Helpmann Awards announce 2019 nominations

The 2019 Helpmann Award nominations are out with nods to some of our favourite plays and musicals of this year.

The Helpmann Awards, celebrating Australia’s live performance industry, has announced the nominations for the 2019 annual ceremony. Headed to Melbourne this year, the ceremony will be hosted at Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre next month.

And the nominees are…

The Australian premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory received nominations in almost every musical category, with nominations for Lucy Maunder as Mrs Bucket, Paul Slade Smith as Willy Wonka and Tony Sheldon as Grandpa Joe. Nominations were also given to the creative team with Joshua Bergasse recognised for his choreography and director Jack O’Brien nominated for best direction of a musical as well as a prestigious Best Musical nomination.

The celebrated Australian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child received nominations for Paula Arundell’s brilliant and funny portrayal of Hermione, and William McKenna’s hilariously clever portrayal of Scorpius Malfoy. The production was, of course, nominated for best production of a play for their brilliantly innovative production.

Despite being nominated in several categories last year, Muriel’s Wedding the Musical continues to wow the theatre community. Nominations were given for newcomer Natalie Abbott in her genuine and vulnerable performance as Muriel Heslop, as well as for Pippa Grandison in the heartbreaking role of the mother.

Running in Australia for almost three years, The Book of Mormon the Musical is still showing an impressive hand with nominations for the current Elder Price, Blake Bowden and Elder McKinley, Joel Granger. The Opera Australia and Gordon Frost production of Evita which broke box office records at Arts Centre Melbourne received nominations for Tina Arena’s stunning performance as Eva Peron and for the direction by Broadway legend Hal Prince.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s production of West Side Story also received nominations in six of the seven musical theatre categories, with nominations for Julio Monge’s choreography, Francesca Zambello’s direction, and a nod for best musical. The cast were also recognised with nominations for Karli Dinardo as Anita, Alexander Lewis as Tony, and Mark Hill as Riff.

Best Musical

In The Heights – Sydney Opera House and The Arthouse Wyong Presents, produced by Blue Saint Productions in association with Neil Gooding
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – John Frost, Craig Donnell, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions
Barbara and the Camp Dogs – Belvoir
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour West Side Story – Opera Australia

Best Production of a Play

Counting & Cracking – Belvoir & Co-Curious
Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death – Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre
The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two – Sydney Theatre Company
Song for a Weary Throat – Arts Centre Melbourne and Melbourne Festival
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel
The Second Woman – Adelaide Festival and Vitalstatistix

Best Comedy Performer

Rys Nicholson – Nice People Nice Things Nice Situations
Cassie Workman – Giantess
James Acaster – Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999
Damien Power – Man Puts His Dreams In A Sock
Anne Edmonds – What’s Wrong With You
Hannah Gadsby – Douglas

Best Dance Production

Grand Finale – Adelaide Festival
Forever & Ever – Sydney Dance Company
Australian Dance Theatre – The Beginning of Nature
OVERTURE – Arts House and Jo Lloyd

Best Costume Design

Jennifer Irwin for Dark Emu – Bangarra Dance Theatre
Renee Mulder for The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two – Sydney Theatre Company
Gabriela Tylesova for Twelfth Night – Melbourne Theatre Company
Katrina Lindsay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel

Best Lighting Design

Mark Howett for The Long Forgotten Dream – Sydney Theatre Company
Nick Schlieper for Saint Joan – Sydney Theatre Company
Neil Austin for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel
Damien Cooper for ab [intra] – Sydney Dance Company

Best Music Direction

Erin Helyard for Artaserse – Pinchgut Opera
Andrea Molino for Wozzeck – Opera Australia
Aaron Wyatt for Speechless – Tura New Music and Perth Festival
Jordan De Souza for Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute – Adelaide Festival and Perth Festival by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia

Best New Australian Work

Counting & Cracking – Belvoir & Co-Curious
Spinifex Gum – Adelaide Festival, Sydney Festival and Monash Academy of Performing Arts
Barbara and the Camp Dogs – Belvoir
Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death – Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre
The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two – Sydney Theatre Company
Lé Nør – The Last Great Hunt, Perth Festival, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Best Original Score

William Barton for The Long Forgotten Dream – Sydney Theatre Company
Ursula Yovich, Alana Valentine and Adm Ventoura for Barbara and the Camp Dogs – Belvoir
Imogen Heap for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel
Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall for Twelfth Night – Melbourne Theatre Company

Best Scenic Design

Jacob Nash for Twelfth Night – Melbourne Theatre Company
Dale Ferguson for Counting & Cracking – Belvoir & Co-Curious
Adriane Daff, Arielle Gray, Chris Isaacs, Tim Watts, Anthony Watts, Gita Bezard, Jeffrey Jay Fowler, Caitri Jones, Jo Morris, Kristie Smith and Clare Testoni for Lé Nør [the rain] – The Last Great Hunt, Perth Festival, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
Christine Jones for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel
Brian Thomson for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story – Opera Australia

Best Sound Design

Stefan Gregory for Counting & Cracking – Belvoir & Co-Curious
Steve Francis for Dark Emu – Bangarra Dance Theatre
Nate Edmondson for The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two – Sydney Theatre Company
Gareth Fry for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Parts One and Two) – Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel.

Now that the nominations are in we’re even more excited about the ceremony in July. If you want to be a part of the industry’s night of nights and rub shoulders with some of Australia’s best talent you can. Limited tickets to the Helpmann Awards are available to purchase at Ticketmaster.com.au