British Netflix drama Adolescence and members of its cast picked up further honours at the Sky Arts Awards on Tuesday, days after the series made history at the Emmy Awards.
The four-part drama won the Sky Arts television prize, while 15-year-old Owen Cooper — who became the youngest actor ever to win the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie — was presented with The Times Breakthrough Award. The series' Emmy success also included wins for Stephen Graham for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Erin Doherty for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
The Sky Arts ceremony, hosted by Bill Bailey at London's Roundhouse, celebrated achievements across the arts and showcased live performances from the Royal Ballet, Bob Geldof's band The Boomtown Rats, Dirty Blonde and Nyah Grace. Ska-pop group Madness closed the evening's festivities. Attendees included Geldof, Dame Joan Bakewell, Sir Lenny Henry, Anita Rani, Myleene Klass and Jim Moir.
Adolescence, which has been widely discussed for its depiction of youth violence and for prompting debate in Parliament, was filmed with a distinctive production approach: each episode was shot as a single take. Cooper, who played Jamie Miller, filmed his scenes at age 14. The series drew attention for its examination of young men and the so-called "manosphere," and for the performances that led to multiple major awards.
Sky Arts recognised a broad slate of work across disciplines. Lola Young won the Popular Music award for her album This Wasn't Meant For You Anyway. Elf Lyons's Horses took the Comedy prize. The Film award went to Conclave, a political thriller directed by Edward Berger. Dance honours were shared by Nederlands Dans Theatre and Complicité for Figures in Extinction. Theatre was awarded to LUNG for the musical The Children's Inquiry. Opera North won in the Opera category for a production of Simon Boccanegra directed by PJ Harris with Antony Hermus conducting. Barbara Walker's Being Here won the Visual Art prize, Bold Tendencies secured the Classical Music award, Caleb Femi received the Poetry award for The Wickedest, and Sally Rooney's Intermezzo won in Literature. Diane Carroll, who has worked as assistant manager at Glasgow's Òran Mór and been a welcoming presence at its A Play, A Pie and A Pint lunchtime series for more than 600 shows, was named this year's Arts Hero. Bob Geldof was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Sky Arts statuette was designed and made by Lindsey Mendick, last year's Visual Art award winner. Mendick said the piece was conceived to subvert the familiar shape of prize statuettes and to reflect art's continued role as a record of its time. Phil Edgar-Jones, Sky's executive director of unscripted originals and the awards' commissioner, said the ceremony aims to celebrate work that brings people together and fosters empathy in an increasingly divided world.
Organisers said nominees were assessed by independent juries composed of industry peers from across artistic disciplines. The event builds on last year's ceremony and the legacy of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, with presenters and guests emphasising both emerging talent and long-established figures in British and Irish arts and culture.
Adolescence's consecutive recognitions at the Emmys and Sky Arts underline the series' cultural reach and the industry's attention to its themes and production methods. For Cooper, the double success — historic recognition at the Emmys followed by breakthrough recognition at Sky Arts — marks a rapid rise for the young actor and reinforces the show's impact on contemporary discussion about youth and representation on screen.