Lots of #StageFaves shows and performers have been nominated in this year's third annual #AlsoRecognised Awards, run by our sister site MyTheatreMates. Public voting has now opened and continues until 26 March 2017...
The shortlists for the third annual Also Recognised Awards have been announcd by MyTheatreMates, the portal for independent theatre bloggers founded by StageFaves founder Terri Paddock and prominent theatre critic Mark Shenton. These audience-voted industry accolades celebrate talent in fields often overlooked by other award bodies. Voting is now open for all categories and closes on Sunday 26 March 2017.
Cast your votes online here.
The Also Recognised Awards were launched online in 2015 by MyTheatreMates co-founders Mark Shenton and Terri Paddock and include the UK’s first-ever prize for Best Musical Direction as well as other key categories, such as Best Original Music and Best Ensemble Performance. The Awards also uniquely put the spotlight on the creativity of digital marketing and advertising disciplines in theatre with recognition for Best Show Poster, Best Show Trailer and Best Twitter Engagement.
Terri and Mark also now work together on the annual Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards, which Mark once again hosted and Terri produced for the first time at the West End’s Prince of Wales Theatre in January. Mark is also a judge for The Offies and The Stage Awards.
Mark and Terri commented on the Also Recognised Awards:
“The UK has a number of theatre awards, each of which provides a unique perspective on our industry. But despite the spectrum of opinion gauged in these many prize-givings, there are still some key categories that aren’t well covered elsewhere. We founded the Also Recognised Awards to fill some of those gaps. These online awards are purely about recognising and celebrating that talent.”
Nominations for the Also Recognised Awards were drawn up by Shenton, Paddock and Ian Foster, with input from Andrew Keates and Mike Dixon (the industry lobbyists who have been the driving force behind establishing creative parity for Musical Direction) and other members of the My Theatre Mates collective of independent theatre bloggers and commentators.
MyTheatreMates invites suggestions for other new award fields not already covered elsewhere. Recommendations with sufficient merit and industry backing will be introduced in future years.
And the nominees are… (in musical related categories)
Best Musical Direction
- Jordan Li-Smith – Ragtime, Charing Cross Theatre
- Martin Lowe – Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, National Theatre
- Michael Bradley – Grey Gardens, Southwark Playhouse
- Michael Reed – Sunset Boulevard, London Coliseum
- Nick Finlow – Dreamgirls, Savoy Theatre
- Tom Deering – Jesus Christ Superstar, Open Air Theatre
Best Original Music
- David Bowie – Lazarus, King’s Cross Theatre
- Dougal Irvine – The Buskers Opera, Park Theatre
- Richard Taylor – Flowers for Mrs Harris, Sheffield Crucible
- Scott Frankel – Grey Gardens, Southwark Playhouse
- Tim Minchin – Groundhog Day, Old Vic Theatre
- Tim Phillips & Marc Teitler – The Grinning Man, Bristol Old Vic
Best Twitter Engagement
- @ChichesterFT – Chichester Festival Theatre
- @HPPlayLDN – Harry Potter & the Cursed Child
- @NationalTheatre – National Theatre
- @SchoolOfRockUK – School of Rock
- @TheRSC – Royal Shakespeare Company
- @WickedUK – Wicked
Best Ensemble Performance
- Belarus Free Theatre – Burning Doors at Soho Theatre & Tomorrow I Was Always a Lion at the Arcola Theatre
- Boy – Almeida Theatre
- Donmar’s Shakespeare Trilogy – Donmar at King’s Cross
- Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – National Theatre
- Steel Magnolias – Hope Theatre
- Titanic – Charing Cross Theatre
Best Musical Cabaret
- Ann Hampton Callaway & Amanda McBroom – The Pheasantry
- Barb Jungr & John McDaniel, That’s Life – Brasserie Zedel
- Ceili O’Connor – The Understudy, Century Club
- Sally Ann Triplett – The Pheasantry
- Shoshana Bean – Pizza Express, St Martin’s Lane
- Simon Lipkin, Jon Robyns & Giles Terera – Orange Tree Theatre
London Newcomer of the Year
- Anthony Boyle – Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, Palace Theatre
- Charlie Stemp – Half a Sixpence, Chichester Festival & Noel Coward Theatre
- Frankie Fox – Boy, Almeida Theatre
- Sam Thomas – Floyd Collins, Wilton’s Music Hall
- Sarah Snook – The Master Builder, Old Vic Theatre
- Zoe Cooper (playwright) – Jess and Joe Forever, Orange Tree Theatre & tour
Theatre Event of the Year
- Emma Rice’s departure announcement from Shakespeare’s Globe
- Shakespeare Live! at the RSC as part of Shakespeare 400th birthday celebrations
- The premiere of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child
- Three-show day for the Donmar’s Shakespeare Trilogy
- Understudy Natasha J Barnes stepping in – triumphantly – for Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl
- Understudy Ria Jones stepping in – triumphantly – for Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard
Best Show Trailer
- Half a Sixpence – Chichester Festival & Noel Coward Theatre
- Hedda Gabler – National Theatre
- Nice Fish – Harold Pinter Theatre
- This House – Headlong, Garrick Theatre
- Trainspotting – King’s Head Theatre & The Vaults
- Unreachable – Royal Court Theatre
