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The UK Pantomime Association has secured a major sponsorship deal with Trafalgar Entertainment and ATG Entertainment (ATGE), strengthening its mission to celebrate and support pantomime. The collaboration will also see both organisations play a key role in The Pantomime Awards, the Association’s annual ceremony recognising excellence in the industry.

As part of the agreement, Trafalgar Entertainment and ATGE will take turns hosting The Pantomime Awards each year, ensuring its continued success through financial backing. The Pantomime Awards 2025 will be held on Sunday, 13 April, at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, marking the first year of this new initiative.

Operating year-round, the UK Pantomime Association champions the cultural significance of pantomime through events, lectures, and industry recognition. This new sponsorship strengthens its mission, with Trafalgar Entertainment and ATG Entertainment backing its efforts to celebrate the best in the artform.

Simon Sladen, Chair of the UK Pantomime Association, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating: “We are incredibly excited about this new chapter for the UK Pantomime Association and The Pantomime Awards. This groundbreaking collaboration with Trafalgar Entertainment and ATG Entertainment secures The Pantomime Awards’ future and demonstrates a strong commitment to celebrating and acknowledging the significant role the artform plays in the UK’s cultural landscape.”

Chris McGuigan, Group Commercial Director for Trafalgar Entertainment, highlighted the importance of pantomime to regional theatre: “Panto season has long been the lifeblood of regional theatre in this country. For many children, a trip to a pantomime is their first experience of live theatre. It’s fitting that the UK’s major regional theatre groups are supporting The Pantomime Awards in this way. We firmly believe that panto deserves recognition and celebration – the artform itself, and the artists, entertainers, writers, dancers, musicians, and producers who bring it to life each year.”

Claire Dixon, Business Director for ATG Entertainment, echoed the sentiment, adding: “This new partnership represents a major milestone in securing the future of pantomime as an integral part of the UK’s theatre landscape, ensuring that it continues to thrive and be recognised for its unique contribution to British entertainment.”

Founded in 2021, the UK Pantomime Association is dedicated to exploring, sharing, and celebrating pantomime by investigating its rich past, engaging with contemporary practice, and inspiring future generations.

The new sponsorship follows last year’s successful Pantomime Awards, which were presented in association with Stagecoach. Below is a list of the 2024 winners.

2024 UK Pantomime Awards

Best Choreography
Myles Brown – Beauty and the Beast, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells (Little Wolf Entertainment)

Best Comic
Matt Slack – Jack and the Beanstalk, Birmingham Hippodrome (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Costume Design
Dawn Allsopp – Snow White, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds (In-House)

Christopher Biggins Award for Best Dame
Ben Roddy – Aladdin, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (Marlowe Theatre and Evolution Productions)

Best Direction
Simon Fielding – Cinderella, Towngate Theatre, Basildon (Towngate Theatre and Simon Fielding Ltd)

Best Ensemble
Danielle Cato, Oliver Imeson, Sophie Karaolis, Sarah Jane Lowe, Louis Parkins, and Luke Stone – Mother Goose, Cambridge Arts Theatre (In-House)

Best Lighting Design
Jamie Corbidge – Cinderella, Swansea Grand Theatre (Imagine Theatre)

Carmen Silvera Award for Best Magical Being
Amanda Henderson – Jack and the Beanstalk, Rhyl Pavilion (Anton Benson Productions)

Best Contribution to Music
Chris Wong – Aladdin, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (Marlowe Theatre and Evolution Productions)

Best Early Career Newcomer
Jewelle Hutchinson – Cinderella, Nottingham Playhouse (In-House)

Best Newcomer to Pantomime
Benjamin Armstrong – Aladdin, Lighthouse Theatre, Poole (In-House)

Barbara Windsor Award for Best Principal Lead
Alexandra Mardell – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Theatre Royal Plymouth (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Best Script
Paul Hendy – Aladdin, Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (Marlowe Theatre and Evolution Productions)

Best Secondary Lead
Lotti Brogan – Dick Whittington, King’s Lynn Corn Exchange (Jordan Productions)

Best Set Design
David Shields – Snow White, Grand Theatre Wolverhampton (In-House)

Best Sisters
Iain Lauchlan and Andy Hockley – Cinderella, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (Belgrade Theatre and Imagine Theatre)

Best Sound Design
Nigel Bayliss – Sleeping Beauty, Theatre Royal Bath (UK Productions)

Best Supporting Artist
Ben Tanner – Mother Goose, Derby Arena (Little Wolf Entertainment)

Best Villain
Wendi Harriott – Sleeping Beauty, Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth (Paul Holman Associates)

Best Pantomime (Under 500 Seats)
Aganeza Scrooge – Tron Theatre, Glasgow (In-House)

Best Pantomime (500 – 900 Seats)
Sleeping Beauty – Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage (Jordan Productions)

Best Pantomime (Over 900 Seats)
Jack and the Beanstalk – Birmingham Hippodrome (Crossroads Pantomimes)

Special Recognition Awards

  • Honouring productions and individuals who embody the values of the Association:
  • Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling – Aladdin (Achievement in Inclusive Practice) for celebrating female empowerment, LGBTQ+ narratives, and inclusive casting in their Discotopia-set production.
  • Theatre Chipping Norton – Cinderella (Achievement in Innovation) for relocating the story to Latin America, incorporating carnival culture and highlighting deforestation, with Latinx creatives and a dramaturg.
  • Michael J Batchelor – (Pantomime History, Tradition & Heritage) for his outstanding contribution to Dame costuming, crafting industry-leading designs that balance impact, comedy, and functionality.
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Main photo: Ian McKellen - 2023 Pantomime Awards (Photo Andrew Billington, With special thanks to the Producers and Creative Team of Jersey Boys)

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