Winners - 2000

For the outstanding Yorkshire personality in the fields of art and entertainment. Sponsored by Yorkshire Television

John Godber - Yorkshire Arts and Entertainment 2000

He was born the son of a miner in Upton, West Yorkshire. He trained as a teacher of drama at Bretton Hall College. Prior to his appointment as Artistic Director of Hull Truck Theatre Company in 1984, he was Head of Drama at Minsthorpe High School, the school he attended as a student. Whilst he was teaching at Minsthorpe he won almost every major award at the National Student Drama Festival between 1981 and 1983. He has also won five Edinburgh Fringe First Awards and in 1984 won the Laurence Olivier Comedy of the Year Award for 'Up n Under'.

His plays are performed across the world. 'Bouncers' was nominated for Comedy of the Year in 1985 and won seven Los Angeles Critics Circle Awards and five awards in Chicago in 1987. 'On The Piste' was nominated for the Comedy of the Year in 1993 and 'April in Paris' was nominated Comedy of the year in 1994.

His other plays include 'Teechers', 'Blood Sweat and Tears', 'Cramp', 'Happy Jack', 'September in the Rain', 'Salt of the Earth', 'Passion Killers', 'Happy Familities', 'Up n. Under II', 'Gym & Tonic', 'Dracula', 'Lucky Sods', 'Hooray For Hollywood', 'Weekend Breaks', 'It Started With A Kiss', 'Unleashed', 'Thick As A Brick' and 'Big Trouble in the Little Bedroom'.

As well as directing all the first productions of his plays, John has directed 'Woyzeck', 'Twelfth Night', 'Gargling With Jelly', 'Playing Away' and Alan Plater's 'Sweet Sorrow'. He is one of the most performed writers in the English language.

John's TV work includes 'Crown Court', 'Grange Hill' and 'Brookside'. In 1987 he wrote and co-directed the BBC 2 six part series 'The Ritz' and its sequel 'The Continental'. His screenplay 'My Kingdom for a Horse' starring Sean Bean was nominated for an alternative BAFTA award and he devised the BBC2 series 'Chalkface'. He directed a TV version of 'Shakers - The Musical' which was nominated Best Children's TV Drama 1993. John s first feature film 'Up n Under' was released in January 1998. John is married with two daughters.