The Stage Debut Awards, the only awards devoted solely to recognising breakthrough theatre talent both on and off stage, today announces that submissions for 2024 are now officially open. The live ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 29, and promises to be an unforgettable night celebrating the outstanding achievements of upcoming performers and creatives who have made their professional debuts on stages across the UK over the past 12 months.
This much-anticipated annual fixture in the awards calendar will be hosted again at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London. On the night, a mix of the industry’s freshest talent and a starry who’s who of established names will be entertained by Theatreland’s most exciting artists, performing musical numbers up close in this intimate space. Tickets will go on sale soon.
Newly rebranded ATG Entertainment returns as the headline sponsor. Trafalgar Entertainment reaffirms its sponsorship for the Best West End Creative category, Crossroads Live for Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer and Sonia Friedman Productions for Best Writer. This year, we welcome the Noël Coward Foundation and Michael Harrison Entertainment to The Stage Debut Awards’ esteemed stable of sponsors with their support for the Best West End Debut Performer and Best Performer in a Musical respectively.
The eight eligible categories championing performers, directors, designers, writers, composers and lyricists are Best Performer in a Play; Best Performer in a Musical; Best Director; Best Writer; Best Designer; Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer and Best West End Creative Debut. The winner of the Best West End Debut Performer is the only category to be determined by a public vote. Last year, theatre audiences picked former Strictly Come Dancing’s breakout star Rose Ayling-Ellis as the winner for her standout debut performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace. The star has recently announced landing a major upcoming BBC television role.
Anyone who has made their professional debut between July 18, 2023 and July 17, 2024 will be eligible. Submissions can be made HERE and entries will close on the June 30. The shortlist of nominees will be announced in August.
Ted Stimpson, Group CEO of ATG Entertainment said: “We are delighted to be supporting British theatre’s emerging talent through The Stage Debut Awards for the third year. At ATG Entertainment, we profoundly appreciate that we must nurture the next generation of talent that will bring exciting and groundbreaking ideas and voices to our audiences. We look forward to being part of an exceptional night celebrating the awesome talent at these awards in September.”
The Stage Debut Awards launched in 2017 and has proven to be a career defining launchpad with recipients of these prestigious awards enjoying continued success across stage and screen. Last year’s winners included Rob Madge for My Son’s a Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at Garrick Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre, Isobel Thom for their leading role in I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe, Michael R Jackson for composing A Strange Loop at the Barbican Theatre and Tingying Dong for her sound design on The Crucible, Gielgud and National Theatre. A further roll call of notable award winners from previous years include Shan Ako (Hamilton), Spitlip (Operation Mincemeat), Tyrell Williams (Red Pitch), Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Miriam-Teak Lee (& Juliet), Bush Theatre artistic director Lynette Linton (Sweat) and composers Femi Temowo (Death of a Salesman) and Dan Gillespie Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).
For details on eligibility and the judging process see The Stage Debut Awards website: HERE
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