The iconic Battersea Arts Centre will host the popular art competition, Portrait Artist of the Year, as it returns for its 11th series on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW. The show will debut on Wednesday, 16th October, with host Stephen Mangan.
This year, the competition includes a diverse range of celebrity sitters from various fields, such as stage, screen, sport, literature, and politics. The series will feature eight heats, where artists from across the UK will display their talents and compete for the prestigious 2024 title. The judges, Tai Shan Schierenberg, Kathleen Soriano, and Kate Bryan, will assess the artists’ abilities to portray their famous subjects.
The celebrity sitters include actors Hannah Waddingham, Saskia Reeves, and Cush Jumbo; musician Baaba Maal; TV presenters Richard Madeley and Dan Snow; performer Layton Williams; magician Steven Frayne, aka Dynamo; comedian Rosie Jones; poet Linton Kewsi Johnson; sports personalities Andy Cole, Lucy Worsley, Ricky Hatton, and Jill Scott; dancer Musa Motha; activist Heather Mills; designer and TV presenter Kevin McCloud; presenter Martha Kearney; musician Rebecca Taylor, known as Self-Esteem; Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath; and public health advocate Dr Karan Rajan.
Heat winners will progress to the semi-final, where they will face the challenge of painting acclaimed actress Joely Richardson. The final will see the top three artists compete to portray British acting duo and married couple, Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne, with the winner receiving a £10,000 commission to create a portrait of broadcaster Lorraine Kelly. This portrait will be displayed at the National Galleries Scotland.
The show is produced by Storyvault Films for Sky Arts, with executive producers Danielle Graham, Samantha Richards, and Stuart Prebble.
