Nominations announced for 25TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Nominations were announced for the 25th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, in association with AudienceView, via a streamed event earlier on today.
The announcement of the nominations marks the opening of the final stage of voting (until 9 January 2025), with winners to be revealed at the annual Awards ceremony held on 9 February 2025 at The London Palladium.
In addition to seeing winners crowned across a range of categories, theatregoers will also enjoy a host of exclusive live performances from top stage talent, accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra in a one-night-only showcase, co-produced with creative directors Alex Parker and Damian Sandys.
The hit revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express leads nominations this year with nine nods.
The nominations in full include:
BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY SPONSORED BY SINE DIGITAL
Emma D’Arcy, The Other Place, National Theatre
Tom Holland, Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre
Cush Jumbo, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
Anne Odeke, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe
Michael Sheen, Nye, National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre
David Tennant, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL SPONSORED BY TICKETMASTER
Georgina Castle, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre
Jo Foster, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre
Myles Frost, MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre
Imelda Staunton, Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium
Leesa Tulley, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre
Vanessa Williams, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Freema Agyeman, Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre
Romola Garai, Giant, Royal Court Theatre
Julie Hesmondhalgh, Punch, Nottingham Playhouse
Teddy Hinde, The History Boys, UK tour
Atsuki Mashiko, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum
Sharon Small, Nye, National Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL SPONSORED BY NEWMAN DISPLAYS
Siobhan Athwal, Bhangra Nation, Birmingham Rep
Amy Di Bartolomeo, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre
Melanie La Barrie, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre
Grace Mouat, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre
Jaydon Vijn, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Tom Xander, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre
BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE
Zoe Birkett, TINA - The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
Cara Delevingne, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Craig Ryder, Moulin Rouge! the Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
Alex Sawyer, Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre
Tobias Turley, Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre
Layton Williams, Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY AKA
Esme Bowdler, Heathers the Musical, @sohoplace and UK tour
Jeevan Braich, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Stevie Doc, Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre
Vasco Emauz, Back to the Future the Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Mia Kobayashi, Your Lie in April, Harold Pinter Theatre
Gerardine Sacdalan, & Juliet, UK tour
BEST NEW MUSICAL SPONSORED BY TRAVELZOO
Babies, Music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey and book by Martha Geelan, The Other Palace
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Music and lyrics by Darren Clark and book and lyrics by Jethro Compton, Ambassadors Theatre
The Devil Wears Prada, Music by Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and Mark Sonnenblick and book by Kate Wetherhead, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre
MJ the Musical, Music and lyrics by Michael Jackson and book by Lynn Nottage, Prince Edward Theatre
Mean Girls, Music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin and book by Tina Fey, Savoy Theatre
Why Am I So Single?, Music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Garrick Theatre
BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL SPONSORED BY CONCORD THEATRICALS
Dear Evan Hansen, Nottingham Playhouse and UK tour
Hadestown, Lyric Theatre
Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium
Kiss Me, Kate, Barbican Theatre
Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre
Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
BEST NEW PLAY SPONSORED BY GO LIVE THEATRE
Giant, Mark Rosenblatt, Royal Court Theatre
Kyoto, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, RSC's Swan Theatre
Princess Essex, Anne Odeke, Shakespeare's Globe
Punch, James Graham, Nottingham Playhouse
Slave Play, Jeremy O'Harris, Noël Coward Theatre
Spirited Away, Adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai, The London Coliseum
BEST PLAY REVIVAL SPONSORED BY EDWARDIAN HOTELS - OFFICAL HOTEL PARTNER
A Raisin in the Sun, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse
The Crucible, Sheffield Crucible
Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre
Romeo & Juliet, Duke of York’s Theatre
Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket
BEST WEST END SHOW SPONSORED BY DEWYNTERS
Cabaret , Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre
Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
Mamma Mia!, Novello Theatre
Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
SIX, Vaudeville Theatre
BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION SPONSORED BY MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL
42 Balloons, The Lowry, Salford
The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Becoming Nancy, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Brassed Off, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton
Dear Evan Hansen, Nottingham Playhouse and UK tour
Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre
BEST STUDIO PRODUCTION SPONSORED BY THEATRICAL RIGHTS WORLDWIDE
BRACE BRACE, Royal Court Theatre
Dear Young Monster, Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio
Diary of a Gay Disaster, Underbelly Cowgate and Arcola Theatre
KENREX, Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield
Mulatto Boy, Omnibus Theatre
Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Barn Theatre
BEST CONCERT EVENT
Gypsy the Musical in Concert, Hope Mill Theatre at Opera House, Manchester
I Am Harvey Milk, Cadogan Hall
Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Something Rotten! – In Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Sondheim on Sondheim, Alexandra Palace Theatre
Spring Awakening: 15th Anniversary Concert, Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST DIRECTION SPONSORED BY LOVETHEATRE
Eline Arbo, The Years, Almeida Theatre
Robert Icke, Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre
Anthony Lau, The Crucible, Sheffield Crucible
James Macdonald, Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Drew McOnie, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Emma Rice, The Buddha of Suburbia, RSC's Swan Theatre and Barbican Theatre
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY SPONSORED BY LADUCA SHOES
Matthew Bourne, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre
Julia Cheng, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Drew McOnie, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Rujuta Vaidya, Bhangra Nation, Birmingham Rep
Anthony Van Laast, Kiss Me, Kate, Barbican Theatre
Christopher Wheeldon, MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre
BEST SET DESIGN SPONSORED BY PREEVUE
Jon Bausor and Toby Olié, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum
Miriam Buether, Kyoto, RSC's Swan Theatre
Es Devlin, Coriolanus, National Theatre
Tim Hatley, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Kenneth MacLeod, Maggie and Me, UK tour
Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Sachiko Nakahara, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum
Lez Brotherston, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre
Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Gabriella Slade, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Rae Smith, Hello, Dolly!, The London Palladium
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN SPONSORED BY WHITE LIGHT
Paule Constable, Oliver!, Chichester Festival Theatre
Howard Hudson, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Jessica Hung Han Yun, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Tim Lutkin, Coriolanus, National Theatre
Bruno Poet, Waiting for Godot, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Zoe Spurr, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
BEST SOUND DESIGN SPONSORED BY HERE @ OUTERNET
Paul Arditti, BRACE BRACE, Royal Court Theatre
Susan Bear, Maggie and Me, UK tour
Nicola T Chang, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Gareth Fry, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
Gareth Fry, Viola's Room, Woolwich Works
Gareth Owen, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
BEST VIDEO DESIGN SPONSORED BY TIKTOK
David Bergman, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Grant Gee and Ellie Thompson, Bluets, Royal Court Theatre
Andrzej Goulding, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Tal Rosner, Minority Report, Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham Rep and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Ash J Woodward, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
Ash J Woodward, FANGIRLS, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION SPONSORED BY DISNEY’S HERCULES
Mark Aspinall and Dan Turek, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Niraj Chag and Simon Baker, The Buddha of Suburbia, RSC's Swan Theatre and Barbican Theatre
Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ambassadors Theatre
Alasdair Macrae, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
Matthew Malone, Brassed Off, Theatre by the Lake, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Octagon Theatre Bolton
Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre
BEST CASTING DIRECTION
Amy Ball, The Years, Almeida Theatre
Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price, Why Am I So Single?, Garrick Theatre
Stuart Burt, Fiddler on the Roof, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Alastair Coomer and Chloe Blake, Till the Stars Come Down, National Theatre
Anna Cooper, Macbeth, Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre
Lotte Hines, A Raisin in the Sun, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse
BEST WIGS, HAIR AND MAKE-UP DESIGN
Campbell Young Associates, The Devil Wears Prada, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dominion Theatre
Jackie Saundercock and Campbell Young Associates, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Theatre Royal Haymarket
Betty Marini, The Cabinet Minister, Menier Chocolate Factory
Hiroaki Miyauchi, Spirited Away, The London Coliseum
Georgia Nosal, The Artist, Theatre Royal Plymouth
WhatsOnStage’s Darius Thompson and Alex Wood said: “We were blown away by the sheer volume of nominations that came in for this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards for our silver anniversary. What has emerged is a shortlist that reflects the vibrancy and excitement of the UK theatre ecosystem. Locations like Plymouth, Nottingham, Chichester, Sheffield and Manchester have all been recognised on this shortlist, and it’s been heartening watching organisations across the nation campaigning and championing local, established and emerging talents. In a time when venues and companies are facing increased costs and cuts to local funding, the WhatsOnStage Awards are a vital reminder of theatre’s power to bring communities together in a shared, enriching space.”
