British Comedy Guide

Liz Kingsman wins Breakthrough Award

Monday 11th July 2022, 8:57am

South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2022. Liz Kingsman
  • Liz Kingsman has won in the Breakthrough category in the South Bank Sky Arts Awards
  • Her One-Woman Show creation was the live comedy performance that received the most five star reviews in 2021
  • We Are Lady parts won in the Comedy category. The awards will be shown on Sky Arts on Wednesday

Liz Kingsman has won The Times Breakthrough Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards.

The writer and actor, who has starred in TV shows including Power Monkeys and Borderline, and performed live and online sketches as part of comedy group Massive Dad, created a hit live solo show last year.

Liz Kingsman: One-Woman Show, a spoof of formats such as Fleabag, was named by The Guardian as the number one comedy show of 2021 and it has featured in top ten lists in The Times, Telegraph and other publications too. Her Soho Theatre run received more five star reviews than any other comedy performance in 2021, and was extended into 2022. Kingsman will reprise the show at the 2022 Edinburgh Festival this summer.

Eddie Izzard presented her with the prize at last night's ceremony (Sunday 10th July).

South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2022. Image shows from L to R: Liz Kingsman, Eddie Izzard

The Times Breakthrough Award covers all categories of arts, and she was shortlisted alongside In My Skin actor Gabrielle Creevy (TV Drama), Catriona Ward (Literature), Nardus Williams (Opera), Dani Howard (Classical), Rachel Jones (Visual Art), Emily Suzuki (Dance), Samuel Creasey (Theatre), Emilia Jones (Film) and Wet Leg (Pop).

Image shows from L to R: Faith Omole, Sarah Kameela Impey
Image shows from L to R: Faith Omole, Sarah Kameela Impey

Elsewhere in the awards, Nida Manzoor's Channel 4 sitcom We Are Lady Parts was picked ahead of Starstruck and Alma's Not Normal in the Comedy category. The comedy, which stars Anjana Vasan, Sarah Kameela Impey, Juliette Motamed, Faith Omole and Lucie Shorthouse, is due to return for a second series.

Other winners at last night's award ceremony included Michael Armitage (Visual Art), Best Of Enemies (Theatre), The Dante Project (Dance), Monica Ali (Literature), Little Simz (Pop), Opera North (Opera), Huw Watkins' Symphony No.2 (Classical Music), It's A Sin (TV Drama) and Passing (Film). Tamara Rojo, director of English National Ballet, won the Outstanding Achievement Award.

The ceremony will be broadcast on Wednesday 13th July at 10pm on Sky Arts.

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