Johnny Marr is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sky Arts Awards this evening (13.10.26).
In addition to accepting the accolade, the former Smiths guitarist will step onto the Roundhouse stage in London to entertain attendees at the celebration.
The prize recognises Marr’s contributions with the iconic Manchester group as well as his flourishing solo career, marked by six UK Top 10 albums.
It caps a standout 2026, which included his largest headlining concert to date at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl.
Later this month, his memoir Set the Boy Free will be released in a special 10th‑anniversary edition.
Marr’s habit of collaborating remains strong. In recent years he has written and recorded with Gorillaz, Billie Eilish, Franz Ferdinand, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and contributed to the HELP(2) charity album.
The event will be hosted by Sir Grayson Perry and Rebecca Lucy Taylor, known professionally as Self Esteem, who will kick off the evening with a joint performance before Self Esteem closes the ceremony.
Emerging singer-songwriter Victor Ray—whose tracks such as Comfortable, Stay for a While, and It Only Cost Everything have earned him a wide international following—will join forces with Jakob Wheway Hughes, an English National Ballet dancer, for a one-off collaboration.
Saxophonist Jess Gillam MBE, who is currently on her UK SHINE tour, will also appear.
The Orchestral Qawwali Project, a collective drawn from leading UK orchestras and led by composer Rushil Ranjan with vocalist Abi Sampa, will present its blend of Sufi poetry, dance and orchestral textures at the Roundhouse, joined by choreographer Aakash Odedra.
Scottish tenor Nicky Spence OBE will deliver a special performance alongside writer and broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles and the London Gay Men’s Chorus, rounding out a night that celebrates creativity across the UK arts scene.
Tune in to The Sky Arts Awards 2026 on Sky Arts, Freeview and the NOW streaming service tonight (12.10.26) at 9pm.
