Nearly half of UK award nominees in last decade were privately educated

Labour analysis finds 40% of Britons nominated for main prizes at major cultural awards went to private school

Nearly half of all British cultural stars nominated for major awards in the last decade were educated at private school, according to an analysis by Labour designed to highlight the failings of the state sector to provide creative education.

After studying the backgrounds of 130 Britons nominated for the main prizes at the Oscars, Baftas and Mercury prize over the last 10 years, Labour found that 40% went to private school, whereas only about 6% of the population are privately educated.