Sydney’s theatre scene has been outdoing itself this year, and the Sydney Theatre Awards will make that official when they are announced on January 19, 2026. It’s a line‑up full of artistry, ambition, and the kind of storytelling that makes you forget you promised yourself an early night.

I’ve reviewed many of these productions, and these nominees aren’t just good — they’re the kind that leave you in the foyer afterwards, blinking at the carpet, wondering how to return to regular life.

Sydney’s theatre makers aren’t just reflecting the world this year — they’re interrogating it, remixing it, and giving it the occasional shove. From powerhouse performances to emerging voices rewriting the rules, the stages have been alive with risk, rigour, and a welcome refusal to play it safe.

Even under financial pressure, artists delivered standout solos, gripping two‑handers, fresh takes on familiar texts, and bold new writing that put underrepresented voices at the centre. Once again, independent creatives proved they’re the pulse that keeps Australia’s stages alive.

Here’s the full spread of talent:

2025 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS NOMINATIONS

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents)
Jacky (Belvoir)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company)
The Player Kings (Sport for Jove)

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Cruise (Fruit Box Theatre)
The Edit (Unlikely Productions, Legit Theatre Company and 25A)
Fewer Emergencies (The Company Theatre)
Sistren (Green Door Theatre in association with Griffin Theatre Company)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Sarah Goodes (The Talented Mr Ripley)
Ian Michael (Picnic at Hanging Rock)
Simon Phillips (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)
Damien Ryan (The Player Kings)

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Sean Landis (Cruise)
Ian Michael (Sistren)
Gabrielle Scawthorn (The Edit)
Nigel Turner-Carroll (Port)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Joseph Althouse (Whitefella Yella Tree)
Will McDonald (The Talented Mr Ripley)
Albert Mwangi (Primary Trust)
Toby Schmitz (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)
Guy Simon (Jacky)
Kat Stewart (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Janet Anderson (Sistren)
Meg Clarke (Iphigenia in Splott)
Iolanthe (The Edit)
Sharon Millerchip (Born on a Thursday)
Fraser Morrison (Cruise)
Matilda Ridgway (The Edit)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Danny Howard (Jacky)
Phillip Lynch (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)
Angela Mahlatjie (Primary Trust)
Greg Stone (Jacky)
Megan Wilding (Big Girls Don’t Cry)
Shirong Wu (4000 Miles)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Deborah Galanos (Saints of Damour)
Julian Garner (Furious Mattress)
Faisal Hamza (Dear Elena Sergeevna)
James Lugton (Born on a Thursday)
Tim McGarry (The Seagull)
Mây Trần (These Youths)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Jeremy Allen (The Shiralee)
Kate Beere (The Player Kings)
Nick Schlieper, Simon Phillips, Craig Wilkinson and Jon Weber (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)
Anna Tregloan (Henry 5)

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Soham Apte (Mary Jane)
Ruby Jenkins (The Edit)
Hannah Tayler and Paris Bell (Lost & Finding)
Emma White (Sistren)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Dann Barber (Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes)
Kate Beere, Ruby Jenkins and Lily Moody (The Player Kings)
Ella Butler and Hailley Hunt (Orlando)
Emma White (The Talented Mr Ripley)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Kate Beere (Eureka Day)
Lily Mateljan (IRL)
Emelia Simcox (Cowbois)
Helen Wojtas and Mitchell Bourke (Taming of the Shrew)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Damien Cooper (The Talented Mr Ripley)
Matt Cox (The Player Kings)
Matthew Marshall (The 39 Steps)
Nick Schlieper (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Kelsey Lee (Sistren)
Topaz Marlay-Cole (IRL)
Ryan McDonald (Furious Mattress)
Phoebe Pilcher (The Edit)

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Sabyasachi (Rahul) Bhattacharya and Steve Francis (The Wrong Gods)
Steve Francis (The Talented Mr Ripley)
Daniel Herten and Freya Schack-Arnott (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)
Jethro Woodward (Henry 5)

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Alyx Dennison (The Edit)
Daniel Herten (Sistren)
Tom Hogan (Birdsong of Tomorrow)
Chelsea Wheatley (Cruise)

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
The Edit (Gabrielle Scawthorn)
Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Simon Phillips, Nick Schlieper & Toby Schmitz)
Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Steven Kramer)
The Seagull (Saro Lusty-Cavallari)
Sistren (Iolanthe)

BEST NEWCOMER
Alexandra Cashmere (The Producers)
Danny Howard (Jacky / Whitefella Yella Tree)
Iolanthe (Sistren / The Edit)
Heather Jeong (Koreaboo)
Aliyah Knight (Snakeface)

BEST ENSEMBLE
Bright Star (Sport for Jove)
Eureka Day (Outhouse Theatre Company)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company)
The Player Kings (Sport for Jove)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Bright Star (Sport for Jove and Hayes Theatre Co)
Hadestown (Jones Theatrical and Opera Australia)
Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co)
The Producers (Joshua Robson Productions and Hayes Theatre Co)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Alexander Berlage (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Sheridan Harbridge (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)
Julia Robertson (The Producers)
Damien Ryan and Miranda Middleton (Bright Star)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Joel Granger (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)
Amy Hack (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Hannah McInerney (Bright Star)
Seann Miley Moore (Hedwig And The Angry Inch)
Lyndon Watts (Candide)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Alexandra Cashmere (The Producers)
Calista Nelmes (Rent)
Elenoa Rokobaro (Hadestown)
Tom Struik (The Book of Mormon)
Adrian Tamburini (Hadestown)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
David Butler (Ghost Quartet)
David Gardos (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)
Guy Simpson (Guys and Dolls)
Alex Steedman (Bright Star)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY OF A MUSICAL
Kelley Abbey (Guys and Dolls)
Chiara Assetta (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Shannon Burns (The Producers)
Ellen Simpson (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

BEST DESIGN IN A MUSICAL
Dann Barber (Set and Costume Design, Candide)
Mason Browne (Costume Design, Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)
Isabel Hudson (Set Design, Bright Star)
Hailley Hunt (Set Design, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Nicol & Ford (Costume Design, Hedwig And The Angry Inch)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN
Moss Piglet (Windmill Theatre Company and Sydney Opera House)
Where Is The Green Sheep? (Monkey Baa, QPAC’s Out of the Box and Sydney Opera House)
Where to Hide a Star (Australian Chamber Orchestra) Wolfgang in the Stars (Circa and Riverside Theatres)

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Converted (ATYP)
Daytime Deewane (Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta)
Detention (Monkey Baa)
Work But Like You Mean It (Canberra Youth Theatre)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
To be announced at the ceremony

The 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards, will be presented at an industry gala ceremony on Monday 19 January 2026 at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre. For details see: Sydneytheatreawards.com

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