ONE of Cumbria’s most iconic writers and broadcasters has been presented with a lifetime achievement award.

Melvyn Bragg received his award at the Sky Arts Awards 2024 which were held at the Roundhouse in London.

Cumbrian broadcasting legend Bragg has been involved in the media for six decades and currently presents one of the BBC’s most popular radio programmes

In Our Time is a live BBC radio discussion series and podcast exploring a wide variety of historical, scientific and philosophical topics.

It is one of BBC Radio 4's most successful discussion programmes and has been present by Bragg since the first episode in 1998.

He was born in Carlisle in 1939 and grew up in Wigton, attending Nelson Thomlinson School before going on to Oxford.

He has written numerous books which have had Cumbrian people and places at the heart of them.

He was presented the award by comedy icon Sir Lenny Henry to a standing ovation in the room.

Receiving the award, he said: “To tell you the truth, I’m overwhelmed.

“It’s been nothing more than a pleasure and I couldn’t have dreamt of a life so fulfilling.

“I couldn’t have dreamt of having so many artists from across the country in one room representing themselves as one of the great forces and one of the great blooms of the country.

“So, thank you all very much and I’m going to sit down before I burst into tears.”