It is the night we honour and celebrate Australia’s vibrant live performance industry, and recognise distinguished achievements within musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, opera, classical music, theatre, ballet, dance and physical theatre, presentation for children, regional touring and cabaret.
Live Performance Australia Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson said, “This year has been a remarkable year for live performances in Australia reflecting a vibrant industry with more than 18 million people attending shows across the country and ticket revenues of $1.4 billion”.
As previously announced, Richard Tognetti AO, Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, will be the recipient of the 2017 JC Williamson Award. This award is bestowed on an individual who has made a truly outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia’s live performance culture and shaped the future of the industry for the better. Additionally, Rob Brookman AM will be the recipient of this year’s Sue Nattrass Award which honours an exceptional individual in a service role that supports the industry.
The full list of nominees are below. There are certainly some stand outs including Ainsley Melham, who is the only Australian nominated in the category Best Male Actor in a Musical. My Fair Lady however takes the cake with a total of nine nominations, followed closely by The Book of Mormon with eight, as well as Aladdin, Kinky Boots and SAUL each with seven nominations.
Did your favourite get nominated?
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
BUSTY BEATZ AND LISA FA’ALAFI
Hot Brown Honey
Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney Opera House in association with Briefs Factory presents
DAVID MORTON
The Wider Earth
Queensland Theatre and Dead Puppets Society
JACOB RANDELL, JASCHA BOYCE, SIMON MCCLURE, LACHLAN BINNS, MIEKE LIZOTTE, LEWIE WEST, MARTIN SCHREIBER, JOANNE CURRY, LACHLAN HARPER, JACKSON MANSON AND LEWIS RANKIN
Backbone
Gravity and Other Myths and 2017 Adelaide Festival
KATE MULVANY
Jasper Jones
Melbourne Theatre Company
LEAH PURCELL
The Drover’s Wife
Belvoir
MATTHEW WHITTET
Girl Asleep
Windmill Theatre Co
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
CECIL BEATON
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia & John Frost
GREGG BARNES
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
JENNIFER IRWIN
OUR land people stories
Bangarra Dance Theatre
TESS SCHOFIELD
The Drover’s Wife
Belvoir
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
GEOFF COBHAM
Backbone
Gravity and Other Myths and 2017 Adelaide Festival
JOACHIM KLEIN
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
MARK HOWETT AND SEAN MCKERNAN
Boorna Waanginy
Perth International Arts Festival
MATTHEW MARSHALL
Green Day’s American Idiot
shake & stir co and QPAC
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
IAIN GRANDAGE AND RAHAYU SUPANGGAH
Satan Jawa
Arts Centre Melbourne and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
PAUL KELLY AND CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN WITH FEARGAL MURRAY
Ancient Rain
Far and Away Productions in association with Brink Productions, co-commissioned by Melbourne Festival and Adelaide Cabaret Festival
RULLY SHABARA AND WUKIR SURYADI
Attractor
Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc, with Melbourne Arts Centre, WOMADelaide and Brisbane Festival
TREY PARKER, MATT STONE AND ROBERT LOPEZ
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
CHONG LIM
Rolling Thunder Vietnam
Blake Entertainment
ERIN HELYARD
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
LUKE HUNTER
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
NICOLETTE FRAILLON
Nijinsky
The Australian Ballet
BEST SCENIC DESIGN
ANNA CORDINGLEY
Jasper Jones
Melbourne Theatre Company
BOB CROWLEY
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
DAVID MORTON & AARON BARTON
The Wider Earth
Queensland Theatre & Dead Puppet Society
KATRIN LEA TAG
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
GARETH FRY
The Encounter
Complicite, Sydney Festival, Malthouse Theatre, Adelaide Festival & Perth International Arts Festival
KINGSLEY REEVE
Boorna Waanginy
Perth International Arts Festival
MICHAEL WATERS
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia and John Frost
TONY DAVID CRAY
Sydney Opera House – The Opera (The Eighth Wonder)
Opera Australia
BEST CABARET PERFORMER
BETTY GRUMBLE
Grumble: Sex Clown Saves the World
Don’t Be Lonely
JIMMY BARNES
Working Class Boy: An Evening of Stories & Songs
Frontier Touring and in Association with Premier Artists
MATERHARERE HOPE HAAMI, JUANITA DUNCAN, OFA FOTU, CRYSTAL STACEY, LISA FA’ALAFI AND KIM ‘BUSTY BEATZ’ BOWERS
Hot Brown Honey
Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney Opera House in Association with Briefs Factory Presents
SVEN RATZKE
Starman
Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Release Creative
BEST COMEDY PERFORMER
AUNTY DONNA
Big Boys
Century Entertainment
HANNAH GADSBY
Nanette
Token Events
JOEL CREASEY
Poser
Live Nation Australasia
NAZEEM HUSSAIN
Public Frenemy Nazeem Hussain
Live Nation Australasia
SAMMY J
Hero Complex
Laughing Stock Productions
TOM BALLARD
Problematic
Token Events
BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN
CERITA ANAK
Polyglot Theatre and Arts Centre Melbourne
IN A DEEP DARK FOREST
The Inhabitors and Arts Centre Melbourne
JUMP FIRST, ASK LATER
Powerhouse Youth Theatre and Force Majeure
NEW OWNER
The Last Great Hunt
BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION
COUNTERMOVE
Sydney Dance Company
TERRAIN
Bangarra Dance Theatre
THE MOON’S A BALLOON
Patch Theatre Company
THEY SAW A THYLACINE
HUMAN ANIMAL EXCHANGE and Performing Lines
BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
DEBORAH CONWAY & WILLY ZYGIER WITH QPAC, NFSA, ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE, THEATRE ROYALE, MARGARET RIVER CULTURAL CENTRE & STUDIOVICTOR
The Beginning & The End
QPAC, NFSA, Arts Centre Melbourne, Theatre Royale, Margaret River Cultural Centre & StudioVictor
FLUME, FUTURE CLASSIC, CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT AND LANEWAY PRESENTS
Flume
Laneway Presents, Chugg Entertainment and Future Classic
MISSY HIGGINS AND FRONTIER TOURING
Missy Higgins Orchestral Concert Series 2016
Frontier Touring
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS AND BILLIONS AUSTRALIA
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Billions Australia
BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
MONA FOMA 2017
Museum of Old and New Art
JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2017
Lunatic Entertainment and Laneway Presents
THE 28TH ANNUAL BLUESFEST BYRON BAY
The 28th Annual Bluesfest Byron Bay
WOMADELAIDE 2017
Womadelaide Foundation
BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
ADELE AND LIVE NATION AUSTRALASIA
Adele Live 2017
Live Nation Australasia
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND AND FRONTIER TOURING
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Summer ‘17
Frontier Touring
PATTI SMITH AND BLUESFEST TOURING
Patti Smith and her Band Australian Tour 2017
Bluesfest Touring
PJ HARVEY AND BILLIONS AUSTRALIA
PJ Harvey
Billions Australia
BEST BALLET
SNOW WHITE
Ballet Preljocaj
SOLO ECHO
Nederlands Dans Theater
STRICTLY GERSHWIN
Queensland Ballet and QPAC
WE WHO ARE LEFT
Queensland Ballet and QPAC
BEST DANCE PRODUCTION
ATTRACTOR
Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc, with Arts Centre Melbourne, WOMADelaide and Brisbane Festival
INTIMATE SPACE
Restless Dance Theatre in association with the 2017 Adelaide Festival
OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES
Bangarra Dance Theatre
SPLIT
Lucy Guerin Inc and Arts House
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
GABRIELLE NANKIVELL
Wildebeest
Sydney Dance Company
GIDEON OBARZANEK AND LUCY GUERIN
Attractor
Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc, with Melbourne Arts Centre, WOMADelaide and Brisbane Festival
JACOB RANDELL, JASCHA BOYCE, SIMON MCCLURE, LACHLAN BINNS, MIEKE LIZOTTE, LEWIE WEST, MARTIN SCHREIBER, JOANNE CURRY, LACHLAN HARPER, JACKSON MANSON AND LEWIS RANKIN
Backbone
Gravity and other Myths and 2017 Adelaide Festival
LUCY GUERIN
Split
Lucy Guerin Inc and Arts House
BEST MALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ANDRE SANTOS
Beauty & the Beast
West Australian Ballet
BENJAMIN HANCOCK
The Dark Chorus
Lucy Guerin Inc
BERNHARD KNAUER
Wildebeest
Sydney Dance Company
KEVIN JACKSON
Nijinsky
The Australian Ballet
BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ELMA KRIS
Nyapanyapa
Bangarra Dance Theatre
LILIAN STEINER
Split
Lucy Guerin Inc and Arts House
MELANIE LANE
Split
Lucy Guerin and Arts House
SAMANTHA HINES
Attractor
Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin Inc, with Melbourne Arts Centre, WOMADelaide and Brisbane Festival
BEST VISUAL OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
MERMERMER
Chunky Move
SEDIMENT
Company 2
SNAKE SESSIONS
Branch Nebula, produced by Intimate Spectacle
STILL LIFE
Dmitris Papaiouannou
BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA
BARRIE KOSKY
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
DAMIANO MICHIELETTO
Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Opera Australia
SIR DAVID MCVICAR
Così fan tutte
Opera Australia
GALE EDWARDS
Cloudstreet
State Opera South Australia
BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
ANNA DOWSLEY
Così fan tutte
Opera Australia
CAITLIN HALCUP
Theodora
Pinchgut
LORINA GORE
King Roger
Opera Australia
TARYN FIEBIG
Così fan tutte
Opera Australia
BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
DANIEL SUMEGI
The Ring Cycle
Opera Australia
JOSÉ CARBÓ
Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Opera Australia
KANEN BREEN
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
SAIMIR PIRGU
King Roger
Opera Australia
BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
ANTOINETTE HALLORAN
Tosca
West Australian Opera
LISE LINDSTROM
The Ring Cycle
Opera Australia
NICOLE CAR
Così fan tutte
Opera Australia
RACHELLE DURKIN
Armida
Pinchgut Opera
BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
CHRISTOPHER PURVES
Saul
2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
GEORGE PETEAN
Simon Boccanegra
Opera Australia
MICHAEL HONEYMAN
King Roger
Opera Australia
YONGHOON LEE
Carmen
Opera Australia
BEST OPERA
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA & I PAGLIACCI
Opera Australia
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Opera Australia
KING ROGER
Opera Australia
SAUL
Glyndebourne Festival Opera and 2017 Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre
BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT
ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre and QPAC
BACH VIOLIN CONCERTOS
Australian Chamber Orchestra
JULIA LEZHNEVA – BAROQUE BRILLIANCE
Australian Chamber Orchestra
MONTEVERDI, L’ORFEO
Concerto Italian and 2017 Adelaide Festival
BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
ASHER FISCH CONDUCTS RESURRECTION
West Australian Symphony Orchestra
STEMME, SKELTON, TRISTAN & ISOLDE
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
THE FIREBIRD – RAVISHING
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
THE RITE OF SPRING – PRIMAL
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
CHRISTOPH VON DOHNÁNYI
Romantic Memories: Dohnányi conducts Bruckner
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
DANIIL TRIFONOV
Young Russians: Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff & Shostakovich
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
JOSHUA BELL
Academy of St Martin in the Fields
Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Symphony Orchestra
RICHARD TOGNETTI
Bach Violin Concertos
Australian Chamber Orchestra
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
JUDY DAVIS
Faith Healer
Belvoir
KIP WILLIAMS
Chimerica
Sydney Theatre Company
LETICIA CÁCERES
The Drover’s Wife
Belvoir
SUSIE DEE
SHIT
Dee & Cornelius and Sydney Festival
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
AMBER MCMAHON
Girl Asleep
Windmill Theatre Company
CHLOE BAYLISS
Gloria
Griffin Theatre Compan
MELITA JURISIC
John
Melbourne Theatre Company
TILDA COBHAM-HERVEY
Things I Know To Be True
State Theatre Company South Australia & Frantic Assembly
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
GUY SIMON
Jasper Jones
Melbourne Theatre Company
JAMIE OXENBOULD
The Literati
Bell Shakespeare & Griffin Theatre Company
PETER CARROLL
Twelfth Night
Belvoir
PIP MILLER
Faith Healer
Belvoir
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
ALISON WHYTE
Faith Healer
Belvoir
HELEN MORSE
John
Melbourne Theatre Company
KATE MULVANY
Richard 3
Bell Shakespeare
LEAH PURCELL
The Drover’s Wife
Belvoir
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
COLIN FRIELS
Faith Healer
Belvoir
JASON CHONG
Chimerica
Sydney Theatre Company
JASON KLARWEIN
Once in Royal David’s City
Queensland Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company
MARK COLE SMITH
The Drover’s Wife
Belvoir
BEST PLAY
JASPER JONES
Melbourne Theatre Company
ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY
Queensland Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company
THE DROVER’S WIFE
Belvoir
THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE
State Theatre Company South Australia and Frantic Assembly
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
CASEY NICHOLAW
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
JERRY MITCHELL
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
JULIE ANDREWS
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia and John Frost
TREY PARKER AND CASEY NICHOLAW
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
CASEY NICHOLAW
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
CASEY NICHOLAW
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
CHRISTOPHER GATTELLI
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia and John Frost
JERRY MITCHELL
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
LUCY MAUNDER
Matilda the Musical
The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch
PHOEBE PANARETOS
Green Day’s American Idiot
shake & stir theatre co & QPAC
ROBYN NEVIN
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia & John Frost
TEAGAN WOUTERS
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
BERT LABONTE
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
REG LIVERMORE
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia & John Frost
ROWAN WITT
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
AMY LEHPAMER
DUSTY
The Production Company Ltd
ANNA O’BYRNE
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia and John Frost
SOPHIE WRIGHT
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
ZAHRA NEWMAN
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
AINSLEY MELHAM
Aladdin
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
AJ HOLMES
The Book of Mormon
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
CALLUM FRANCIS
Kinky Boots
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
CHARLES EDWARDS
My Fair Lady
Opera Australia and John Frost
BEST MUSICAL
ALADDIN
Disney Theatrical Productions (Australia)
KINKY BOOTS
MICHAEL CASSEL by special arrangement with DARYL ROTH and HAL LUFTIG
MY FAIR LADY
Opera Australia and John Frost
THE BOOK OF MORMON
ANNE GAREFINO, SCOTT RUDIN, IMPORTANT MUSICALS, JOHN FROST, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions
The 2017 Helpmann Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Monday July 24th at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, on the set of Kinky Boots.
If you can’t make it, don’t stress. It will be broadcast live on Foxtel Arts and webcast free via www.foxtelarts.com.au.
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