The South Bank Sky Arts Award (originally The South Bank Show Award) is an accolade recognizing British achievements in the arts. The awards have been given annually since 1996. They originated with the long-running British arts programme The South Bank Show. The last South Bank Show Awards ceremony to be broadcast by ITV was in January 2010. After the network had announced that The South Bank Show would be cancelled at the end of the 2009 season, the award ceremony continued to be broadcast by Sky Arts and was eventually renamed the South Bank Sky Arts Award. Sky Arts revived The South Bank Show itself in 2012.
In addition to awards in each of the individual arts categories, the South Bank Sky Arts Awards also include the Outstanding Achievement Award recognizing lifetime contributions to the arts in Britain, and the Times Breakthrough Award recognizing outstanding new British artists. Past winners of the Outstanding Achievement Award include Julie Walters (2013),Michael Frayn (2012),Dame Judi Dench (2011),Harold Pinter, JK Rowling, and The Who.
As of the 17th annual ceremony (broadcast March 2013), the award categories were:
Source: West End Theatre