Michael Kholwadia in Jesus Christ Superstar, © Pamela Raith
Winners for the UK Theatre Awards 2025 have been announced.
Sponsored by Encore, the annual event celebrates creative achievement both on and off stage across the UK. They were revealed at this year’s ceremony, which took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, hosted by Faye Tozer.
The recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award is Carlos Acosta, director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Full list of winners and nominees
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
Winner: 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
Winner: Flumps, a Mercury Original production in association with The Thelmas
Grace Pervades, a Theatre Royal Bath, Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment and Second Half Productions co-production
Through The Shortbread Tin, a National Theatre of Scotland production
Best Play Revival
Winner: Animal Farm, a Leeds Playhouse and 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 and Vicki Amedume for Angela Carter’s The Company Of Wolves, a New Vic Theatre production
Wuinner: Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
Best Performance in a Musical
Winner: Rakesh Boury and Rebecca McKinnis for The Parent Agency, a Scenario Two and Storyhouse co-production
Molly Lynch for My Fair Lady, a Curve production
Dawn Sievewright for Wild Rose, a Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions co-production
Best Performance in a Play
Helen Carter for Shirley Valentine, a Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse production
Winner: Jack Holden for Kenrex, an Aria Entertainment and 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
Winner: Georgie Henley for The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions and Damsel Productions co-production
Ntombizodwa Ndlovu for Marie And Rosetta, a Chichester Festival Theatre, Rose Theatre and ETT co-production
Thea-Jo Wolfe for The Mad Ones, an Electric Press Productions and Samantha Creswick co-production at The Other Palace Studio
Best Design
Winner: 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 and Kanagawa Arts Theatre co-production in association with Tramway at Dundee Rep
Yoav Segal for Set and 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 and Young People
The Jingleclaw, a Birmingham Hippodrome production
The Jungle Book, an Octagon Theatre Bolton production
Winner: Pig Heart Boy, a Children’s Theatre Partnership, Unicorn Theatre and Sheffield Theatres co-production
Achievement in Dance
BalletLorent for Snow White/Snow White: The Sacrifice
Winner: 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
Winner: Welsh National Opera for Peter Grimes, a Welsh National Opera production
Off Stage Awards:
Excellence in Arts Education
Bristol Hippodrome
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse
Winner: Lyric Hammersmith Theatre for Cross The Line
Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens
Emma Rice Company
National Theatre of Scotland
Winner: Theatre by the Lake for Steel
Excellence in Inclusivity sponsored by ATG Entertainment
Birmingham Hippodrome
New Wolsey Theatre
Winner: Storyhouse
Excellence in Sustainability
ATG Entertainment
Winner: BEAM, Hertford
Northern Broadsides Theatre Company
Excellence in Workforce Culture
Winner: Orchard Theatre and Orchard West
Stephen Joseph Theatre
Theatr Clwyd
UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore
Birmingham Rep
Winner: Royal and Derngate
Shakespeare North Playhouse
Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre
Carlos Acosta