The Sydney Theatre Awards for 2015 were presented on January 18, 2016, at a gala ceremony at the Paddington RSL.

Best Mainstage production went to Belboir's Ivanov, Best Independent production was Sport For Jove's Of Mice and Men, while the award for Best Main Stage Musical production was taken out by Matilda, with the award for Best Independent Musical going to Blue Saint Productions' Violet at the Hayes Theatre Co.

Ivanov also won Mainstage awards for Best Director (Eamon Flack), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Blazey Best) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (John Howard).

Best Independent Production, Sport for Jove’s Of Mice and Men, also took Independent gongs for Best Director (Iain Sinclair) and Best Stage Design (Michael Hankin).

Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production went to Hugo Weaving (Endgame) and Eryn Jean Norvill (Suddenly Last Summer). Best Actor in a Leading Role in an Independent Production was awarded to Thomas Campbell (Misterman), while Kate Cole was named Best Actress in a Leading Role in an Independent Production (Grounded).

In the Musical area, more categories were awarded this year, reflecting the growth in independent musical productions. Best Mainstream Musical Matilda was presented with three further awards, Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical (James Millar, Elise McCann) and a Special Achievement Award to the four young actresses who share the title role (Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas). As well as taking out Best Independent Musical, Violet was recognised with awards for Best Direction of a Musical (Mitchell Butel) and Best Musical Direction (Lucy Bermingham). Amy Lehpamer (The Sound of Music) was announced as Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical while Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical went to Hayden Tee (Les Misérables).

The Sydney Theatre Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented Christine Dunstan. Over an extraordinary 50-year career behind the scenes, Dunstan has been "the first female" to undertake significant production roles for most major Australian theatre companies. In 1993, Dunstan set up her own company, CDP, an award-winning and nationally recognised theatre production house which tours shows of the highest quality all over the country.

Presenters at the Awards ceremony were Kelley Abbey, Simon Burke, Philip Dodd, Daniel Edmonds, Wesley Enoch, Kate Fitzpatrick, Geraldine Hakewill, Damon Herriman, Maggie Kirkpatrick, Stephen Mahy, Katrina Retallick, Tess Schofield, Sal Sharah, Yael Stone, Helen Tonkin and Matthew Whittet; and there were performances from Esther Hannaford, Dash Kruck and cast members of The Sound of Music.The Sydney Theatre Awards are presented annually by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney. The Sydney Theatre Reviewers consist of Elissa Blake (Sun- Herald), Jason Blake (Sydney Morning Herald), Dee Jefferson (Time Out), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (The Sunday Telegraph), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Daily Review), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise website), Polly Simons (Daily Telegraph) and Cassie Tongue (Aussietheatre website). 

 

2015 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARD WINNERS

 

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Ivanov (Belvoir)

 

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Of Mice and Men (Sport for Jove and Seymour Centre)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Eamon Flack (Ivanov)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Iain Sinclair (Of Mice and Men)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Eryn Jean Norvill (Suddenly Last Summer)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Hugo Weaving (Endgame)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Kate Cole (Grounded)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Thomas Campbell (Misterman)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Blazey Best (Ivanov)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

John Howard (Ivanov)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Taylor Ferguson (Good Works)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

James Bell (The Aliens)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Nick Schlieper (Endgame)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Michael Hankin (Of Mice and Men)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Alice Babidge (Suddenly Last Summer)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Angela White (Heathers)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Paul Jackson (Love and Information)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Hartley TA Kemp (Misterman)

 

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

The Sweats (Love and Information)

 

BEST SCORE OR SOUND DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Nate Edmondson (Misterman)

 

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

The Bleeding Tree (Angus Cerini)

 

BEST NEWCOMER

Lauren McKenna (Heathers)

 

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

After Dinner (Sydney Theatre Company)

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL

Matilda (The Royal Shakespeare Company, Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt)

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL

Violet (Blue Saint Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Mitchell Butel (Violet)

 

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Amy Lehpamer (The Sound of Music)

 

JUDITH JOHNSON AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Hayden Tee (Les Miserables)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Elise McCann (Matilda)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

James Millar (Matilda)

 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Lucy Bermingham (Violet)

 

BEST CABARET PRODUCTION

Josie Lane (Asian Provocateur)

 

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

The 52-Storey Treehouse (CDP)

 

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

War Crimes (ATYP)

 

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Molly Barwick, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas (Matilda)

 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Christine Dunstan