Five set to win arts awards

In all, 18 shortlisted artists and designers are vying to win £10 000 and an Arts Foundation fellowship in the five categories of lighting design, illustration, sculpture in wood, conducting and literary translation.

Candidates for the lighting design award are James Farncombe, Alex Haw, Stephen Hurrel and Claire Morgan.

Meanwhile, Swava Harasymowicz, Michael Kirkham, Andy McGregor and Katherina Manelossou are each hoping to win the prize for illustration.

In the conducting category, Nicholas Collon and Michael Francis are vying against Robin Newton and Tom Seligman. Finally, Ken Cockburn, Sasha Dugdale and Jamie McKendrick are competing in the literary translation category.

The Arts Foundation says that the aim of the awards is to ‘help artists at the delicate stage when they have shown potential through a body of high-quality, original work, but the promise has not converted itself into significant public profit’.

Previous winners include fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki, choreographer Wayne McGregor and writer Ali Smith.

Sir Peter Blake will present the prizes at the awards sponsor Pentagram’s studio in London.