It’s that time of year again! The Olivier Awards are coming up this weekend and the excitement is building. The awards will take place at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London and will be hosted by Hannah Waddingham. Fun fact: Hannah Waddingham has previously been nominated for three Olivier Awards, for Spamalot, A Little Night Music, and Kiss Me, Kate.
The nominations were announced on March 12 by Beverley Knight and most awards will be revealed live on the night. However, there are a couple of special awards that were announced ahead of the big day. The Industry Recognition Awards are awarded to recipients who have demonstrated that they have achieved excellence in their field of work, gone above and beyond in their role and within the industry, or have achieved pioneering and leading change. This year they will go to Sylvia Addison (orchestral contracting), Vereen Irving (ticketing and box office management), Robert Israel & Richard Walton (theatre insurance), and Susan Whiddington CBE (theatre education). The ceremony will also feature an onstage dedication to the National Theatre, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
The Nominations
There are three stand-out big hitters in this year’s nominated shows. Jamie Lloyd’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard (Savoy Theatre) leads with 11 nominations and the news that it will transfer to Broadway this September. The revival strips back the musical to a bare, minimalist set, framing a musical about Hollywood through an onstage cinematic lens. Also dominating are Rupert Goold’s production of James Graham’s Dear England (National Theatre/Prince Edward Theatre), and Nicholas Hytner’s production of Guys & Dolls (Bridge Theatre), receiving 9 nominations each. Dear England centers around English football manager Gareth Southgate and explores the role of the men's football team in the national psyche. Meanwhile the revival of Guys & Dolls provides a uniquely immersive experience with an ever-reconstructing set popping up around a standing audience.
Olivier -nominated Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in Neil Simons Plaza Suite. Photo by Joan Marcus
There are some notable big names nominated this year also which promises an entertaining red carpet! The Best Actor and Best Actress categories are littered with a host of famous names, including Sarah Jessica Parker (Plaza Suite), Sarah Snook (The Picture of Dorian Gray), Joseph Fiennes (Dear England), and Andrew Scott (Vanya). And let’s not forget Nicole Scherzinger who is hotly tipped to win the Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.
The Performances
The ceremony will feature performances from all of the Best New Musical nominees including The Little Big Things, Next to Normal, Operation Mincemeat, and A Strange Loop, in addition to the Best Musical Revival nominees Guys and Dolls and Hadestown. The ceremony will also feature an onstage dedication to the National Theatre, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
For those in the UK, you can watch highlights of the awards on Sunday April 14 at 10.10pm BST. TikTok will also be hosting a live stream on the Green Carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in the build-up to the ceremony from 4:30pm – 5:30pm BST.
Check out the complete list of nominations and let us know your predictions!
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
- Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden at the Lyric Hammersmith & Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at the Gielgud Theatre
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow by Kate Trefry at the Phoenix Theatre
- Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, adapted by Liv Hennessy at the Ambassadors Theatre
Best Family Show
- Bluey’s Big Play by Joe Brumm at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall
- Dinosaur World Live by Derek Bond at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- The House With Chicken Legs, book by Sophie Anderson, adapted by Oliver Lansley at
- Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall
- The Smeds And The Smoos, book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, adapted by Tall
- Stories at the Lyric Theatre
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
- Fabian Aloise for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Ellen Kane & Hannes Langolf for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Mark Smith for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace
- Susan Stroman for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design
- Bunny Christie & Deborah Andrews for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Ryan Dawson Laight for La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
- Hugh Durrant for Peter Pan at The London Palladium
- Marg Horwell for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Cunard Best Revival
- The Effect by Lucy Prebble at the National Theatre – Lyttelton
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare at the Donmar Warehouse
- Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
- Vanya by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Simon Stephens at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
Best Musical Revival
- Groundhog Day, music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Danny Rubin at The Old Vic
- Guys & Dolls, music & lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows at the Bridge Theatre
- Hadestown, music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell at the Lyric Theatre
- Sunset Boulevard, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics & book by Don Black & Christopher Hampton at the Savoy Theatre
d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design
- Paul Arditti for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
- Dan Balfour & Tom Gibbons for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Gareth Fry for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse
Outstanding Musical Contribution
- Tom Brady for Musical Supervision & Arrangements and Charlie Rosen for Orchestrations for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Matt Brind for Musical Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations for Just For One Day at The Old Vic
- Steve Sidwell for Orchestrations & Joe Bunker for Musical Direction for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
- Alan Williams for Musical Supervision & Musical Direction for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Will Close for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Paul Hilton for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
- Giles Terera for Clyde’s at the Donmar Warehouse
- Luke Thompson for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
- Zubin Varla for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Lorraine Ashbourne for Till The Stars Come Down at the National Theatre – Dorfman
- Priyanga Burford for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
- Haydn Gwynne for When Winston Went To War With The Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse
- Gina McKee for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier
- Tanya Reynolds for A Mirror at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Theatre
Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
- Miriam Buether for Set Design & 59 Productions for Video Design for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
- Bunny Christie for Set Design for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Es Devlin for Set Design & Ash J Woodward for Video Design for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Soutra Gilmour for Set Design and Nathan Amzi & Joe Ransom for Video Design for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
- Jon Clark for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Jon Clark for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
- Paule Constable for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role In a Musical
- Grace Hodgett Young for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Zoë Roberts for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
- Amy Trigg for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace
- Eleanor Worthington-Cox for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Supporting Role In a Musical
- Jak Malone for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
- Cedric Neal for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- David Thaxton for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Jack Wolfe for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production
- Blue by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum
- Innocence by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House
- Picture A Day Like This by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
- The Rhinegold by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
- Antonio Pappano for his role as Musical Director of the Royal Opera House
- Belarus Free Theatre Company for King Stakh’s Wild Hunt at the Barbican Theatre
- Marina Abramović for her concept and design of 7 Deaths Of Maria Callas at the London Coliseum
Best Actor in a Musical
- David Cumming for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
- Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Daniel Mays for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
- Charlie Stemp for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
- Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre
- Caissie Levy for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse
- Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Marisha Wallace for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre
Best New Dance Production
- Broken Chord by Gregory Maqoma & Thuthuka Sibisi at Sadler’s Wells
- The Rite Of Spring by Seeta Patel at Sadler’s Wells
- La Ruta by Gabriela Carrizo, part of Nederlands Dans Theater – NDT 1 at Sadler’s Wells
- Time Spell by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers & Tiler Peck, part of Turn It Out With Tiler Peck & Friends at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
- Isabela Coracy for her performance in NINA: By Whatever Means, part of Ballet Black: Pioneers at the Barbican Theatre
- Jonzi D for his artistic direction of Breakin’ Convention 2023 International Festival Of Hip Hop Dance Theatre at Sadler’s Wells
- Rhiannon Faith for her community focussed conception of Lay Down Your Burdens at The Pit at Barbican
Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
- Blue Mist by Mohamed-Zain Dada at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
- A Playlist For The Revolution by AJ Yi at the Bush Theatre
- Sleepova by Matilda Feyişayo at the Bush Theatre
- The Swell by Isley Lynn at the Orange Tree Theatre
- The Time Machine: A Comedy by Steven Canny and John Nicholson at the Park Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
- Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre
- Rupert Goold for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre
- Sam Mendes for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
Best Actress
- Laura Donnelly for The Hills Of California at the Harold Pinter Theatre
- Sophie Okonedo for Medea at @sohoplace
- Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre
- Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
- Sarah Snook for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
Best Actor
- Joseph Fiennes for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- Mark Gatiss for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
- James Norton for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre
- Andrew Scott for Vanya at the Duke Of York’s Theatre
- David Tennant for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse
The Londoner Award for Best New Play
- Dear England by James Graham at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre
- The Hills Of California by Jez Butterworth at the Harold Pinter Theatre
- The Motive And The Cue by Jack Thorne at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre
- Till The Stars Come Down by Beth Steel at the National Theatre – Dorfman
Mastercard Best New Musical
- The Little Big Things, music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher & Tom Ling, book by Joe White at @sohoplace
- Next To Normal, music by Tom Kitt, book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey at the Donmar Warehouse
- Operation Mincemeat, music, lyrics & book by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson & Zoë Roberts at the Fortune Theatre
- A Strange Loop, music, lyrics & book by Michael R. Jackson at the Barbican Theatre
Last Updated: April 10, 2024
Writer, editor and theatre researcher