The winners have been announced for this year’s Ian Charleson Awards.
The annual awards go to the best performances by actors under 30 in a classical role, in work written before 1918.
The Ian Charleson awards honour acclaimed British actor Ian Charleson, who died of AIDS in 1990 aged 40.
This year’s First Prize winner is 26 year-old actor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who won for her performance as Juliet in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York’s Theatre, alongside Tom Holland.
The Second Prize went to Ralph Davis, 29, who won for his performance as Iago in Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Finally, the Ian Charleson Award Third Prize has gone to 28 year-old Éanna Hardwicke, who scored the award for his performance as Yepikhodov in The Cherry Orchard at the Donmar Warehouse.
A Special Commendation also went to Francesca Mills, 28, who played The Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi at Shakespeare’s Globe.
The winners were announced this week at the National Theatre, with the awards presented by actor Sophie Okonedo. The Sunday Times first announced the winners.
Nominations were announced on 14 April 2025.
The awards are officially named the Ian Charleson Awards 2024, as they cover the 2024 theatre season, although nominations and winners are announced in the following year.
The judges of this year’s awards are: actor Fisayo Akinade (Heartstopper); Head of casting at the National Theatre, Alastair Coomer; Deputy artistic director of the National Theatre, Robert Hastie; and casting director Hannah Miller.
Last year’s Ian Charleson Awards went to Francesca Mills, who starred as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe, and has also been nominated this year for The Duchess of Malfi; with Second Prize to Toheeb Jimoh for Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre; and Third Prize to Joseph Payne in The Tempest at the RSC and Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Past winners of the Ian Charleson Awards include Paapa Essiedu, Rebecca Hall, Rory Kinnear, David Oyelowo, Cush Jumbo and Tom Hollander.
Ian Charleson Awards 2025 – Winners and Nominees
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, 26 – Romeo and Juliet, Duke of York’s – WINNER – FIRST PRIZE
Melanie-Joyce Bermudez, 25 – Love’s Labour’s Lost, RSC
Ralph Davis, 29 – Othello, Shakespeare’s Globe – WINNER – SECOND PRIZE
Tom Glenister, 29 – A Doll’s House, The Crucible, Sheffield
Madeleine Gray, 30 (29 when in the role) – Uncle Vanya, Orange Tree Theatre
Éanna Hardwicke, 28 – The Cherry Orchard, Donmar Warehouse – WINNER – THIRD PRIZE
Oli Higginson, 31 (29 when in the role) – Othello, Shakespeare’s Globe
Nadeem Islam, 28 – Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare’s Globe
Siena Kelly, 29 – A Doll’s House, The Crucible, Sheffield
Francesca Mills, 28 – The Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare’s Globe – SPECIAL COMMENDATION
Daniel Quinn-Toye, 22 – Romeo and Juliet, Duke of York’s
Andrew Richardson, 30 (29 when in the role) – Uncle Vanya, Orange Tree Theatre / A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Barbican
Rumi Sutton, 25 – The Importance of Being Earnest, Royal Exchange
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Tags: Andrew Richardson, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Éanna Hardwicke, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Francesca Mills, Ian Charleson, Ian Charleson Awards, Madeleine Gray, Melanie-Joyce Bermudez, Nadeem Islam, National Theatre, Oli Higginson, Ralph Davis, Rumi Sutton, Siena Kelly, Tom Glenister
📷 Main photo: Ian Charleson Awards 2025 – Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Photo Marc Brenner), Éanna Hardwicke and Ralph Davis
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