Arts Hero Award

The Arts Hero Award is a special category within the Sky Arts Awards, celebrating the people behind the scenes who make the arts possible and help others thrive.


For the 2026 award, we want to hear about the people who made a lasting difference to someone’s life, inspiring them to pursue a talent, passion or creative path they might never otherwise have followed. We're looking for the mentors, teachers, colleagues and champions who built confidence, offered encouragement and helped shape someone’s creative journey, often seeing their potential before they saw it themselves.


If you would like to put someone forward, nominations will be open from 7th to 24th September - so watch this space.

2025

Sky Arts invited the nation to take part in this celebration by nominating their own Arts Heroes—those extraordinary individuals whose dedication, passion and impact deserve centre stage.

The winner

Diane Carroll

This year’s Arts Hero award was clinched by Diane Carroll, who is the Assistant Manager at Òran Mór in Glasgow, and since 2004 has been working the ticket desk for the venue's lunchtime phenomenon A Play, A Pie and A Pint, checking people in and giving the warmest welcome at over 600 shows. Diane knows many people by name and is loved by regulars who come every week to the shows - and some just to see Diane.

Diane Carroll

2024

Last year, five remarkable nominees were recognised, including a singer supporting children on life support and an art technician mentoring the next generation of curators. Each was selected by our judging panel for their unwavering dedication and profound impact on the arts - quietly ensuring the success of countless creative endeavours.

The winner

Sally Spencer

A singer with Ex Cathedra, and a children’s leukaemia nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital for nearly 25 years.

She was the driving force behind Ex Cathedra’s Singing Medicine project, which she continues to co-lead 20 years later. The project brings singing for wellbeing to children in hospital, including those who are extremely vulnerable in protective isolation. During the pandemic, Sally and the Singing Medicine team created thousands of personalised music videos for children when in-person visits were not possible.

Sally Spencer

Get in touch - enquiries

For Press Enquiries contact: SkyArtsHero@sky.uk