{"id":149463,"date":"2025-06-01T12:45:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T12:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/149463\/"},"modified":"2025-06-01T12:45:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T12:45:07","slug":"winners-announced-for-the-ian-charleson-awards-2025-first-prize-to-francesca-amewudah-rivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/149463\/","title":{"rendered":"Winners announced for the Ian Charleson Awards 2025, First prize to Francesca Amewudah-Rivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The winners have been announced for this year\u2019s Ian Charleson Awards<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The annual awards go to the best performances by actors under 30 in a classical role, in work written before 1918.<\/p>\n

The Ian Charleson awards honour acclaimed British actor Ian Charleson, who died of AIDS in 1990 aged 40.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s First Prize winner is 26 year-old actor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers<\/strong>, who won for her performance as Juliet in Jamie Lloyd\u2019s production of Romeo and Juliet<\/a> at the Duke of York\u2019s Theatre, alongside Tom Holland.<\/p>\n

The Second Prize went to Ralph Davis<\/strong>, 29, who won for his performance as Iago in Othello at Shakespeare\u2019s Globe.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Ian Charleson Award Third Prize has gone to 28 year-old \u00c9anna Hardwicke<\/strong>, who scored the award for his performance as Yepikhodov in The Cherry Orchard at the Donmar Warehouse.<\/p>\n

A Special Commendation also went to Francesca Mills<\/strong>, 28, who played The Duchess in The Duchess of Malfi at Shakespeare\u2019s Globe.<\/p>\n

The winners were announced this week at the National Theatre, with the awards presented by actor Sophie Okonedo<\/strong>. The Sunday Times first announced the winners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nominations were announced<\/a> on 14 April 2025.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The judges of this year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Ian Charleson Awards<\/a> went to Francesca Mills<\/strong>, who starred as Hermia in A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream at Shakespeare\u2019s Globe, and has also been nominated this year for The Duchess of Malfi; with Second Prize to Toheeb Jimoh<\/a> for Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre; and Third Prize to Joseph Payne<\/strong> in The Tempest at the RSC and Macbeth at Shakespeare\u2019s Globe.<\/p>\n

Past winners of the Ian Charleson Awards include Paapa Essiedu<\/a>, Rebecca Hall, Rory Kinnear, David Oyelowo, Cush Jumbo and Tom Hollander.<\/p>\n

Ian Charleson Awards 2025 \u2013 Winners and Nominees<\/p>\n

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, 26 \u2013 Romeo and Juliet, Duke of York\u2019s \u2013 WINNER \u2013 FIRST PRIZE<\/p>\n

Melanie-Joyce Bermudez, 25 \u2013 Love\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost, RSC<\/p>\n

Ralph Davis, 29 \u2013 Othello, Shakespeare\u2019s Globe \u2013 WINNER \u2013 SECOND PRIZE<\/p>\n

Tom Glenister, 29 \u2013 A Doll\u2019s House, The Crucible, Sheffield<\/p>\n

Madeleine Gray, 30 (29 when in the role) \u2013 Uncle Vanya, Orange Tree Theatre<\/p>\n

\u00c9anna Hardwicke, 28 \u2013 The Cherry Orchard, Donmar Warehouse \u2013 WINNER \u2013 THIRD PRIZE<\/p>\n

Oli Higginson, 31 (29 when in the role) \u2013 Othello, Shakespeare\u2019s Globe<\/p>\n

Nadeem Islam, 28 \u2013 Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare\u2019s Globe<\/p>\n

Siena Kelly, 29 \u2013 A Doll\u2019s House, The Crucible, Sheffield<\/p>\n

Francesca Mills, 28 \u2013 The Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare\u2019s Globe \u2013 SPECIAL COMMENDATION<\/p>\n

Daniel Quinn-Toye, 22 \u2013 Romeo and Juliet, Duke of York\u2019s<\/p>\n

Andrew Richardson, 30 (29 when in the role) \u2013 Uncle Vanya, Orange Tree Theatre \/ A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream, Barbican<\/p>\n

Rumi Sutton, 25 \u2013 The Importance of Being Earnest, Royal Exchange<\/p>\n

Sign-up for news and booking alerts about these shows and more:<\/b> \ud83d\udc64News Team<\/a> \ud83d\udcc51 June 2025
Tags: Andrew Richardson<\/a>, Daniel Quinn-Toye<\/a>, \u00c9anna Hardwicke<\/a>, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers<\/a>, Francesca Mills<\/a>, Ian Charleson<\/a>, Ian Charleson Awards<\/a>, Madeleine Gray<\/a>, Melanie-Joyce Bermudez<\/a>, Nadeem Islam<\/a>, National Theatre<\/a>, Oli Higginson<\/a>, Ralph Davis<\/a>, Rumi Sutton<\/a>, Siena Kelly<\/a>, Tom Glenister<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcf7\u00a0Main photo: Ian Charleson Awards 2025 – Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Photo Marc Brenner), E\u0301anna Hardwicke and Ralph Davis<\/p>\n

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