Whatsonstage.com Awards

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The WhatsOnStage Awards, or alternatively, the WhatsOnStage "theatregoers' choice" prizes, formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com.[1] The awards recognise performers and productions of British theatre with an emphasis on London's West End.[2]

Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public's vote.[3] The awards are held each February. In 2012, they were staged at the West End's Prince of Wales Theatre.

History

In early 2001, WhatsOnStage.com published the shortlists for that year’s Laurence Olivier Awards and invited site visitors to vote online for who they thought should win. In a fortnight, 5,000 people took part – and their results differed wildly from the Olivier judges. For the 2002 Awards, the editors compiled their own shortlists and in 2003, they held their first Launch Party to announce the shortlists to about 200 industry guests. The first Awards Concert and ceremony was introduced for the 2008 Awards.

Judging

Each year, the Awards shortlists are drawn up with the help of thousands of theatregoers who log on to nominate their favourites across all 20+ awards categories. Nominations are announced at a star-studded launch event held in early December. Voting then opens and runs until the end of January the following year. In 2012/13, over 60,000 [4] theatregoers logged on to vote, with leaders in many categories fluctuating dramatically from day to day.

All professional productions that opened in London between 1 December and 30 November are eligible for primary awards consideration. There are a few special categories. Best Takeover in a Role recognises new performers in longer-running productions, while Best Regional Production casts the net beyond the capital. Non-West End productions are eligible for nomination across all fields, there is also a category specifically for Best Off-West End Production. The ever-popular Theatrical Event of the Year award category is more wide-ranging and largely subject to theatregoers' interpretation.

Ceremony

Presenters

Previous presenters of the WhatsOnStage Awards include James Corden, Sheridan Smith, Christopher Biggins, Mel Giedroyc, Miranda Hart, Alan Davies, Jenny Eclair and Rufus Hound.[5]

Performances

Over the years, guest presenters and performers at the Launch Party have included Graham Norton, Elaine Paige, Michael Ball, Lesley Garrett, Ryan Molloy, James Earl Jones, Jools Holland, Patina Miller, Julian Clary, Jeremy Irons, Simon Russell Beale, Bertie Carvel and Meera Syal.[5]

West End stars who have performed at the Awards Concerts at the Prince of Wales have included Alfie Boe, Sally Ann Triplett, Ryan Molloy, Jodie Prenger, Hannah Waddingham, Leanne Jones, Jill Halfpenny, Hadley Fraser, Ramin Karimloo, Rosemary Ashe, Nancy Sullivan, Samantha Barks, Sarah Lark, Kim Criswell, Siobhan McCarthy, Julie Atherton, Suranne Jones, Elena Roger, Sean Palmer, Clare Foster, Hannah Waddingham, Dean Chisnall, Brian May, Kerry Ellis, Tim Minchin and Melanie C.

The Concert is produced by Stuart Piper, on behalf of WhatsOnStage.

Venues

The inaugural Launch Party was held at The Venue, before moving to the Dominion Theatre in 2004, Planet Hollywood in 2005 and 2006, and Café de Paris, where it has been every year since with the exception of the 2009 Awards, when it was held at the London Hippodrome as part of their campaign to save the venue as a performance space.

The first Awards Concert and ceremony was introduced for the 2008 Awards and was held at the 960-seat Lyric Theatre. The Concert moved to the 1,100-seat Prince of Wales Theatre for the 2009 Awards and was a sell-out for four straight years - 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The concert moved to the Palace Theatre for the 2013 awards but returned to the Prince of Wales Theatre for 2014.

Award categories

Recent winners

Past winners[14]

See also

References

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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Whatsonstage Awards History". Whatsonstage.com, accessed 19 November 2013
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External links

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