Sally Spencer was named the winner of the inaugural Arts Hero Award at the Sky Arts Awards last night at The Roundhouse. The Sky Arts Hero Award celebrates the people working behind the scenes to support and enrich the arts, and Sally’s innovative use of music to support children in hospital earned her this special recognition.

Sally is a singer with Ex Cathedra and an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, working with children with leukaemia. She was the spark behind our Singing Medicine project, which she continues to co-lead 20 years later.

Singing Medicine brings singing for wellbeing to babies, children and young people in hospital, and also supports adults affected by stroke and dementia. This includes patients who are extremely vulnerable and in protective isolation. During the pandemic, Sally and our Singing Medicine team created thousands of personalised music videos for children when in-person visits were not possible.

Sally brings together her extensive nursing experience and passion for music to her leadership and compassionate support of our Singing Medicine team. The singers work in what can be distressing situations, including leading singing sessions at end-of-life care. Sally was integral in adapting Singing Medicine to support adults affected by stroke and dementia, making a significant impact in these areas as well. 

Sally was the driving force behind a fundamental principle of Singing Medicine, that the activities should include the opportunity for choice – because patients are in situations where many choices have been taken away from them. A child might therefore choose what the singing lonely dinosaur gets to have for tea, or a patient affected by stroke might choose the sounds they are working on to incorporate into the music-making.

Sally Spencer comments: “I’m truly honoured to win, but this recognition really belongs to the whole Ex Cathedra Singing Medicine team. Every week, we go into the hospital to bring music and singing-play to children, responding and adapting to their needs – whether it’s soothing a newborn with lullabies or engaging a teenager in a musical game.

Sally continues, “Singing Medicine allows me to offer joy, relief and distraction to the children and their families. Our songs and singing-play aim to give them a little bit of control where often they have none. This award means a lot to me because it acknowledges the importance of what we do. As a nurse working in hospital daily, I believe the benefits of Singing Medicine are not just nice, but absolutely necessary for patients and their families.”

Sally was chosen after Sky Arts invited the arts community to nominate their unsung heroes earlier this summer.

Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, commented on the importance of the Arts Hero Award: “We were overwhelmed by the incredible stories we received. Sally’s dedication, blending her medical expertise with her love for music, makes her exceptional. Her work illustrates the profound impact of the arts not just on culture but on people’s lives. We’re thrilled to celebrate her as our first ever Arts Hero.”

The awards, which were televised on Sky Arts and Freeview, featured a heart-warming segment where host Joe Lycett surprised Sally by visiting her at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. She had expected a routine day of performing with the Singing Medicine team, but Joe made his way into the group during her solo. With perfect comedic timing, he halted the performance to reveal that the entire event had been a setup to celebrate her Arts Hero win. Following this surprise, Sally received her award in a glittering ceremony last night at The Roundhouse.

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Building on the legacy of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, the Sky Arts Awards recognises the full spectrum of artistic genres, including classical music, comedy, dance, film, literature, poetry, opera, popular music, television, theatre and visual art.

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Learn more about Singing Medicine on our dedicated website
Read Sally’s Meet the Musician page