Dancer, choreographer and artistic director Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, will receive the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award at the UK Theatre Awards 2025, taking place on Sunday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue. The UK Theatre Awards, sponsored by Encore, have celebrated the very best of theatre across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for over 30 years.
Born in Havana in 1973, Carlos trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba, winning the prestigious Gold Medal at the Prix De Lausanne in 1990. He has since become one of the most renowned and influential figures in ballet worldwide, having performed globally with companies including National Ballet of Cuba, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, English National Ballet and, most notably, the Royal Ballet, where his 17-year career with the company spanned nearly every major ballet in its repertoire, and where he choreographed his first full length work, Don Quixote.
In 2003, Carlos’ semi-autobiographical show Tocororo premiered in Havana, before breaking box office records at Sadler’s Wells and receiving an Olivier Award nomination. Continuing to develop his own highly popular productions, including both classical and contemporary repertoire, he won the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2007 for Carlos Acosta and Friends of the Royal Ballet. He has established his own Cuban dance companies, Acosta Danza and Acosta Danza Yunior, as well as the Acosta Dance Foundation, a Dance Academy in Havana and a Dance Centre in London, providing platforms and world-class training for talented artists both in Cuba and the UK.
His career has also spanned literature and film, penning both autobiographical and fictional works, and appearing in principal roles on screen, including in the 2018 film Yuli, inspired by his own life, which received numerous accolades at film festivals around the world. In 2014, Carlos was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List, and has also been recipient of the De Valois Award for Lifetime Achievement at the National Dance Awards, the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award from the Royal Academy of Dance, and a Critic’s Circle Award for Outstanding Services to the Arts.
In January 2020, Carlos became Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, a role in which he has demonstrated his dedication to diversifying the ballet audience, both building on the company’s classical traditions and curating new repertoire such as Black Sabbath – The Ballet. He formed their junior company, BRB2, and has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham in recognition of his outstanding contribution to ballet and the city of Birmingham.
Carlos has been selected to receive the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award by the UK Theatre board, in recognition of his extraordinary career both on and off stage, and his commitment to broadening access to dance across the UK and internationally.
“We are delighted to honour Carlos Acosta with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award. Carlos has propelled ballet to new heights, most recently as Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where he has broken new ground with ambitious programming which continues to expand and develop the dance audiences of the future. We are looking forward to celebrating Carlos’ achievements at the UK Theatre Awards ceremony on Sunday 12 October.”
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre
“I am honoured to be nominated by UK Theatre to receive this most prestigious award. To be recognised by my own industry like this is truly humbling. This tremendous accolade would not have been possible without the fantastic support that I receive from the brilliant Creative Industries producing great theatre in creative hubs in every part of the UK. Communities and venues large and small, with their warm and welcoming audiences and generous supporters – this award is also for them.”
Carlos Acosta CBE
Full nominations for the UK Theatre Awards 2025 are set to be announced on Thursday 18 September.
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.
UK Theatre members can purchase tickets to the UK Theatre Awards 2025 here.
Share: