18th Annual Helpmann Awards Nominations announced

The 2018 Helpmann Award nominations were released today by Live Performance Australia (LPA) at simultaneous events in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Helpmann Nominee David Campbell in Dream Lover. Image by Dayna Ransley Photography

Muriel’s Wedding scored 11 nominations, Dream Lover and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical both earned 6 nominations each. Sydney Theatre Company earned an enormous 27 nominations while Melbourne theatre company collected a total of 8 nominations for its productions in the 2017-2018 judging year.

LPA also announced a new format for the national Live Performnance Awards ceremonies, which will see the winners of the 42 nomination categories announced at two separate events over two nights at two different Sydney venues.

“Two shorter shows enable us to better highlight the artistry and excellence in our dynamic live performance industry”, LPA Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson said of the new awards ceremony model, which is employed by many major awards ceremonies both nationally and internationally, including the AACTA awards for film and television.

The first ceremony – or Act I – will take place on Sunday 15 July at Sydney Town Hall from 6:00 – 7:30pm. The event will be a sit-down cocktail affair, celebrating the very best creative, designer and supporting roles. It will also include Awards for Best Presentation for Children and the Best Regional Touring Production. This industry-insider event will include performances and be co-hosted by celebrated broadcaster, director, producer, actor, advisor and artistic director Rhoda Roberts AM and Michael Lynch CBE AO, one of Australia’s most experienced and internationally renowned Arts Administrators.

The second ceremony – Act II – will be a (shorter) version of the Helpmann Awards Ceremonies of previous years and will be held on Monday 16 July at the Capitol Theatre, 8pm. All live performance Award genres will be presented at this event, along with a celebration of the 2017 Centenary JC Williamson and Sue Nattrass Award recipients. The internationally acclaimed Olivier & Tony Nominee, Helpmann Award winning performer and writer, Tony Sheldon will be one of the evenings revered hosts. Performances will be announced at a later date, but will include the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical. 

An after party will be held at the Sydney Town Hall from 10pm – 1am on Monday 16 July.

Australia’s live performance sectors including musicals, contemporary music, comedy, opera and classical music, theatre, ballet, dance and physical theatre, presentations for children, regional touring and cabaret.

helpmannawards.com.au


ACT I

Awards presented Sunday 15 July 2018

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

JUD ARTHUR
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

KANEN BREEN
Coronation of Poppea
Pinchgut Opera

KIM BEGLEY
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

WARWICK FYFE
Don Quichotte
Opera Australia

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

ANTOINETTE HALLORAN
Cunning Little Vixen
Victorian Opera

LORINA GORE
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

MEOW MEOW
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

NATALIE CHRISTIE PELUSO
Coronation of Poppea
Pinchgut Opera

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

COLIN MOODY
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Sydney Theatre Company

HARRY GREENWOOD
Cloud Nine
Sydney Theatre Company

MITCHELL BUTEL
Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play
Belvoir and State Theatre Company South Australia

PETER CARROLL
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

ANITA HEGH
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Sydney Theatre Company

ELAINE CROMBIE
An Octoroon
Queensland Theatre and Brisbane Festival

JANE MONTGOMERY-GRIFFITHS
Macbeth
Melbourne Theatre Company

KATE BOX
Top Girls
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

BOBBY FOX
Assassins
Hayes Theatre Co

MARTIN CREWES
Dream Lover
John Frost and Gilbert Theatrical

MAT VEREVIS
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Cassel in association with Paul Blake & Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

ROBERT GRUBB
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical
Michael Cassel Group and Nullarbor Productions in association with MGM on Stage

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

AMY LEHPAMER
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Cassel in association with Paul Blake & Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

CHRISTIE WHELAN BROWNE
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

JEMMA RIX
The Wizard of Oz
John Frost and Suzanne Jones by arrangement with The Production Company

MADELEINE JONES
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

GABRIELA TYLESOVA
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

JENNIFER IRWIN
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

JONATHON OXLADE
Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play
Belvoir and State Theatre Company South Australia

ZOË ATKINSON
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

BOB CROWLEY
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Australian Ballet

BUNNY CHRISTIE
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
National Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Arts Centre Melbourne

DAVID MORTON, JONATHON OXLADE AND JUSTIN HARRISON
Laser Beak Man
Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and Dead Puppet Society in association with PowerArts

JACOB NASH
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

DAMIEN COOPER
You Animal, You
Force Majeure, Sydney Festival and Carriageworks

GEOFF COBHAM
Emil and the Detectives
Slingsby

NICK SCHLIEPER
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

PAULE CONSTABLE
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
National Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Arts Centre Melbourne

BEST SOUND DESIGN

BYRON J. SCULLIN, TOM SUPPLE AND HANNAH FOX
Siren Song
Byron J. Scullin & Supple Fox and Perth Festival

IAN DICKINSON FOR AUTOGRAPH
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
National Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Arts Centre Melbourne

MICHAEL WATERS
Dream Lover
John Frost and Gilbert Theatrical

MICHAEL WATERS
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION

BRIAN RITCHIE
The Spirit of Churaki
Bleach* Festival and Banaam

ISAAC HAYWARD
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

NICOLETTE FRAILLON
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Australian Ballet

PHOEBE BRIGGS
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

KATE MILLER-HEIDKE & KEIR NUTTAL
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

MAX RICHTER
Woolf Works
The Royal Ballet & QPAC

SAM CROMACK
Laser Beak Man
Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and Dead Puppet Society in association with PowerArts

STEVE FRANCIS
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

BEST SPECIAL EVENT

TAYLOR MAC: A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC
Melbourne International Arts Festival

BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN

EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES
Slingsby

JUNK
Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne

TETRIS
DreamBIG Children’s Festival 2017 at Adelaide Festival Centre

THE SECRET LIFE OF SUITCASES
Arts Centre Melbourne, Ailie Cohen Puppet Maker and The Unicorn Theatre London

BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION

HELLO, GOODBYE AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Roslyn Oades and Performing Lines

ODDYSEA
Sensorium Theatre and Performing Lines WA

OUR LAND PEOPLE STORIES
Bangarra Dance Theatre

SALTBUSH
Insite Arts, Compagnia TPO and Performing Lines/Blak Lines

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Australian Ballet

PHILLIP ADAMS
EVER
Phillip Adams BalletLab in association with Melbourne Festival

STEPHEN PAGE
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

WAYNE MCGREGOR
Woolf Works
The Royal Ballet & QPAC

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL

ANDREW HALLSWORTH
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

JOSH PRINCE
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Cassel in association with Paul Blake & Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

KAREN BRUCE
The Bodyguard
John Frost, Michael Harrison and David Ian with Michael Watt, Brian Fenty, Tulchin/Bartner, BB Group/Freddy Burger, Elizabeth Williams and Jeanne and Ed Arnold

TOM HODGSON
MAMMA MIA! The Musical
Michael Coppel, Louise Withers & Linda Bewick

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

KIP WILLIAMS
Cloud Nine
Sydney Theatre Company

KIP WILLIAMS
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Sydney Theatre Company

MATTHEW LUTTON
The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man
Malthouse Theatre

SARAH GOODES
The Children
Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company

BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA

BARRIE KOSKY
The Nose
Opera Australia

MATTHEW LUTTON
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

NEIL ARMFIELD
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

STUART MAUNDER AM
Cunning Little Vixen
Victorian Opera

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

DEAN BRYANT
Assassins
Hayes Theatre Co

MARC BRUNI
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Cassel in association with Paul Blake & Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

SIMON PHILLIPS
Dream Lover
John Frost and Gilbert Theatrical

SIMON PHILLIPS
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

ACT II

Awards presented Monday 16 July 2018

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

DAVID CAMPBELL
Assassins
Hayes Theatre Co

DAVID CAMPBELL
Dream Lover
John Frost and Gilbert Theatrical

DAVID HARRIS
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical
Michael Cassel Group and Nullarbor Productions in association with MGM on Stage

EUAN DOIDGE
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical
Michael Cassel Group and Nullarbor Productions in association with MGM on Stage

IAN STENLAKE
MAMMA MIA! The Musical
Michael Coppel, Louise Withers & Linda Bewick

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

ESTHER HANNAFORD
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Michael Cassel in association with Paul Blake & Sony/ATV Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

MAGGIE MCKENNA
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

MARINA PRIOR
Dream Lover
John Frost and Gilbert Theatrical

NATALIE O’DONNELL
MAMMA MIA! The Musical
Michael Coppel, Louise Withers & Linda Bewick

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

DANIEL MONKS
The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man
Malthouse Theatre

HUGO WEAVING
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui
Sydney Theatre Company

JOHN BELL
The Father
Sydney Theatre Company and Melbourne Theatre Company

TOBY SCHMITZ
Thyestes
A Belvoir production, originally created by The Hayloft Project

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

HELEN MORSE
Memorial
Brink Productions and Adelaide Festival in association with Adelaide Festival Centre, Brisbane Festival and Melbourne Festival through the Major Festival’s Initiative, the 1418 NOW: WW1 Centenary Art Commissions, UK, and the Barbican

MIRANDA DAUGHTRY
A Doll’s House
State Theatre Company South Australia

PAMELA RABE
The Children
Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company

SARAH PEIRSE
The Children
Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company

BEST COMEDY PERFORMER

ANNE EDMONDS
Helen Bidou – Enter the Spinnaker Lounge
Token Events

CELIA PACQUOLA
All Talk
Token Events

COLIN LANE & FRANK WOODLEY
Lano & Woodley – Fly
Token Events

JULIA MORRIS
Lift and Separate Golden Jubilee
Live Nation

RHYS NICHOLSON
Seminal
Century

URZILA CARLSON
Studies Have Shown
Live Nation

ZOE COOMBS MARR
Bossy Bottom
Token Events

BEST CABARET PERFORMER

BRIEFS ENSEMBLE
Briefs: Close Encounters
Briefs Factory

QUEENIE VAN DE ZANDT
BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell
Neil Gooding Productions & Queenie van de Zandt

REUBEN KAYE
Journey to the Centre of Attention
Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

TAYLOR MAC
24-Decade History of Popular Music
Melbourne International Arts Festival

BEST MALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

BEAU DEAN RILEY SMITH
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

JOSHUA THOMSON
TIDE
Bleach* Festival, The Farm and City of Gold Coast

KEVIN JACKSON
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Australian Ballet

NELSON EARL
Ocho
Sydney Dance Company

BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

AKO KONDO
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The Australian Ballet

ELISE MAY
Behind Closed Doors
Expressions Dance Company and QPAC

MELISSA BONIFACE
The Great Gatsby
West Australian Ballet

VIVIENNE WONG
Infra
The Australian Ballet

BEST VISUAL OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

CARRION
Justin Shoulder

LIMBO UNHINGED
Strut & Fret Production House

TIDE
BLEACH* Festival & The Farm

WHITE SPIRIT
Zaman Production & Galerie Itinerrance In Collaboration with the Musée Du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and Perth Festival

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

ALLAN CLAYTON
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

BARRY RYAN
Cunning Little Vixen
Victorian Opera

FERRUCCIO FURLANETTO
Don Quichotte
Opera Australia

KANEN BREEN
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

DIMITY SHEPHERD
Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

HELEN SHERMAN
Coronation of Poppea
Pinchgut Opera

NICOLE CAR
La Traviata
Opera Australia

TARYN FIEBIG
Triple Bill
Pinchgut Opera

BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT AND ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
Cécile McLorin Salvant

ED SHEERAN & FRONTIER TOURING
÷ World Tour 2018

PAUL MCCARTNEY, FRONTIER TOURING, MPL & MARSHALL ARTS Paul McCartney – One On One World Tour 2017

UNDERWORLD AND SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS Underworld

BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT AND ROB POTTS ENTERTAINMENT EDGE CMC Rocks QLD 2018

LUNATIC ENTERTAINMENT & LANEWAY PRESENTS St. Jeromes Laneway Festival 2018

MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART (MONA)
MONA FOMA

WOMADELAIDE FOUNDATION
WOMADelaide 2018

BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

ARMAND VAN HELDEN, MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, FRONTIER TOURING AND ARTS CENTRE MELBOURNE
Symphonica with Armand van Helden

GANG OF YOUTHS AND LIVE NATION
Gang of Youths – Australia 2017

GOTYE PRESENTED BY SYDNEY FESTIVAL & MONA FOMA Gotye Presents a Tribute to Jean-Jacques Perrey

MIDNIGHT OIL & FRONTIER TOURING
The Great Circle World Tour 2017
BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE

EMANUEL AX
A Mozart Celebration: Emanuel Ax with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

JONAS KAUFMANN
Parsifal
Opera Australia

KWANGCHUL YOUN
Parsifal
Opera Australia

PIETER WISPELWEY
Pieter Wispelwey plays the Bach Cello Suites
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

HUMAN REQUIEM
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Adelaide Festival

JORDI SAVALL WITH HESPERION XXI & TEMBEMBE ENSAMBLE CONTINUO Perth Festival, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre & QPAC

PIETER WISPELWEY: BEETHOVEN, BACH, BRAHMS WITH CAROLINE ALMONTE Pieter Wispelwey & Caroline Almonte and Melbourne Recital Centre

TAKACS QUARTET
Musica Viva Australia

BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT

BEETHOVEN AND BRUCKNER: SIMONE YOUNG CONDUCTS The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE: WITH BACH AND BRAHMS The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT WITH RACHEL PODGER Musica Viva Australia

WAGNER AND BEYOND: INSPIRING WAGNER
West Australian Symphony Orchestra

BEST BALLET

ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
The Australian Ballet

THE GREAT GATSBY
West Australian Ballet

THE WINTER’S TALE
The Royal Ballet & QPAC

WOOLF WORKS
The Royal Ballet & QPAC

BEST DANCE PRODUCTION

BENNELONG
Bangarra Dance Theatre

INTIMATE SPACE
Restless Dance Theatre
Restless Dance Theatre in association with Bleach* Festival and Festival 2018

MOZART AIRBORNE
Expressions Dance Company, Opera Queensland and QPAC

ONE FLAT THING, REPRODUCED
STRUT DANCE

BEST PLAY

BLACK IS THE NEW WHITE
Sydney Theatre Company

LASER BEAK MAN
Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and Dead Puppet Society
Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and Dead Puppet Society in association with PowerArts

THE CHILDREN
Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company

THE IRRESISTIBLE
Side Pony Productions & The Last Great Hunt

THE REAL AND IMAGINED HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT MAN
Malthouse Theatre

THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST OPERA

BLACK RIDER: THE CASTING OF THE MAGIC BULLETS
Malthouse Theatre and Victorian Opera
Victorian Opera and Malthouse Theatre in association with Melbourne Festival

CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN
Victorian Opera

HAMLET
Glyndebourne Festival, Adelaide Festival, State Opera Of South Australia and The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

THE NOSE
Opera Australia

BEST MUSICAL

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
Michael Cassel In Association With Paul Blake & Sony/Atv Music Publishing & Mike Bosner

DREAM LOVER
John Frost And Gilbert Theatrical

MAMMA MIA! THE MUSICAL
Michael Coppel, Louise Withers & Linda Bewick

MURIEL’S WEDDING THE MUSCIAL
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

BRETT DEAN AND MATTHEW JOCELYN
Hamlet
Glyndebourne Festival and Adelaide Festival in association with the State Opera of South Australia and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

COLIN LANE & FRANK WOODLEY
Lano & Woodley – Fly
Token Events

NAKKIAH LUI
Black is the New White
Sydney Theatre Company

NICHOLAS PAINE, DAVID MORTON, TIM SHARP AND SAM CROMACK
Laser Beak Man
Brisbane Festival, La Boite Theatre Company and Dead Puppet Society in association with PowerArts

PJ HOGAN, KATE MILLER-HEIDKE & KEIR NUTTALL
Muriel’s Wedding The Musical
Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures

STEPHEN PAGE
Bennelong
Bangarra Dance Theatre

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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