The winners of the 2024 Whatsonstage Awards have been announced at the London Palladium.

Now in their 24th year, the awards are decided by theatregoers through a series of public votes.

The ceremony tonight, 11 February 2024, at the London Palladium was hosted by actors Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown, & Juliet) and Bonnie Langford (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends).

The show of the night was Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, which won 7 out of a possible 9 awards including best director for Jamie Lloyd, and best performer in a musical for Nicole Scherzinger.

Other multi-award winners included Guys & Dolls with 3 awards, and A Little Life and Cabaret with 2 awards. The rest of the awards were spread across multiple shows.

Other high profile awards included best West End Show going to Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, best new musical for Operation Mincemeat, best new play for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre, best play revival for Vanya, and best musical revival to Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre.

Performers who won awards tonight included James Norton and Luke Thompson for A Little Life; Aimee Lou Wood for Cabaret; Nicole Scherzinger and Grace Hodgett-Young for Sunset Boulevard; and Jack Wolfe for Next to Normal.

Whatsonstage Awards 2024 - Winners. Photos by Roy J Baron
Whatsonstage Awards 2024 – Winners: Aimee Lou Wood, James Norton, Grace Hodgett Young, Luke Thompson. Photos by Roy J Baron

Performances on the night included Anna-Jane Casey and Bonnie Langford performing ‘Hot Honey Rag’ from Chicago; Jess Folley singing from new musical Burlesque; Tracie Bennett performing ‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ from End of the Rainbow; Ramin Karimloo singing ‘Till I Hear You Sing’ from Love never Dies; Jenna Russell and Daniel Evans reuniting to sing ‘Move On’ from Sunday in the Park with George; Rosalie Craig singing ‘Being Alive’ from Company; Louise Dearman performing ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ from Wicked; Michael Ahomka-Lindsay singing ‘Santa Fe’ from Newsies; the cast of Operation Mincemeat performing ‘God That’s Brilliant’; Marisha Wallace and Celinde Schoenmaker singing ‘Marry the Man Today’ from Guys & Dolls; Jenna Russell and Hal Fowler singing ‘Rain On Me’ from Flowers for Mrs Harris; Jack Wolfe singing ‘I’m Alive’ from Next to Normal; Gina Beck performing ‘The Sound of Music’ from The Sound of Music; and the cast of last summer’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre show La Cage Aux Folles singing with ‘We Are What We Are’.

The awards ceremony was co-produced by creative directors Alex Parker and Damian Sandys.

The nominees were revealed on 7 December 2023 at the West End’s Apollo Theatre.

Book tickets to all Whatsonstage Awards 2024 nominated and winning shows.

Whatsonstage Awards 2024 Full List of Winners

BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Natasha Hodgson, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Ed Larkin, The Little Big Things, @ sohoplace
Caissie Levy, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Marisha Wallace, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL
Aynrand Ferrer, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Jason Manford, The Wizard of Oz, The London Palladium
Cedric Neal, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Amy Trigg, The Little Big Things, @ sohoplace
Jack Wolfe, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse – WINNER

BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Paapa Essiedu, The Effect, National Theatre
Joseph Fiennes, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
James Norton, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Taylor Russell, The Effect, National Theatre
Andrew Scott, VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre
Sheridan Smith, Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY
Michele Austin, The Effect, National Theatre
Will Close, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Bryony Corrigan, I, Daniel Blake, UK tour
Luke Thompson, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Zubin Varla, A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
Anjana Vasan, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre

BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE
Karis Anderson, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, Aldwych Theatre
Cory English, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Mason Alexander Park, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Lucy St. Louis, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre
Rebecca Lucy Taylor, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre
Aimee Lou Wood, Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre – WINNER

BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE
Rita Bernard-Shaw, Trouble in Butetown, Donmar Warehouse
Laura Dawkes, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Lou Henry, SIX, UK tour
Grace Hodgett-Young, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Andrew Richardson, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre

BEST NEW MUSICAL
Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
The Little Big Things, @sohoplace
Mrs. Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre
Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre – WINNER
The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
The Sound of Music, Chichester Festival Theatre
Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
The Wizard of Oz, Curve, Leicester and The London Palladium

BEST NEW PLAY
A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre / Savoy Theatre
Cowbois, Swan Theatre
Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Hamnet , Swan Theatre / Garrick Theatre
The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre – WINNER

BEST PLAY REVIVAL
A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
The Effect, National Theatre
The Merchant of Venice 1936, UK tour
The Pillowman, Duke of York’s Theatre
Shirley Valentine, Duke of York’s Theatre
VANYA, Duke of York’s Theatre – WINNER

BEST WEST END SHOW
Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Cabaret, Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre – WINNER
Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
The Phantom of the Opera, His Majesty’s Theatre
SIX, Vaudeville Theatre

BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION
Boys from the Black Stuff, Royal Court, Liverpool
Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
In Dreams, Leeds Playhouse
The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre – WINNER
Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester

BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION
Flowers for Mrs Harris, Riverside Studios – WINNER
George Takei’s Allegiance, Charing Cross Theatre
Othello, Riverside Studios
Rebecca, Charing Cross Theatre
Scouts! The Musical, The Other Palace Studio
The Shape of Things, Park Theatre

BEST CONCERT EVENT
Ariana DeBose in Concert, The London Palladium
Darren Criss, The London Palladium
Evita in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Love Never Dies in Concert, Theatre Royal Drury Lane – WINNER
Once – In Concert, The London Palladium
Schwartz at 75, Lyric Theatre

BEST DIRECTION
Polly Findlay, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
Rebecca Frecknall, A Streetcar Named Desire, Almeida Theatre / Phoenix Theatre
Rupert Goold, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Nicholas Hytner, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Sam Mendes, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION
Mark Aspinall and Sioned Saunders, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
Nick Barstow and Nigel Lilley, Next To Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Cat Beveridge and Nigel Lilley, The Witches, National Theatre
Tom Brady, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Stephen Brooker, Alfonso Casado Trigo and Stephen Metcalfe,
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Gielgud Theatre
Alan Williams, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER

BEST CASTING DIRECTION
Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham, The Motive and the Cue, National Theatre
Anna Cooper, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse
Jill Green, The Little Big Things, @ sohoplace – WINNER
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, The Witches, National Theatre
Jessica Ronane, Charlotte Sutton and Jim Carnahan, Stranger Things: The First Shadow,
Phoenix Theatre

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Fabian Aloise, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre
Matt Cole, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre – WINNER
Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Stephen Mear, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy, Free Your Mind, Factory International

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Bunny Christie, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
Ryan Dawson Laight, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – WINNER
Gregory Gale, To Wong Foo The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Gareth Pugh, Free Your Mind, Factory International
Grace Smart, Cowbois, Swan Theatre

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Rory Beaton and Lucy Carter, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
Jon Clark, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Jon Clark, The Effect, National Theatre
Jon Clark, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Paule Constable, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER

BEST SET DESIGN
Miriam Buether, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Bunny Christie, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
Lizzie Clachan, Assassins, Chichester Festival Theatre
Lizzie Clachan, The Witches, National Theatre
Chloe Lamford, Phaedra, National Theatre
Morgan Large, Disney’s Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Paul Arditti, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre
Paul Arditti, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Adam Fisher, The Lord of the Rings, The Watermill Theatre
Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Tony Gayle, Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse

BEST VIDEO DESIGN
59 Productions, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre – WINNER
Andrzej Goulding, Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible
Andrzej Goulding, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Apollo Theatre
Ash J Woodward, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre
Ash J Woodward, The Witches, National Theatre

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN
Bob King Creative, Operation Mincemeat, Fortune Theatre
Muse Creative, Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre – WINNER
Jeremy Coysten and North Design, Free Your Mind, Factory International
The Creative Partnership, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Feast Creative, La Cage aux Folles, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Rick Guest, Rob Rae and the NT Graphics Studio, Dear England, National Theatre / Prince Edward Theatre

SERVICES TO THEATRE
Rufus Norris, Artistic Director of the National Theatre

More about the awards

Nominations for the technical and creative categories will be decided by an independent panel of industry experts from across the UK appointed by What’s On Stage. The categories are: Choreography, Costume Design, Direction, Graphic Design, Lighting Design, Musical Direction/Supervision, Set Design, Sound Design, Casting Direction and Video Design.

The eligibility for productions and people is a live, original UK production with performances running between 22 November 2022 and 23 November 2023. Productions that have been eligible in previous years, including the performers that have appeared in those productions, are not eligible for this year’s awards apart from: Best West End Show, Best Takeover Performance and Best Professional Debut Performance. Further rules apply to some other categories.

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Main photo: Whatsonstage Awards 2024 - Winners: Sunset Boulevard, Stranger Things The First Shadow, Cabaret, Operation Mincemeat, Guys & Dolls

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