stormzy.

Meanwhile, shortlisted in the comedy section of the awards are Inside No. 9, Derry Girls and Stephen Mangan’s Channel 4 comedy Hang Ups.

Inside No 9 creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are also the subjects of an episode of the next series of The South Bank Show. Their show is due to air on  July 30 at 10pm on Sky Arts.

The pair won the category in last year’s awards.

The 23rd annual awards will be handed out on July 7 at the Savoy Hotel in London, with the ceremony airing  on Wednesday July 10.

Published: 3 Jun 2019