Sam Mendes, Adrian Lester and James Nesbitt honoured by Paul McCartney at LIPA

James Bond director Sir Sam Mendes, actor Adrian Lester and Cold Feet star James Nesbitt have been honoured by Sir Paul McCartney at a Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) graduation ceremony.

The ceremony, which took place on Tuesday at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, saw The Beatles bass player award the trio a companionship for “outstanding achievement and contribution to student learning”, as he also honoured indie band The Wombats, who met while studying at the LIPA.

The band, made up of Matthew Murphy, Tord Overland Knudsen and Dan Haggis, also saw their manager Simon Bobbett receive a companionship.

Sir Paul McCartney (back row third right) and his Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts companions for 2025 (back row left to right) Adrian Lester, James Nesbitt, Mark Featherstone-Witty, Sita McIntosh, Gay Linvill and Professor Sean McNamara, and front row left to right, The Wombats’ Tord Overland Knudsen, Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis with manager Simon Bobbett at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

Sir Sam, who is currently planning a set of four individual but interconnected films based on the lives of each of the members of The Beatles, received his companionship via video link as he could not make the ceremony.

Lester starred in the 2021 Broadway production of The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sir Sam, with his role seeing him nominated for a Tony Award, and the actor has also appeared in BBC series Hustle, 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow and US TV series The Rook.

Others being honoured by Sir Paul were director Gay Linvill, who has directed episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and Go Live Theatre chief executive and arts accessibility campaigner Sita McIntosh.

The LIPA’s principal and chief executive Professor Sean McNamara said: “Today is a celebration of creativity, collaboration and possibility.

“As artists, innovators, and leaders who will inspire others through their work, the graduating class of 2025 possesses the skills, the vision and the confidence to influence culture and the world around them.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts was founded in 1996 (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

“We are immensely proud of them and look forward to seeing the future they create.”

The LIPA was founded by Sir Paul and Mark Featherstone-Witty in 1996, on the site of the old Liverpool Institute – the former school of both Sir Paul and Beatles bandmate George Harrison, and the adjacent Liverpool Art College once attended by John Lennon.

This year’s graduation ceremony celebrated the achievements of around 420 graduating students from more than 30 countries, including Colombia, Hong Kong and India.

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