South Bank awards honour The Who

BBC Entertainment News

 

Legendary rock group The Who have been recognised for lifetime achievement at the South Bank Show awards.

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were presented with their prize by ITV chairman Michael Grade.

 

Spoof documentary Borat, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, was given the best comedy award, while Amy Winehouse's Back To Black album scooped the pop award.

 

The awards, hosted by Melvyn Bragg, recognise British achievement in music, theatre, television and the arts.

 

United 93, which tells the story of the passengers who fought back against terrorists on 11 September 2001, took best film, beating The Queen and Red Road.

 

SOUTH BANK SHOW AWARDS: WINNERS

TV Drama: See No Evil: The Moors Murders

Classical Music: BBC Philharmonic - Shostakovich, His Heroes And Comrades

Pop Music: Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

Visual Arts: Gilbert and George - Sonofagod Pictures

Comedy: Borat

Dance: The Royal Ballet - Chroma / The Four Temperaments

Film: United 93

Literature: Mother's Milk

Opera: Opera North - Peter Grimes

Theatre: Black Watch at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh

Arts Council award: Neil Biswas

Breakthrough award: Archie Bronson Outfit

Outstanding achievement: The Who

 

The film's director, Paul Greengrass, said he was "delighted" the film had been chosen despite its difficult subject matter.

"Cinema, to remain alive, has to deal with what is contemporary and difficult," he told the BBC. "It can't just deal with escapism and fantasy and romance."

 

Challenging art

ITV's controversial recreation of the Moors murders, See No Evil, took the best TV drama prize, beating the final outing of Prime Suspect.

 

Iconic artists Gilbert and George were rewarded in the Visual Art category for their challenging exhibition Sonofagod Pictures - Was Jesus Heterosexual?

 

But Connie Fisher, who won a role in a West End production of The Sound of Music through a TV talent show was beaten to the breakthrough award by blues-rock band The Archie Bronson Outfit.

The breakthrough award is the only prize in the show voted for by members of the public.

 

And Edward St Aubyn won the Literature prize for his novel, Mother's Milk, which tells the story of a young couple's attempts to raise two sons as their marriage crumbles.

 

The ceremony, at London's Savoy Hotel, was attended by film director Ken Russell, pop star Emma Bunton, comedian Russell Brand and model Claudia Schiffer.

 

Jarvis Cocker performed music from his self-titled album, which was nominated in the pop category alongside Arctic Monkeys and Amy Winehouse.

 

The show will be broadcast on ITV1 at 2245GMT on Sunday 28 January.

 

Any Comments on these Awards?

 

 

See No Evil was an absolutely tremendous work, outstanding performances all round. Well deserved.

 

And in my book, there's not an album come out in the past few years to match the quality of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black.

 

 

Good to see Archie Bronson Outfit pick up the breakthrough award - there was some tough competition and they're virtually unknown.