Legendary comic Sally Phillips is to host the UK’s only social impact awards in the arts and entertainment, the Visionary Honours 2020, which will be taking place on Wednesday 18th March at the Ham Yard Hotel in Soho. This is the UK’S only awards that celebrate the social impact of culture, media and entertainment.
Sally said: “I am very proud to be the host of the second annual Visionary Honours and to be a part of the Foundation’s work in empowering young creatives to inspire social change. Having been in the creative industries for over 20 years, I have seen how films and documentaries can influence minds and impact the world. My son, Oliver, has Down Syndrome, so it is perhaps no surprise that I strongly advocate inclusive opportunities which allow everybody to participate in the cultural and economic activities of the communities in which they live. The Visionary Arts Foundation promotes a more a diverse society, and for me that is much richer society.”
Focused on making the arts, media and entertainment industries more inclusive and accessible in the UK, the not-for-profit Visionary Arts Foundation helps to develop and launch the careers of young creatives from BAME, LGBTQ+, disabled and low-income groups as well as anyone who feels their story is not being told in the mainstream. The Visionary Honours launched last year to ensure culture, media and entertainment that have inspired social change and debate are recognised.
Nominations for the second Visionary Honours particularly focus on Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, Mental Health, Anti-Social Behaviour and Environmental Change. From books that are breaking down mental health stigmas, to television shows inspiring self-love and positivity, films and documentaries that ignite and inspire generations to come, to gender-bending, rip-roaring feminist theatre shows and songs that are brimming with hope and a social message to be heard, the Visionary Honours offer a vital space and platform for under-represented voices that are having a cultural impact in the UK today.
Highlights of this year’s nominations include Booker prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo who has made waves in the UK and beyond for her bold exploration of identity, race, womanhood and the realities of modern Britain in the standout book of 2019, Girl, Woman, Other, the pioneering, heart-breaking and awe-inspiring Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning Channel 4 documentary FOR SAMA, the essential, powerful, affirmative track HERO on Michael Kiwanuka’s album paying homage to leaders and figures of the Civil Rights Movement, the fierce, fun and uplifting all female-led musical SIX, which has become a West End sensation, and the television show everyone has been talking about RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE UK.
Spanning across culture, media and entertainment, the Visionary Honours is not just about rewarding talent, but primarily about highlighting the social impact their work has had and the inspiration it will give the next generation of creatives to make their own mark in the arts and communities beyond.
The prestigious Visionary Legacy Honour will be awarded to Sir Bob Geldof for his outstanding contribution to the music industry and the phenomenal worldwide social and cultural impact his humanitarian efforts have had over the years. Sir Bob Geldof will be attending the Visionary Honours awards ceremony to collect the award.
The winners will be chosen by a public vote which opens on Thursday 20th February and they will be announced at the Visionary Honours on Wednesday 18 March at Ham Yard Hotel.
