Nominations for the Black British Theatre Awards 2022 have been announced, ahead of the official ceremony at London’s National Lyttelton Theatre on 16 October.  

The Black British Theatre Awards, the UK’s first award show of its kind, celebrates the diverse talent of the UK whilst supporting and empowering young people and acknowledging the response to the Black Lives Matter movement and important issues of representation today. 

Now in its fourth year, the awards celebrate the best of creatives, important bodies of work behind the scenes, plays, musicals, and notable achievements based on performance both on and off stage.

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy at London’s Royal Court Theatre and The Wiz at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester each receive six nominations.

Other notable nominees include Courtney Bowman for her performance in Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Amara Okereke for My Fair Lady at London Coliseum and Nicole Raquel Dennis (who you may also remember from The Voice UK) for the UK and Ireland tour of Dreamgirls.

Keep reading for a full list of this years shortlisted nominees:

CREATIVES:

Best Director

• Matthew Xia, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

• Ryan Calais Cameron and Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

• Dermot Daly, My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Leeds Playhouse

Best Producer

• Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

• Shanay Holmes and Chris Steward, West End Musical Christmas, Lyric Theatre, London

• Ameena Hamid, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Best Musical Director

• Femi Temowo, Rockets and Blue Lights, National Theatre, London

• Sean Green, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre, London

• John Pfumojena, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

Best Choreographer or Movement Director

• Leah Hill, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

• Theophilus O Bailey-Godson, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

• Kane Husbands and Mateus Daniel, Passion Fruit, New Diorama Theatre, London

Best Opera Production or Performance

• April Koyejo-Audiger, Jenufa, Royal Opera House, London

• Pumeza Matshikiza, The Cunning Little Vixen, London Coliseum

Best Dance Production

• Run it Back, Talawa, Fairfield Halls, Croydon

• Ballet Black Double Bill, Ballet Black, Barbican, London

• Saturn Returns, Gateway Arts Productions, Brixton House, London

Best Soloist in a Dance Production

• Mthuthuzeli November, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican, London

• Cira Robinson, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican, London

• Isabela Coracy, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican, London

Best Use of Innovation and Technology

• Mawa Theatre Company, What’s Past is Prologue, YouTube

• Natalie Edwards Yesufu, Enter.Stage.Write, YouTube

• Ballet Black, Eightfold, Channel 4
  

BEHIND THE SCENES RECOGNITION

Light and/or Sound 

• Simisola Majekodunmi

• Joshua Harriette

• Kayode Gomez

Costume Design 

• Maybelle Laye

• Natalie Pryce

• Jessica Cabasa

Book and Lyrics 

• Lux Knightley

• Ryan Calais Cameron

• Safaa Benson-Effiom

Casting Director 

• Heather Basten

• Isabella Odoffin

• Tonia Daley-Campbell

PLAYS

Best Male Actor in a Play

• Terique Jarrett, Daddy, Almeida Theatre, London

• Dior Clarke, Passion Fruit, New Diorama Theatre, London

• Michael Fatogun, Foxes, Theatre503, London

Best Female Actor in a Play

• Shareesa Valentine, Forgotten Voices, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

• Selina Jones, An Unfinished Man, the Yard Theatre, London

• Shakira Newton, Things I Can Laugh About Now, Brixton House, London

Best Supporting Male Actor in a Play

• Gabriel Paul, Macbeth, Leeds Playhouse

• Hayden Mampasi, Passion Fruit, New Diorama Theatre, London

• Habib Nasib Nader, Life of Pi, Wyndham’s Theatre, London

Best Supporting Female Actor in a Play 

• Ashh Blackwood, The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre, London

• Sasha Frost, Folk, Hampstead Theatre, London

• Charlotte Gosling, Passion Fruit, New Diorama Theatre, London

Outstanding Performance in a Play 

• Rochelle Rose, Rockets and Blue Lights, National Theatre, London

• Emmanuel Akwafo, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

• Misha Duncan-Barry, My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Leeds Playhouse

Best Production 

• My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Leeds Playhouse

• For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court Theatre, London

• Things I Can Laugh About Now, Brixton House, London

MUSICALS

Best Male Actor in a Musical

• Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
  

• Michael Duke, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre, London
  

• Tarik Frimpong, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Best Female Actor in a Musical

• Nicole Raquel Dennis, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland tour

• Courtney Bowman, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
  

• Courtney Stapleton, Beauty and the Beast the Musical, UK and Ireland tour

Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical

• Jordan Shaw, Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre, London

• Shem Omari James, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland tour

• Cameron Bernard Jones, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical

• Nadine Higgin, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

• Nicolle Smartt, Domitius, Conway Hall, London

• Jocasta Almgill, Grease, Dominion Theatre, London

Outstanding Performance in a Musical

• Billy Nevers, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

• Amara Okereke, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum

• Nicole Raquel Dennis, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland tour

Best Production Musical

• Domitius, Conway Hall, London

• Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland tour

• The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

ACHIEVEMENTS

LGBTQIA+ Champion

• Alex Thomas-Smith

• Nicole Raquel Dennis

• Courtney Stapleton

Best Teacher 

• Angeline Bell, Urdang Academy, London

• Hakeem Onibudo, Impact Dance, London

• Carolyn Elaine Bolton, Shockout, Manchester

Best Recent Graduate 

• Grace Melville, D&B Academy, Bromley

• Shonah Buwu, Bird College, Sidcup

• Dianté Lodge, Laine Theatre Arts, Epsom

Best Understudy/Swing in a Theatre Production

• Mitchell Zhangazha, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre, London

• Jemal Felix, The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre, London

• Zara MacIntosh, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre, London
  

Good luck to all of the nominees!