Pride of St Helens Awards 2024 - your nominees for Arts Award

In Thursday's Star (November 14 edition, in shops now) we published a 16-page supplement profiling each of the shortlisted nominees for this year's ceremony.

Throughout this week ahead of the event at the Totally Wicked Stadium, we will be sharing our categories of nominees with you.

Here are your nominees for the Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group Pride of St Helens Awards – Arta Award, sponsored by St Helens Flooring.

Louie Gray

Louie Gray (Image: Submitted)

AT the age of nine, Louie successfully auditioned for Matilda the Musical and started as Bruce, performing in London’s West End. Although Covid scuppered his chances to stay in the show, this didn’t deter Louie as he successfully gained a role to perform in the live recording of Dr Seuss the Grinch Musical live, which is still shown on Sky TV every Christmas.

After being offered a scholarship and bursary at Tring Park performing arts school in 2021, Louie’s West End opportunities snowballed, with the youngster offered to return as Bruce once the Matilda production was back up and running, and he also successfully auditioned for the part of Young Clyde in the West End rendition of Bonnie & Clyde, from May 2022. After performing in West End does Christmas in December 2022 and 2023, the actor’s latest performance on stage was in October 2023, where he starred at Young Matt, in the musical workshop of 13 Going on 30.

Enjoying a quieter spell of performing recently, the 14-year-old has been studying and training hard at school, and has also starting to create his own music. After writing, performing, and producing his very first single from his bedroom, ‘Something in the Water’ was released across several streaming platforms over the summer.

The K’s

The K's with former mayor of St Helens Cllr Lynn Clarke (Image: Submitted)

IT has been a phenomenal year for the K’s as the Earlestown band’s stellar debut album ‘I Wonder If The World Knows?’ was rewarded with a Number 3 chart position back in April, after going up against musical heavyweights such as Beyonce and The Libertines.

With a large mural of their album’s cover art completed on the exterior wall of the Citadel Theatre, the band also launched a special pop-up shop inside Church Square shopping centre in the week after their album release, which welcomed fans from across the borough and the entire country.

Consisting of Jamie Boyle, Ryan Breslin, Dexter Baker, and Nathan Peers, The K’s were also honoured with the Best Breakthrough Act at the Northern Music Awards back in March, and they have gone on to play their biggest dates and festivals to date this year, including a huge show at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse, a slot at Glastonbury Festival, and even a home-coming show at Newton Music Festival.

Capping off their extraordinary year with a new live album, ‘Live At Victoria Warehouse’, which is set to be released next month, The K’s have also released details of their highly-anticipated second studio album, which is due for release next summer.

Olivia Holding

Olivia Holding (Image: Submitted)

WITH a love of acting and performing, Olivia Holding has had an impressive career in the entertainment industry and gone on to land some incredible roles in her career. Learning the tricks of the trade at Elizabeth School of Dance and Drama in Dentons Green, Olivia graduated from London’s Bird College of Arts in 2014 and has since appeared in a variety of theatre shows from St Helens Theatre Royal to the West End of London.

Performing to countless audiences over the years, Olivia’s roles have been in productions such as Mamma Mia, Wicked, Les Miserables, Saturday Night Fever, Hamilton, and The Wizard Of Oz. Featuring in both major and minor parts, Olivia’s versatile theatre work have showcased her impressive acting, singing, and dancing skills, and her graceful performances has won the St Helens actor many plaudits. In addition to her theatre shows, Olivia has further strings to her bow as she has also done bits of TV work including a feature on Saturday Night Takeaway.

Not forgetting her roots, the 31-year-old has also been a guest judge for Willowbrook Hospice’s Strictly Ball for the past two years.