The Stage Awards
January 07, 2021
09:00 - 10:00
Online
The Stage Awards are the highest profile awards celebrating theatre across the whole of the UK and beyond.
This year has been the most testing time for British theatre in living memory. From artistic directors of the nation’s biggest theatres to freelancers at the start of their careers, everyone has had to make incredibly tough choices to ensure their personal and professional survival. But through all of the difficulty some true gems have come to light.
The range of innovation in theatre has been astounding, from truly remarkable digital performances, theatres providing their local communities with ways of communicating the issues they are facing through art, or individual costume makers creating scrubs for their local NHS frontline staff.
We thought long and hard about whether it was right to have an awards celebrating theatre this year, especially given there has been little in the way of traditional productions, however with a remarkable year has come some remarkable acts.
While there will be no physical ceremony this year, we hope you will help us to tell these stories and celebrate the people who have continued to create great theatre, shown innovation and helped ensure theatre survives.
Alongside nominations from the judging panel and a body of industry experts, subscribers to The Stage are invited to put forward their organisation for consideration.
Entries have now closed, thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination. Winners will be announced on January 7.
Watch the highlights from The Stage Awards 2020 below
Awards Step
Categories
Regional Theatre of the Year
London Theatre of the Year
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Theatre Building of the Year
Producer of the Year
International Award
Innovation Award
Achievement in Technical Theatre
Timeline
November 10, 2020
Public nominations for The Stage Awards open for all categories
November 27, 2020
Nominations close for The Stage Awards
End of November 2020
The Stage Awards’ judging panel meets
January 7, 2021
Winners announced online and in The Stage newspaper
"The award recognises the work being done behind the scenes to create a fair and inclusive industry."
Artistic Directors of the Future, winner of the Innovation Award at The Stage Awards 2020
Get Involved
Nominate
Public nominations for The Stage Awards ran online from November 10 - 27.
Share The Stage Awards on social media
Share your reactions on social media with #TheStageAwards and tag The Stage @TheStage.
Sponsor
Gain vital exposure for your business and help celebrate the best in the theatre industry by sponsoring a category. Contact simon@thestage.co.uk on 020 7939 8488
Stay connected
To keep updated on all the latest news about The Stage Awards, sign up to our awards mailing list here.
The Stage Awards and The Stage 100 to celebrate industry response to Covid-19
The Stage Awards and The Stage 100 have been reimagined for 2021 to celebrate the theatre industry’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the article in full here.
The Stage Awards 2020: The winners in full
Winners of the 2020 awards were announced at an event at the Royal Opera House in London on January 31, including Sheffield Theatres, ATG Productions and Selladoor Worldwide. Read the article in full here.
Hosts announced for The Stage Awards 2020
Director Atri Banerjee and actor Lauren O’Leary are to host The Stage Awards 2020. Banerjee and O’Leary were both winners at The Stage Debut Awards 2019. Read the article in full here.
The Stage Awards 2020: Shortlist in full
Nominees for this year's awards include Sheffield Theatres, Milo Rau, The London Palladium, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and Orange Tree Theatre. Read the article in full here.
Eligibility
The Stage Awards have an open nominations process that runs in the Autumn every year.
While the judging panel and a body of industry experts will be free to recognise any/all theatre and performing arts organisations, subscribers to The Stage are invited to put forward their organisation or an organisation they admire for consideration.
When does the public nomination process close?
Nominations close on November 27.
Is there a fee to enter?
There is no fee to nominate an organisation or individual for The Stage Awards, however you must be a subscriber to The Stage to participate. To become a subscriber and submit your organisation for consideration simply take out a subscription here. Personal subscriptions start from £3.98 a month, or get access for your entire organisation for a whole year for the discounted price of £500. Simply contact subscriptions@thestage.co.uk for more information.
What are the judging criteria?
Focusing on work since December 2019, judges will consider a variety of factors including artistic excellence, response to coronavirus and lockdown, innovative business practices, outreach and community work and financial resilience. When telling us why are you are nominating an organisation/individual, you should try to back up any assertions with detailed figures, reviews and statistics. You can find the judging criteria for each category here.
What is the judging process?
Following the public nominations process, the nominees across all categories are considered at the end of November by The Stage’s judging panel, which can also submit its own nominations. There will be no shortlist this year, the winners will be announced on January 7, 2021.
How can my nomination be used?
It is a condition of entry that all material submitted as part of your entry can be reproduced by The Stage Media Company at no cost.
What if I disagree with the result?
The judging panel’s decision is final.
How we choose our longlists and winners
Stage one In November, we hold an open nominations process. Organisations are able to put themselves, or others, forward for consideration across all the categories.
Stage two We ask leading figures from the UK theatre industry, working across the commercial, independent and subsidised sectors, who they would nominate in each category. We also consult senior figures from The Stage’s editorial team.
Stage three The final judging panel meet to consider all the submissions and choose the winners. The panel is chaired by The Stage’s editor Alistair Smith.
If you have any other questions about the awards or nomination process please contact rachel.pottle@thestage.co.uk
Criteria
To be eligible for The Stage Awards, please make sure you familarise yourself with the criteria for each category before submitting a nomination.
Judges will consider a variety of factors including artistic success, innovative business practices, outreach work and financial resilience. The awards focus on work from December 2019 to November 2020.
All categories this year will also take into account how organisations have responded to the coronavirus and lockdown. Where appropriate, submissions should include information illustrating how you have continued to engage with audiences (both digitally and live), as well as how you have managed to sustain community and outreach work. They should also include data illustrating to what extent they have continued to employ staff and engage freelance practitioners.
Regional Theatre of the Year
The top theatre outside of the capital over the past 12 months. Theatres in the UK’s nations (Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) are also eligible.
London Theatre of the Year
The top theatre in the capital over the past 12 months. Any venue based in Greater London is eligible.
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Small-scale theatres across the UK that do not receive regular core government funding are eligible.
Producer of the Year
Any producer or production-company – of any scale, subsidised or commercial – is eligible.
Theatre Building of the Year
Theatre venues or any physical structure or space hosting theatrical performance are eligible for this award. The building or space must have launched (or relaunched) within the past 12 months. For 2020, judges will also consider existing buildings that have undergone significant adaptations to make them Covid-safe.
Innovation Award
The Innovation Award highlights the best new design, technical or creative developments in the performing arts in the past 12 months. Any theatre company or organisation working in the sector is eligible and it will be judged on supporting evidence. The judges will take scale into account and are expecting submissions from organisations large and small.
International Award
Any type of theatrical organisation (e.g. theatre, producer, school) is eligible for this award. However, it specifically recognises work with an international element. This could be UK companies taking work abroad, international companies bringing work to the UK, or organisations or people operating entirely outside the UK.
Achievement in Technical Theatre
This award recognises individuals or teams who have excelled within their field of technical theatre over the past 12 months. This excellence can have manifested within any aspect of technical theatre. Individuals or teams working for any theatre company or organisation in the sector on live performances or digital theatre productions are eligible. Judges will be looking for evidence of how the individual or team has contributed to the success (artistic or otherwise) of a production or theatre organisation. New products are not eligible for this category, but should be entered in the Innovation Award category. The award is specifically for achievements in the past 12 months, it is not a lifetime achievement award.
Previous Winners
Winners of The Stage Awards have ranged from national theatres and large scale organisations to tiny theatres above pubs and stage door keepers.
The Stage Awards 2020 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Berkley London
WINNER: Sheffield Theatres
Also shortlisted: Derby Theatre & Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by LMA
WINNER: Queen's Theatre Hornchurch
Also shortlisted: London Palladium & Theatre Royal Stratford East
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: Bunker Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle & Orange Tree Theatre, London
Theatre Building of the Year
Sponsored by TAIT
WINNER: Leeds Playhouse
Also shortlisted: Boulevard Theatre, London & Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, London
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by PRG
WINNER: ATG Productions
Also shortlisted: Fuel & Michael Harrison Entertainment
Achievement in Technical Theatre
Sponsored by ETC
WINNER: Sheffield Theatres’ Life of Pi creative and production teams
Also shortlisted: Max and Ben Ringham, and the team behind National Theatre’s Anna & Young Vic’s team for Death of a Salesman scratch performances
International Award
Sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
WINNER: Selladoor Worldwide
Also shortlisted: Coronet Theatre, London & Milo Rau
Innovation Award
Sponsored by Charcoalblue
WINNER: Artistic Directors of the future for its work to diversify theatre boards
Also shortlisted: & Juliet for its Smash Hits marketing campaign & Immersive LDN for providing a hub for immersive theatre in London
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by Get Into Theatre
WINNER: Mary Joseph
The Stage Awards 2019 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Evolution Productions
WINNER: Nottingham Playhouse
Also shortlisted: Royal Exchange, Manchester & Theatr Clwyd, Mold
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Managed Networks
WINNER: Bush Theatre
Also shortlisted: Almeida Theatre & Young Vic Theatre
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: Barn Theatre, Cirencester
Also shortlisted: Omnibus Theatre, London & Vault Festival, London
Theatre Building of the Year
Sponsored by TAIT
WINNER: Battersea Arts Centre, London
Also shortlisted: Bristol Old Vic & Royal Opera House, London
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by PRG XL Video
WINNER: Sonia Friedman Productions
Also shortlisted: Fiery Angel & Fuel
School of the Year
Sponsored by TodayTix
WINNER: Open Door, London and East Midlands
Also shortlisted: Great Torrington School, Devon & Young Lyric at the Lyric Hammersmith, London
International Award
Sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
WINNER: Hijinx Theatre, Cardiff
Also shortlisted: National Theatre Scotland, Glasgow & New International Encounter, Cambridge and Hvalstad
Innovation Award
Sponsored by Charcoalblue
WINNER: New Diorama Theatre, London for its programming model
Also shortlisted: Talking Birds for The Difference Engine captioning software & National Theatre and Spotlight for ProFile, a video casting database for D/deaf and disabled actors
Sustainability Award
Sponsored by ETC
WINNER: Lyric Hammersmith, London
Also shortlisted: Julie's Bicycle and Arts Council England for the Accelerator Programme & National Theatre, London
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by White Light
Pat Nelder
The Stage Awards 2018 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Evolution Productions
WINNER: Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Also shortlisted: Birmingham Hippodrome & Royal Exchange, Manchester
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Managed Networks
WINNER: Almeida Theatre
Also shortlisted: Barbican Centre & National Theatre
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Also shortlisted: Orange Tree Theatre, & London Summerhall, Edinburgh
Theatre Building of the Year
WINNER: Bridge Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: Bush Theatre, London & Storyhouse, Chester
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by PRG XL Video
WINNER: Hull City of Culture
Also shortlisted: Michael Harrison Productions & Sadler’s Wells, London
School of the Year
Sponsored by TodayTix
WINNER: Royal Exchange Young Company, Manchester
Also shortlisted: Sandringham School, St Albans & Scottish Youth Theatre, Glasgow
International Award
Sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
WINNER: Imaginate for the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival
Also shortlisted: 1927 & Cervantes Theatre
Innovation Award
Sponsored by Charcoalblue
WINNER: The Everyman Company, Liverpool
Also shortlisted: National Theatre Open Access Capture pilot scheme & Team behind The Believers Are But Brothers
Sustainability Award
Sponsored by GDS
WINNER: Arcola Theatre
Also shortlisted: The Attic & The Mill at Sonning
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by White Light
WINNER: Clare Ferraby
The Stage Awards 2017 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Evolution Productions
WINNER: Sheffield Theatres
Also shortlisted: Bristol Old Vic & Mercury Theatre, Colchester
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Managed Networks
WINNER: Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Also shortlisted: Menier Chocolate Factory & The Old Vic
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: New Diorama Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester & Hope Theatre, London
Theatre Building of the Year
Sponsored by Audience Systems
WINNER: King’s Cross Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool & Tara Theatre, London
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by PRG XL Video
WINNER: Sonia Friedman Productions
Also shortlisted: Fiery Angel & Kenny Wax Productions
School of the Year
Sponsored by TodayTix
WINNER: Musical Theatre Academy, London
Also shortlisted: Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff & Urdang Academy, London
International Award
Sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
WINNER: Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures
Also shortlisted: Big in Belgium season at Edinburgh Festival Fringe & Graeae Theatre Company
Innovation Award
Sponsored by Charcoalblue
WINNER: Complicite
Also shortlisted: Les Enfants Terribles and Emma Brunjes Productions & New Diorama Theatre
Sustainability Award
Sponsored by Global Design Solutions
WINNER: Tara Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: London Theatre Consortium & The Handlebards
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by White Light
Ned Seago
The Stage Awards 2016 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Theatre 2016
WINNER: Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Also shortlisted: Chichester Festival Theatre & Royal and Derngate, Northampton
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Haagen-Dazs
WINNER: Almeida Theatre
Also shortlisted: Barbican & Shakespeare's Globe
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: The Other Room, Cardiff
Also shortlisted: Camden People's Theatre, London & Orange Tree Theatre, London
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by John Good
WINNER: Sonia Friedman
Also shortlisted: Edinburgh International Festival & Rachel Edwards
School of the Year
Sponsored by Digital Theatre Plus
WINNER: Arts Educational Schools London
Also shortlisted: Belgrade Theatre, Coventry & University of Warwick, School of Theatre, Performance and Cultural Policy Studies
Theatre Building of the Year
Sponsored by ABTT and Richard Pilbrow
WINNER: NT Future, London
Also shortlisted: King's Cross Theatre, London & Wilton's Music Hall, London
International Award
Sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
WINNER: War Horse China
Also shortlisted: Good Chance, Calais & Greenwich and Docklands International Festival
Unsung Hero
Roger Miller
The Stage Awards 2015 winners
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Haagen-Dazs
WINNER: Young Vic Theatre
Also shortlisted: Almeida Theatre & Unicorn Theatre
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by Ticketmaster
WINNER: Sonia Friedman
Also shortlisted: Playful Productions & Danielle Tarento
School of the Year
Sponsored by Nick Hern Books
WINNER: Young Everyman Playhouse, Liverpool
Also shortlisted: Fourth Monkey & National Centre for Circus Arts
International Award
Sponsored by Nyman Libson Paul
WINNER: Shakespeare’s Globe
Also shortlisted: Barbican Centre & Richard Jordan
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Audience Systems
WINNER: Nuffield Theatres, Southampton
Also shortlisted: Ustinov Studio, Bath Theatre Royal & Curve, Leicester
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by encoreinsure.com
WINNER: Park Theatre, London
Also shortlisted: Southwark Playhouse, London & Summerhall, Edinburgh
Theatre Building of the Year (joint winners)
Sponsored by Richard Pilbrow
WINNER: Liverpool Everyman & Roundabout Theatre, Paines Plough
Also shortlisted: Liverpool Everyman
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by ABTT
Sue Nightingale, head of wardrobe at Birmingham Rep
The Stage Awards 2014 winners
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Audience Systems
WINNER: Sheffield Theatres
Also shortlisted: New Wolsey Theatre & Marlowe Theatre
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Robertson Taylor W&P Longreach
WINNER: Southwark Playhouse
Also shortlisted: New Diorama Theatre & Brass Works Theatre
School of the Year
Sponsored by Nick Hern Books
WINNER: National Youth Theatre
Also shortlisted: Arts Educational Schools & Chicken Shed Theatre
London Theatre of the Year
Sponsored by Haagen-Dazs
WINNER: Hampstead Theatre
Also shortlisted: Young Vic & Bush Theatre
Producer of the Year
Sponsored by Ticketmaster
WINNER: Michael Grandage Company
Also shortlisted: Headlong & Sonia Friedman Productions
Unsung Hero
Sponsored by the Association of British Theatre Technicians
Andy Collier
The Stage Awards 2013 winners
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Union Theatre
Producer of the Year
A Play, a Pie and a Pint
School of the Year
ALRA North
London Theatre of the Year
Shakespeare’s Globe
Regional Theatre of the Year
Sheffield Theatres
Unsung Hero (joint winners)
Anne McNulty and Chris Isherman
The Stage Awards 2012 winners
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Jermyn Street Theatre, London
Producer of the Year
National Theatre, London
School of the Year
Musical Theatre Academy
London Theatre of the Year
Bush Theatre
Regional Theatre of the Year
Chichester Festival Theatre
Unsung Hero (joint winners)
Edwin Shaw, Heather Miller and Frances Coyle
The Stage Awards 2011 winners
London Theatre of the Year
The Royal Court Theatre
Regional Theatre of the Year
Royal and Derngate, Northampton
Fringe Theatre of the Year
Finborough Theatre, London
Producer of the Year
English Touring Theatre
School of the Year
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Gallery
Photos from The Stage Awards 2020
