2016 Helpmann Award Nominations

The countdown to the 16th Annual Helpmann Awards is on, following the announcement of the 2016 Helpmann Award Nominees. 

The Helpmann Awards are the premier celebration of Australia’s live performance industry and recognise distinguished achievement and excellence in Australia’s live performance sectors including musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre, children’s presentations, regional touring and cabaret.  

Live Performance Australia (LPA) announced the Nominees in the 41 categories at simultaneous events in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.  

Matilda leads the nominations in the Musicals categories with 13, ahead of Ladies in Black (6), Little Shop of Horrors (5), The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof (4 each) and Singin’ In The Rain and Ghost (3 each).

North by Northwest heads the field in the plays categories with 5 nominations, ahead of Prize Fighter (4), The Bleeding Tree (3) and Ivanov, The Present and Birdland (2 each).

MTC leads the company totals with 8 nominations, with QTC on 6, ahead of STC, Belvoir and La Boite (5 each) and Griffin and STCSA (3 each).

LPA 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 $1.5 billion”.

Ms Richardson also said “This year we are delighted to announce one additional award that will be given to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for their ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Comedy in Australia’. The Helpmann Awards Industry Panel and the Helpmann Awards Administration Committee (HAAC) felt strongly that the festival’s sustained development of comedians and comedy programmes around the country over three decades was worthy of recognition”.

The 2016 Helpmann Awards will also incorporate the final Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Australian Conductors. This year the award goes to Toby Thatcher who will receive a $10,000 prize. Currently Assistant Conductor for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since early 2015, Toby displays outstanding conducting and musical skills.  

As previously announced, Michael Lynch CBE AM will be the recipient of this year’s Sue Nattrass Award®. The prestigious 2016 Sue Nattrass Award® honours exceptional service to the Australian live performance industry, shining a spotlight on people in service roles that support our industry.  

The recipient of the JC Williamson Award® will be announced on Wednesday 29 June.  

The winners of the 2016 Helpmann Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Monday 25 July at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on the set of Singin’ in the Rain. 

Photography from the Sydney nomination announcements by Lightbox Photography.

THE NOMINATIONS

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

CAROLYN BURNS AND TIM FINN WITH SIMON PHILLIPS

Ladies in Black

A Queensland Theatre Company production

CHRISTOPHER LATHAM, OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK, GARETH FARR, RICHARD NUNNS, GRAEME KOEHNE AO, PETER SCULTHORPE AO OBE, ELENA KATS-CHERNIN, KAMRAN INCE, ROSS HARRIS, ANDREW SCHULTZ, ROSS EDWARDS AND DEMIR DEMIRKAN

The Gallipoli Symphony

Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Queensland Government, QPAC and Qantas Airways

DAN GIOVANNONI AND LUKE KERRIDGE

Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories

Barking Gecko Theatre Company

FRANCES RINGS, DEBORAH BROWN AND WAANGENGA BLANCO

lore

Bangarra Dance Theatre

FUTURE D. FIDEL

Prize Fighter

La Boite Theatre Company and Brisbane Festival

TOM WRIGHT

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Malthouse Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

GABRIELA TYLESOVA

The Sleeping Beauty

The Australian Ballet

GABRIELA TYLESOVA

Ladies in Black

JENNY TIRAMANI

The Marriage of Figaro

Opera Australia

ROB HOWELL

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

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

HUGH VANSTONE

Matilda The Musical

HUGH VANSTONE

Ghost The Musical

Ambassador Theatre Group Asia Pacific, GWB Entertainment and Red Live

NICK SCHLIEPER

North by Northwest

Presented by Melbourne Theatre Company and Kay + McLean Productions, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures

PAUL JACKSON

Picnic at Hanging Rock

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

DAVID PAGE

Ochres

Bangarra Dance Theatre

EDDIE PERFECT

Songs From The Middle

Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

TIM FINN

Ladies in Black

TIM MINCHIN

Matilda The Musical

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION

IAIN GRANDAGE

Home

Perth International Arts Festival

ISAAC HAYWARD

Ladies in Black

NICOLETTE FRAILLON

The Sleeping Beauty

STEPHEN AMOS

Matilda The Musical

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

DAN POTRA

Handa On Sydney Harbour Turandot

Opera Australia

GABRIELA TYLESOVA

The Sleeping Beauty

NICK SCHLIEPER AND SIMON PHILLIPS

North by Northwest

ROB HOWELL

Matilda The Musical

BEST SOUND DESIGN

DAVID PAGE

Ochres

IAN MCDONALD

North by Northwest

MICHAEL WATERS

Fiddler on the Roof

Tim Lawson for TML Enterprises

SIMON BAKER

Matilda The Musical

THEATRE

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

EAMON FLACK

Ivanov

Belvoir

KIP WILLIAMS

Love and Information

Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre

LEE LEWIS

The Bleeding Tree

Griffin Theatre Company

SIMON PHILLIPS

North by Northwest

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

ANNA SAMSON

Birdland

Melbourne Theatre Company

KATRINA MILOSEVIC

The Distance

Melbourne Theatre Company

MICHELLE DOAKE

Romeo and Juliet

Bell Shakespeare

SARAH PEIRSE

The Golden Age

Sydney Theatre Company

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

COLIN FRIELS

Mortido

Belvoir and State Theatre Company of South Australia

JOHN HOWARD

Ivanov

MARK LEONARD WINTER

King Lear

Sydney Theatre Company

THUSO LEKWAPE

Prize Fighter

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

CATE BLANCHETT

The Present

Sydney Theatre Company

CATHERINE MCCLEMENTS

The Events

Belvoir, Malthouse and State Theatre Company of South Australia

NONI HAZLEHURST

Mother

If Theatre and GPAC

PAULA ARUNDELL

The Bleeding Tree

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

DAN SPIELMAN

The Blind Giant is Dancing

Belvoir

MARK LEONARD WINTER

Birdland

PACHARO MZEMBE

Prize Fighter

RICHARD ROXBURGH

The Present

BEST PLAY

PIECE FOR PERSON AND GHETTO BLASTER

Performing Lines and Nicola Gunn

PRIZE FIGHTER

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

THE BLEEDING TREE

MUSICALS

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

DEAN BRYANT

Little Shop of Horrors

Luckiest Productions and Tinderbox Productions

MATTHEW WARCHUS

Matilda The Musical

ROGER HODGMAN

Fiddler on the Roof

SIMON PHILLIPS

Ladies in Black

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL

ANDREW HALLSWORTH

Little Shop of Horrors

ANDREW WRIGHT AND JAYE ELSTER

Singin’ in the Rain

Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Michael Cassel Group, David Atkins Enterprises and Dainty Group

ARLENE PHILLIPS

The Sound of Music

Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, John Frost and The Really Useful Group

PETER DARLING

Matilda The Musical

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

ELISE MCCANN

Matilda The Musical

ERIKA HEYNATZ

Singin’ in the Rain

JACQUELINE DARK

The Sound of Music

WENDY MAE BROWN

Ghost The Musical

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

DANIEL FREDERIKSEN

Matilda The Musical

JACK CHAMBERS

Singin’ in the Rain

SIMON GALLAHER

Wicked

Marc Platt, David Stone, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, John Frost

TYLER COPPIN

Little Shop of Horrors

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

ANTHONY WARLOW

Fiddler on the Roof

BRENT HILL

Little Shop of Horrors

JAMES MILLAR

Matilda The Musical

ROB MILLS

Ghost The Musical

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

AMY LEHPAMER

The Sound of Music

ANTOINETTE HALLORAN

Sweeney Todd

Victorian Opera and New Zealand Opera

ESTHER HANNAFORD

Little Shop of Horrors

MOLLY BARWICK, DUSTY BURSILL, TIANA MIRRA, ALANNAH PARFETT, SASHA ROSE, GEORGIA TAPLIN, BELLA THOMAS AND INGRID TORELLI

Matilda The Musical

BEST MUSICAL

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

LADIES IN BLACK

MATILDA THE MUSICAL

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

CABARET

BEST CABARET PERFORMER

ALAN CUMMING

Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs

Brisbane Powerhouse, NORPA, Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney Festival with Hyam, Horne and Hall

MICHAELA BURGER AND GREG WAIN

Exposing Edith

Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival with I’ll Wager Productions

MICHAEL GRIFFITHS

Cole

Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

PHIL SCOTT

Reviewing The Situation

COMEDY

BEST COMEDY PERFORMER

DOUG ANTHONY ALLSTARS – PAUL MCDERMOTT, TIM FERGUSON, PAUL LIVINGSTON

Reunion. Rebirth

Doug Anthony Allstars

JULIA MORRIS

I Don’t Want Your Honest Feedback

Live Nation

TOM BALLARD

The World Keeps Happening

Token Events

ZOË COOMBS MARR

Trigger Warning

Zoë Coombs Marr

OPERA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC

BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA

CAMERON MENZIES

The Grumpiest Boy in the World

DAVID MCVICAR

The Marriage of Figaro

LAURENCE DALE

Agrippina

Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

MICHAEL GOW

Voyage to the Moon

Musica Viva Australia

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

KERI FUGE

Agrippina

SALLY-ANNE RUSSELL

Voyage to the Moon

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

DOUGLAS MCNICOL

Don Giovanni

State Opera SA

JEREMY KLEEMAN

Voyage to the Moon

JOÃO FERNANDES

Agrippina

RUSSELL HARCOURT

Agrippina

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

JESSICA PRATT

Lucia di Lammermoor

Victorian Opera

LATONIA MOORE

Don Carlos

Opera Australia

NICOLE CAR

Luisa Miller

Opera Australia

ULRIKE SCHNEIDER

Agrippina

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

ANDREI BONDARENKO

The Marriage of Figaro

CARLO VISTOLI

Agrippina

FERRUCCIO FURLANETTO

Don Carlos

YONGHOON LEE

Turandot(Sydney Winter)

Opera Australia

BEST OPERA

AGRIPPINA

FLY AWAY PETER

Arts Centre Melbourne and Sydney Chamber Opera in association with Melbourne Festival

LUISA MILLER

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

FRENCH BAROQUE WITH CIRCA

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

HOME

Camerata of St John’s

KIRILL GERSTEIN IN RECITAL

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

WINTERREISE

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence

BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT

ANIMA ETERNA BRUGGE BEETHOVEN’S SYMPHONIES CONDUCTED BY JOS VAN IMMERSEEL

Sydney Festival

BEETHOVEN’S MISSA SOLEMNIS

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

BRITTEN’S WAR REQUIEM

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

SIR SIMON RATTLE CONDUCTS THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD ORCHESTRA

Australian World Orchestra

BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE

ANDREW HAVERON

Sibelius 2

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

FLORIAN BOESCH AND MALCOLM MARTINEAU

Florian Boesch and Malcolm Martineau

Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Opera House

GIL SHAHAM

Tchaikovsky’s Manfred

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD

Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Symphony Orchestra

RENÉE FLEMING

Renée Fleming in Recital

Sydney Opera House, QPAC and Brisbane Festival in association with Opera Queensland

CHILDRENS PRESENTATION

BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN

BAMBERT’S BOOK OF LOST STORIES

Barking Gecko Theatre Company

ODDYSEA

Performing Lines WA and Sensorium Theatre

ROALD DAHL’S REVOLTING RHYMES & DIRTY BEASTS

shake & stir theatre co, originally co-produced with La Boite Theatre Company

THE YOUNG KING

Slingsby Theatre Company

REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTIONS

BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION

DE NOVO

Sydney Dance Company

MOTHER

If Theatre

ROALD DAHL’S REVOLTING RHYMES & DIRTY BEASTS

shake & stir theatre co and ArTour Queensland


SUGARLAND

Australian Theatre for Young People and Performing Lines

DANCE AND PHYSICAL THEATRE

BEST BALLET OR DANCE WORK

COCKFIGHT

Performing Lines and The Farm

HABITUS

Australian Dance Theatre

SHEOAK

Bangarra Dance Theatre

SPECTRA

Dancenorth

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A DANCE OR PHSYICAL THEATRE WORK

FRANCES RINGS

Sheoak

GARRY STEWART

Habitus

KYLE PAGE AND AMBER HAINES

Spectra

STEPHEN PAGE, BERNADETTE WALONG-SENE, DJAKAPURRA MUNYARRYUN

Ochres

BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE WORK

AMBER HAINES

Syncing Feeling

Dancenorth

JULIETTE BARTON

Lux Tenebris

Sydney Dance Company

LONII GARNONS-WILLIAMS

Habitus

YOLANDA LOWATTA

Sheoak

BEST MALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE WORK

CHENGWU GUO

The Dream

The Australian Ballet

DARYL BRANDWOOD

Natalie Weir’s The Host

Expressions Dance Company and QPAC

GAVIN WEBBER

Cockfight

KIMBALL WONG

Habitus

BEST VISUAL OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

IL RITORNO

Brisbane Festival and Circa

PLEXUS

Compagnie 111 – Aurélien Bory and Perth International Arts Festival

TANGI WAI… THE CRY OF WATER

Victoria Hunt, Artful Management and Performance Space

THE LAST BLAST

The Farm and Bleach* Festival

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

A STATE OF GRACE: THE MUSIC OF TIM AND JEFF BUCKLEY

Gaynor Crawford Presents, Kirsten Siddle, State of Grace Company

FLIGHT FACILITIES PERFORM LIVE WITH MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Flight Facilities with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Festival

MOFO 2016 – KATE MILLER-HEIDKE AND THE TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH VISUALS BY AMY GEBHARDT

MOFO 2016, Kate Miller-Heidke and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with visuals by Amy Gebhardt

VANCE JOY | FIRE AND THE FLOOD TOUR APRIL 2016

Vance Joy, Frontier Touring, Unified and Village Sounds

BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

MOFO 2016

MONA

ST JEROME’S LANEWAY FESTIVAL 2016

Laneway Presents and Chugg Entertainment

THE 27TH ANNUAL BLUESFEST BYRON BAY

Bluesfest

WOMADELAIDE 2016 – THE WORLD’S FESTIVAL

Womadelaide Foundation

BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

BRIAN WILSON LIVE AT THE PALAIS THEATRE

Brian Wilson and Bluesfest Touring

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE

Florence and The Machine, Laneway Presents, Chugg Entertainment in association with Sydney Opera House

ON WITH THE SHOW TOUR 2015

Fleetwood Mac and Live Nation

PRINCE ‘PIANO & A MICROPHONE’ TOUR 2016

Prince, Dainty Group and ICO ApS