Nominations announced for the UK Theatre Awards 2025 sponsored by Encore

• Sheffield Theatre leads the nominations, securing three across On Stage categories 
• Ten additional venues closely follow, with two nominations each 

The nominees for the UK Theatre Awards 2025 sponsored by Encore have been announced. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The winners will be announced at this year’s ceremony, taking place on Sunday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue, hosted by Faye Tozer. 

This year’s shortlist, featuring nominees from all four nations, highlights the originality and creativity of theatre across the UK. Sheffield Theatres leads the way with three nominations: Best Performance in a Play (Jack Holden in Kenrex, a co-production with Aria Entertainment), Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) (Sam Buttery in Little Shop Of Horrors) and Best Show for Children & Young People (Pig Heart Boy, a co-production with Children’s Theatre Partnership & Unicorn Theatre). 

Ten venues received two nominations each: Birmingham Hippodrome (Best Show for Children & Young People for The Jingleclaw and Excellence in Arts Education), Birmingham Rep (Best Musical Production for Becoming Nancy and UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre), Chichester Festival Theatre (Best Musical Production for The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry and Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) for Ntombizodwa Ndlovu in Marie And Rosetta, a co-production with Rose Theatre & ETT), Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse (Best Performance in a Play for Helen Carter in Shirley Valentine and Excellence in Arts Education), Lyric Theatre Belfast (Best Play Revival for Our New Girl and Best Performance in a Play for Michael Patrick in Richard III), National Theatre of Scotland (Best New Play for Through The Shortbread Tin and Excellence in Touring), Royal Shakespeare Company (Best Play Revival for The Constant Wife, in association with David Pugh Ltd, and Best Director for Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night), Storyhouse (Best Performance in a Musical for Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis in The Parent Agency, a co-production with Scenario Two, and Excellence in Inclusivity), Stratford East (Best Play Revival for Animal Farm, a co-production with Leeds Playhouse in association with Nottingham Playhouse, and Best Director for Nadia Fall for Abigail’s Party) and Watermill Theatre (Best Musical Production for Jesus Christ Superstar, by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd, and Best Design for Yoav Segal for Set & Costume Design for Pinocchio). 

Elsewhere in the performing categories, Molly Lynch (My Fair Lady, a Curve production) and Dawn Sievewright (Wild Rose, a Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions & Gavin Kalin Productions co-production) are nominated for Best Performance in a Musical, with Georgie Henley (The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production) and Thea-Jo Wolfe (The Mad Ones, an Electric Press Productions & Samantha Creswick co-production at The Other Palace Studio) receiving nominations for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play). 

As previously announced, nominated alongside Birmingham Rep for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award are Royal & Derngate and Shakespeare North Playhouse. Venue visits by the judging panel are now underway, and the winner will be revealed at the ceremony on 12 October. The recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award is Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. 

“This year’s UK Theatre Awards nominations are a testament to the astonishing talent and dedication of our members. Across the country theatres are creating incredible work on-stage and providing welcoming spaces for their local community off-stage. 

“Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you to our sponsors and partners for their fantastic support. We look forward to celebrating with everyone on Sunday 12 October.” 

Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre

The UK Theatre Awards 2025 are sponsored by Encore, the premier provider of lighting equipment for theatre productions across the UK, including London’s West End, Off-West End, Europe, and Asia, as well as numerous UK and international tours.  

Special thanks to our partners ATG Entertainment, ConcepTonic, Harbottle & Lewis, John Good, Nimbus Disability, Theatre Tokens, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Trafalgar Theatres, Tysers Live in association with Ecclesiastical, and Unusual Rigging. 

Full list of nominations for the UK Theatre Awards 2025

On Stage Awards: 

Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live  

• Becoming Nancy, a Birmingham Rep production  
• Come Fall In Love, a Yash Raj Films production at Opera House Manchester  
• Jesus Christ Superstar, a Watermill Theatre production by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd  
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, a Chichester Festival Theatre production   

  Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical  

• Flumps, a Mercury Original production in association with The Thelmas  
• Grace Pervades, a Theatre Royal Bath, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment & Second Half Productions co-production  
• Through The Shortbread Tin, a National Theatre of Scotland production  

  Best Play Revival  

• Animal Farm, a Leeds Playhouse & Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse  
• The Constant Wife, a Royal Shakespeare Company production in association with David Pugh Ltd  
• Our New Girl, a Lyric Theatre Belfast production  

  Best Director  

• Nadia Fall for Abigail’s Party, a Stratford East production  
• Theresa Heskins & Vicki Amedume for Angela Carter’s The Company Of Wolves, a New Vic Theatre production  
• Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night, a Royal Shakespeare Company production   

  Best Performance in a Musical  

• Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis for The Parent Agency, a Scenario Two & Storyhouse co-production  
• Molly Lynch for My Fair Lady, a Curve production  
• Dawn Sievewright for Wild Rose, a Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions & Gavin Kalin Productions co-production  

  Best Performance in a Play  

• Helen Carter for Shirley Valentine, a Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production  
• Jack Holden for Kenrex, an Aria Entertainment & Sheffield Theatres co-production  
• Michael Patrick for Richard III, a Lyric Theatre Belfast production   

  Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)  

• Sam Buttery for Little Shop Of Horrors, a Sheffield Theatres production  
• Georgie Henley for The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production  
• Ntombizodwa Ndlovu for Marie And Rosetta, a Chichester Festival Theatre, Rose Theatre & ETT co-production  
• Thea-Jo Wolfe for The Mad Ones, an Electric Press Productions & Samantha Creswick co-production at The Other Palace Studio  

  Best Design  

• Kei Ishihara for Scenography, Sacico Ito for Costume Design, Simon Wilkinson for Lighting Design and Ailie Cohen for Puppet Design for Confessions Of A Shinagawa Monkey, a Vanishing Point & Kanagawa Arts Theatre co-production in association with Tramway at Dundee Rep  
• Yoav Segal for Set & Costume Design for Pinocchio, a Watermill Theatre production  
• Grace Smart for Design for Spend, Spend, Spend, a Royal Exchange Theatre production  

  Best Show for Children & Young People  

• The Jingleclaw, a Birmingham Hippodrome production   
• The Jungle Book, an Octagon Theatre Bolton production  
• Pig Heart Boy, a Children’s Theatre Partnership, Unicorn Theatre & Sheffield Theatres co-production  

  Achievement in Dance  

• BalletLorent for Snow White/Snow White: The Sacrifice  
• Natural Behaviour by Thick & Tight  
• Songs Of The Wayfarer by Claire Cunningham  
• StopGap for Lived Fiction  

Achievement in Opera  

• Opera North for Simon Boccanegra, an Opera North production  
• Scottish Opera for Trial By Jury, a co-production by Scottish Opera, D’Oyly Carte Opera and Opera Holland Park and A Matter Of Misconduct!, a co-production by Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte Opera  
• Welsh National Opera for Peter Grimes, a Welsh National Opera production 

Off Stage Awards: 

Excellence in Arts Education  

• Bristol Hippodrome   
• Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse  
• Lyric Hammersmith Theatre 

Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens  

• Emma Rice Company  
• National Theatre of Scotland   
• Theatre by the Lake   

Excellence in Inclusivity sponsored by ATG Entertainment  

• Birmingham Hippodrome   
• New Wolsey Theatre   
• Storyhouse   

Excellence in Sustainability  

• ATG Entertainment   
• BEAM   
• Northern Broadsides Theatre Company  

Excellence in Workforce Culture  

• Orchard Theatre & Orchard West  
• Stephen Joseph Theatre   
• Theatr Clwyd   

UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore  

• Birmingham Rep 
• Royal & Derngate 
• Shakespeare North Playhouse 

Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre  

Carlos Acosta

@UK_Theatre               #UKTAwards