16th Annual Helpmann Awards nominations announced: full list!

Tonight, live announcements of the nominees for this year’s Helpmann Awards were made at simultaneous events in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.

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”.

The Helpmann Awards celebrate Australia’s live performance industry; the awards recognise achievement in a variety of live sectors like musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre, children’s presentations, regional touring and cabaret.

Take a look at the full list of the nominees below!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 PHYSICAL 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

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

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

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

BESTOWED HELPMATE AWARD

Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Comedy in Australia
Melbourne International Comedy Festival

LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARDS SUE NATTRASS AWARD

Michael Lynch CBE AM

JC WILLIAMSON AWARD

The JC Williamson Award Recipient 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. Tickets for the 16th annual Helpmann Awards are available now from Ticketmaster, and the program will be broadcast live on Foxtel Arts, as well as webcast free via www.foxtelarts.com.au.