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Grayson Perry and Self Esteem confirmed to host 2026 Sky Arts Awards ahead of ceremony in October
The unexpected pairing join forces for the first time to front October's ceremony at London's Roundhouse.
Simon Ackerman/ WireImage/ Sky UK/Byron London
- Lewis Knight
Published: Thursday, 27 August 2026 at 9:00 am
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The Sky Arts Awards has confirmed its hosts for 2026.
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Turner Prize-winning artist Sir Grayson Perry and Mercury Prize-nominated musician Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem are teaming up to front the ceremony for the first time.
The pair will lead the third annual Sky Arts Awards at London's Roundhouse on Tuesday 13 October 2025, for a night of celebrating the artists, performers and storytellers from across the UK and Ireland.
The ceremony will air that same evening on Sky Arts, Freeview and streaming service NOW.
Now in its third year, the Sky Arts Awards remain the only major television awards to honour the entire creative spectrum across all arts.
Grayson Perry attends the Sky Arts Awards 2024 at The Roundhouse on September 17, 2024 in London, England. Simon Ackerman/ WireImage/ Sky UK
Perry, who won the Turner Prize in 2003 and was knighted for services to the arts in 2023, is well placed to celebrate that breadth, having worked across ceramics, tapestry, writing and broadcasting.
His major solo exhibition Delusions of Grandeur ran at the Wallace Collection in London throughout much of 2025.
Perry commented on the news: "As someone who has worked as an artist, a broadcaster, a writer and a performer, I love the Sky Arts Awards because it honours the arts in all its glorious forms."
Meanwhile, Self Esteem was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2022 for her second album, Prioritise Pleasure, and released her third record, A Complicated Woman, in April 2025.
Rebecca Lucy Taylor AKA Self Esteem in a close-up headshot. Byron London
She has recently moved into the theatre world, having been announced in September 2025 to star in a revival of David Hare's Teeth 'n' Smiles.
Speaking about her hosting duties, Self Esteem commented: "I'm thrilled to be hosting the Sky Arts Awards 2026 with Grayson Perry!
"As the ancient forms of how to make sense of why we are alive at all are increasingly only available to the privileged due to chronic underfunding, I think it's gonna be cool that someone who went to a comp in Rotherham is running the show."
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Finally, Phil Edgar-Jones OBE, executive director for unscripted originals at Sky, who told Radio Times that the awards feel like his "baby".
He said in a statement shared by Sky: "I couldn't be prouder of the role the Sky Arts Awards plays in celebrating the exceptional creative talent across the UK and Ireland.
"For many young artists, writers, musicians, painters and dancers, building a career from their passion can feel increasingly out of reach.
"These awards shine a spotlight on the trailblazers driving our cultural industries forward and help inspire and open doors for the next generation."
Last year's winners included Bob Geldof, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Conclave in Film, Lola Young in Popular Music for This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway, and the acclaimed drama Adolescence, which won the Television award.
The Sky Arts Awards will air on Sky Arts and Freeview on Tuesday 13 October 2026. The ceremony will also be available to watch on Sky TV and NOW. You can sign up to NOW from £3.99 a month.
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Authors
Lewis KnightNews and Trends Editor
Lewis is the news and trends editor at Radio Times and leads our approach to news, reactive content, and serving audience demands and interests. An obsessive fan of television and film, Lewis is a Nicole Kidman fanatic with a side of passion for science-fiction, art-house cinema and the latest HBO drama. Lewis has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Film Studies. After working in advertising, Lewis worked at The Mirror for three years in community management and SEO, showbiz, film and television reporting.
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