Nominations for the 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards were announced today, highlighting a year of ambitious, diverse and resilient work across Sydney stages despite ongoing financial pressures facing the arts sector.

The awards will be presented at an industry gala on Monday 19 January 2026 at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre. Across 28 categories, nominations span 56 productions that played in Sydney during 2025, reflecting the breadth of work across mainstage, independent and musical theatre.

Fraser Crane, Toby Schmitz and Philip Lynch in Grief is the Thing with Feathers. Photo © Brett Boardman

Leading the nominations is The Edit (Unlikely Productions, Legit Theatre Company and 25A) with nine nods. Close behind are Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents) and Sistren (Green Door Theatre in association with Griffin Theatre Company), each earning eight nominations. Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co) received seven nominations, while The Player Kings and Bright Star, both presented by Sport for Jove, secured six apiece.

In the Best Mainstage Production category, nominees include Grief is the Thing with Feathers, Jacky (Belvoir), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company) and The Player Kings. The Best Independent Production category features Cruise, The Edit, Fewer Emergencies and Sistren. Musical theatre is strongly represented, with Bright Star, Hadestown, Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical and The Producers vying for Best Production of a Musical.

Justin Smith and Joel Granger in Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical. Photo © John McRae

Reviewer and judging panel member Cassie Tongue said the nominations reflect a sector continuing to thrive creatively despite economic challenges. “Despite a financial crisis in the arts, Sydney’s theatre scene continues to keep live performance alive across all corners of the city,” she said, praising the year’s work as “bright, ambitious and honest,” and noting that simply making theatre in 2025 “feels like a small miracle.”

Justin Clarke, editor of Theatre Thoughts, highlighted the strength of the independent sector, pointing to breakout solo performances, compelling two-handers and a strong focus on new Australian work with diverse voices at the forefront. “Independent artists and creatives showed once more that they’re the true backbone of the arts industry in Australia,” he said.

Iolanthe and Matilda Ridgway in The Edit. Photo © Robert Catto

Founded in 2005 by a group of Sydney theatre critics, the Sydney Theatre Awards recognise excellence across the city’s professional theatre landscape. Judging panels comprise industry specialists and critics who attend and assess all eligible productions in their sector.

The awards are supported by major sponsor the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, with additional sponsorship from The William Fletcher Foundation, Showcast, Currency Press, Ticketmaster, Actors Benevolent Fund, JPJ Audio, LL Co Creative, HereWeAre! and Seymour Centre.

Lifetime Achievement Award recipients will be announced at the ceremony.

The Sydney Theatre Awards will be presented at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale on 19 January.

The 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 (Fruitbox 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)

The Talented Mr Ripley (Sydney Theatre Company). Photo © Daniel Boud

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)

Greg Stone and Guy Simon in Jacky. Photo © Stephen Wilson Barker

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 be Protesting)

Sharon Millerchip and James Lugton in Born on a Thursday. Photo © Phil Erbacher

Best Stage Design of a Mainstage Production
Jeremy Allen (The Shiralee)
Kate Beere (The Player Kings)
Nick Schlieper and Simon Phillips with 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)

The Player Kings (Sport for Jove). Photo © Brett Boardman

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)
Alec 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