Stephen Graham has been awarded an OBE, and has dedicated it to all the kids who dream of a career in the arts but are told to “get a proper job”.
With an entertainment career spanning more than two decades, Stephen Graham has gone on to become one of the most celebrated and well-loved actors working in the British film and television industry today.
And now his talents have been recognised with one of the country’s most prestigious honours.
The Kirkby-born actor was made an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours list for his services to drama, and was presented with the award by the Princess Royal during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday.
The 47-year-old took to social media after the ceremony to share a couple of pictures of him holding his OBE medal, while also making sure to dedicate the award to those he loved.
“For you mum… And to all those kids that are told to “get a proper job”, this is for you too,” he wrote in on both Twitter and Instagram.
Graham dedicated the honour to his mother, who he announced at the end of 2022 had passed away.
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As well as making sure to dedicate it to his late mother, he also took a moment to offer some words of encouragement to any children who are hoping to one day go into acting or have a career in the performing arts industry – adding that his OBE is also for “any kid that’s ever been told to ‘get a proper job’.”
Being from Merseyside, and getting his start in the Liverpool Everyman Youth Theatre at aged 14, before attending drama school at the Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance in London, it’s likely that Graham had that discouraging phrase said to him a couple of times.
Stephen Graham dedicates OBE to all the kids that are told to ‘get a proper job’ / Credit: Channel 4 | ITV
First appearing on screens back in 1990, Stephen Graham now has over 100 acting credits to his name.
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Leading and prominent roles in films such as This Is England, Gangs of New York, Snatch, and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as TV series like Boardwalk Empire, Band of Brothers, Taboo, and Coronation Street helped make him a household name.
Some of Graham’s most recent acting credits include Yardie, Rocketman, Boiling Point, The Irishman, Peaky Blinders, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Matilda the Musical.
He has also been nominated for and scooped several acting awards throughout his career.
Graham’s leading role in Channel 4’s drama film, Help, alongside fellow Liverpudlian actor Jodie Comer saw him garner critical acclaim and win ‘Best Actor’ awards from several organisations.
Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Featured Image – Altitude
TV & Showbiz
Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
Emily Sergeant -
21st April 2023 
