The Sydney Theatre Awards are annual awards to recognise the strength, quality and diversity of professional theatre in Sydney, Australia. They were established in 2005 by a group of major Sydney theatre critics. The awards recognise mainstage and independent plays and musicals.
Selected award recipients 2025 The 2025 awards were announced on 19 January 2026. Best Mainstage Production: Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents) Best Independent Production: Sistren (Green Door Theatre Company in association with Griffin Theatre Company) Best Direction of a Mainstage Production: Damien Ryan (The Player Kings) Best Direction of an Independent Production: Ian Michael (Sistren) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production: Kat Stewart (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) Best Performance in a Leading Role in an Independent Production: Fraser Morrison (Cruise) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production: Angela Mahlatjie (Primary Trust) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production: Deborah Galanos (Saints of Damour) Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production: Nick Schlieper and Simon Phillips with Craig Wilkinson and Jon Weber (Grief is the Thing with Feathers) Best Stage Design of an Independent Production: Hannah Tayler and Paris Bell (Lost & Finding) Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production: Ella Butler and Hailley Hunt (Orlando) Best Costume Design of an Independent Production: Emelia Simcox (Cowbois) Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production: Nick Schlieper (Grief is the Thing with Feathers) Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production: Ryan McDonald (Furious Mattress) Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production: Freya Schack-Arnott and Daniel Herten (Grief is the Thing with Feathers Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production: Tom Hogan (Birdsong of Tomorrow) Best New Australian Work: Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Simon Phillips, Nick Schlieper & Toby Schmitz) Best Newcomer: Danny Howard (Jacky / Whitefella Yella Tree) and Iolanthe (Sistren / The Edit) Best Ensemble: The Player Kings (Sport for Jove in association with Seymour Centre) Best Production of a Musical: Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre) Best Direction of a Musical: Sheridan Harbridge (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical: Joel Granger (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Elenoa Rokobaro (Hadestown) Best Musical Direction of a Musical: Guy Simpson (Guys & Dolls) Best Choreography of a Musical: Kelley Abbey (Guys & Dolls) Best Design of a Musical: Dann Barber (Set and Costume Design, Candide) Best Production for Children: Wolfgang in the Stars (Circa and Riverside Theatres) Best Production for Young People: Converted (ATYP) Lifetime Achievement Award: Elizabeth Butcher AM
2024 The 2024 awards were announced on 20 January 2025. Best Mainstage Production: August: Osage County (Belvoir) Best Independent Production: The Inheritance (Shane Anthony, Daniel Cottier Productions, Sugary Rum Productions and Seymour Centre) Best Direction of a Mainstage Production: Eamon Flack (August: Osage County) Best Direction of an Independent Production: Shane Anthony (The Inheritance) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production: Tamsin Carroll (August: Osage County) and Pamela Rabe (August: Osage County) Best Performance in a Leading Role in an Independent Production: André de Vanny (The Lonesome West) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production: Ursula Yovich (The Lewis Trilogy) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production: Lilian Alejandra Valverde (Snowflake) Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production: Renée Mulder (Stolen) Best Stage Design of an Independent Production: Kate Beere (Arlington) Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production: Renée Mulder (Stolen) Best Costume Design of an Independent Production: Dann Barber (Yentl) Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production: Trent Suidgeest (Stolen) Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production: Aron Murray (Arlington) Best Sound Design and Composition of a Mainstage Production: James Brown (Stolen) Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production: Johnny Yang (Ruins) Best New Australian Work: Trophy Boys (Emmanuelle Mattana) Best Newcomer: Daniel R. Nixon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) Best Ensemble: The Inheritance (Shane Anthony, Daniel Cottier Productions, Sugary Rum Productions and Seymour Centre) Best Production of a Musical: Zombie! The Musical (Hayes Theatre) Best Direction of a Musical: Darren Yap (Zombie! The Musical) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical: Michael Paynter (Jesus Christ Superstar) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Stephen Anderson (Titanique) Best Musical Direction: Laura Tipoki (Jesus Christ Superstar) Best Choreography in a Musical: Chiara Assetta (Zombie! The Musical) Best Production for Children: Cicada (Barking Gecko Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company) Best Production for Young People: Saplings (Australian Theatre for Young People and Youth Action) Lifetime Achievement Award: Jim Sharman
2023 The 2023 awards were announced on 29 January 2024.
Best Mainstage Production: The Visitors (Sydney Theatre Company and Moogahlin Performing Arts) Best Independent Production: A Streetcar Named Desire (Red Line Productions) Best Direction of a Mainstage Production: Shari Sebbens (Fences) Best Direction of an Independent Production: Alexander Berlage (A Streetcar Named Desire) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production: Catherine Văn-Davies (Constellations) Best Performance in a Leading Role in an Independent Production: Sheridan Harbridge (A Streetcar Named Desire) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production: Andrew McFarlane (Hubris & Humiliation) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production: Catherine Văn-Davies (A Streetcar Named Desire) Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production: Isabel Hudson (Constellations) Best Stage Design of an Independent Production: Nick Fry (Metropolis) Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production: Isabel Hudson (Hubris & Humiliation) Best Costume Design of an Independent Production: Grace Deacon (An ox stand on my tongue) Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production: Benjamin Brockman (Constellations) Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production: Morgan Moroney (Collapsible) Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production: James Brown (Constellations) Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production: Grace Ferguson (On the Beach) Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production: Zara Stanton (Metropolis) Best New Australian Work: Lewis Treston (Hubris & Humiliation) Best Newcomer: Abigail Adriano (Miss Saigon) Best Ensemble: The Visitors (Sydney Theatre Company and Moogahlin Performing Arts) Best Production of a Musical: A Little Night Music (Hayes Theatre) Best Direction of a Musical: Dean Bryant (A Little Night Music) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical: Ruva Ngwenya (Tina The Tina Turner Musical) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Nancye Hayes (A Little Night Music) Best Musical Direction: Zara Stanton (Metropolis) Best Choreography in a Musical: Vi Lam (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) Best Production for Children: Waru (Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sydney Festival) Best Production for Young People: The Lies We Were Told (Shopfront Arts and Monkey Baa) Lifetime Achievement Award: Jane Seldon and Terence Clarke
2022 The 2022 awards were announced on 23 January 2023.
Best Mainstage Production: The Jungle and the Sea (Belvoir) Best Independent Production: Albion (Secret House, New Ghosts Theatre Company and Seymour Centre) Best Direction of a Mainstage Production: Kip Williams (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) Best Direction of an Independent Production: Lucy Clements (Albion) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production: Heather Mitchell (RBG: Of Many, One) Best Performance in a Leading Role in an Independent Production: Jane Phegan (The End of Winter) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production: Peter Carroll (The Tempest) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production: Merridy Eastman (Hand of God) Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production: Mel Page (A Raisin in the Sun) Best Stage Design of an Independent Production: Grace Deacon and Kelsey Lee (Destroy, She Said) Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production: Romance Was Born and Anna Cordingley (Amadeus) Best Costume Design of an Independent Production: Esther Zhong (Moon Rabbit Rising) Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production: Nick Schlieper (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production: Tyler Fitzpatrick (Moon Rabbit Rising) Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production: Michael Toisuta (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) Best Original Score of a Mainstage Production: Arjunan Puveendran (The Jungle and the Sea) Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production: Christine Pan (Moon Rabbit Rising) Best New Australian Work: The Jungle and the Sea (S. Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack) Best Newcomer: Masego Pitso (Chewing Gum Dreams) Best Ensemble: The Jungle and the Sea (Belvoir) Best Production of a Musical: Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Global Creatures) Best Direction of a Musical: Cameron Mitchell (Nice Work If You Can Get It) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical: Stefanie Jones (Mary Poppins) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Simon Burke (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) Best Musical Direction: Chris King, Steven Kramer and Nigel Ubrihien (Jekyll and Hyde) Best Choreography in a Musical: Cameron Mitchell (Nice Work If You Can Get It) Best Production for Children: Yong (Monkey Baa Theatre) Best Production for Young People: The Deb (ATYP) Lifetime Achievement Award: John Robertson and William Yang
2021 The 2021 awards were announced on 31 January 2022.
Best Mainstage Production: The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company) Best Independent Production: Symphonie Fantastique (Little Eggs Collective in association with KXT) Best Direction of a Mainstage Production: Kip Williams (The Picture of Dorian Gray) Best Direction of an Independent Production: Tasnim Hossain (Yellow Face) Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Mainstage Production: Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray) Best Performance in a Leading Role in an Independent Production: Shan-Ree Tan (Yellow Face) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Mainstage Production: Aaron Tsindos (No Pay? No Way!) Best Performance in a Supporting Role in an Independent Production: Alfie Gledhill (The Removalists) Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production: Marg Horwell and David Bergman (The Picture of Dorian Gray) Best Stage Design of an Independent Production: Charles Davis (Happy Days) Best Costume Design of a Mainstage Production: Genevieve Blanchett (Home, I’m Darling) Best Costume Design of an Independent Production: Esther Zhong (Three Fat Virgins Unassembled) Best Lighting Design of a Mainstage Production: Matt Scott (Fun Home) Best Lighting Design of an Independent Production: Benjamin Brockman (Symphonie Fantastique) Best Sound Design of a Mainstage Production: David Bergman (Green Park) Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production: Oliver Shermacher (Symphonie Fantastique) Best New Australian Work: The Visitors (Jane Harrison) Best Newcomer: Kiana Daniele (SIX) Best Ensemble: Symphonie Fantastique Best Production of a Musical: Hamilton (Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Michael Cassel) Best Direction of a Musical: Dean Bryant (Fun Home)