The Stage theatre-industry publication has announced the nominees for its annual The Stage Debut Awards, celebrating breakthrough talent in UK theatre.
Hosted by Julian Clary, the awards will take place on 28 September 2025 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London.
The 46 nominations are spread across eight categories, and include the Best West End Debut Performer, which is selected by public vote. Voting opens today, 21 August, and closes on 14 September 2025.
This year’s Best West End Debut Performer includes Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita, Tosin Cole and Heather Agyepong for Shifters, Georgie Buckland for The Devil Wears Prada, Emma Flynn for Clueless The Musical, Kat Ronney for Titanique, and Samuel Brewer for Oedipus (Wyndham’s Theatre).
Shifters leads the shortlist with three nominations.
The judges of the awards are: Alistair Smith, Editor, The Stage; Dave Fargnoli, Theatre Critic; Dominic Cavendish, Theatre Critic, The Telegraph; Baz Bamigboye, Columnist, Deadline; Holly Williams, Journalist, author and critic, The Stage; Holly O’Mahony; and Culture journalist and critic, Sam Marlowe, Reviews Editor, The Stage.
Nominees for the awards are suggested by The Stage’s nationwide network of theatre critics, plus the nominees themselves and their representatives. Then a selection of expert advisers including casting directors, producers, designers and other creatives from across the UK help the judges curate the shortlist.
The judging panel met in July 2025 to decide the shortlist and winners in all categories, except the Best West End Debut Performer.
A selection of nominees: L-R Benedict Lombe, Leesa Tulley, Mark Rosenblatt, Tosin Cole, Rachel Zegler, Aditya Chopra
Last year’s The Stage Debut Awards 2024 saw winners include Jack Wolfe for Next to Normal, and Jeevan Braich for Starlight Express.
Sponsors this year are Netflix, Encore, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Michael Harrison Entertainment, Arts Council England, Preevue, Sonia Friedman Productions, Noël Coward Foundation and Learn My Lines Productions.
The Stage Debut Awards 2025 – Full list of nominations
Best Performer in a Play
Sponsored by Encore
- Hilson Agbangbe for Wonder Boy at Bristol Old Vic
- Paula Clarke for The Tragedy of Richard III at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast
- Joseph Edwards for The Red Shoes at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Lucy Karczewski for Stereophonic at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London
- Eva Morgan for The Glass Menagerie at the Yard Theatre, London
- Christopher Neenan for Blood Wedding at Omnibus Theatre, London
- Daisy Sequerra for Ballet Shoes at the National Theatre, London
- Jasper Talbot for Redlands at Chichester Festival Theatre
Best Performer in a Musical
Sponsored by Michael Harrison Entertainment
- Megan Ellis for Muriel’s Wedding the Musical at Curve, Leicester
- Dora Gee for The Mad Ones at the Other Palace, London
- Eve Shanu-Wilson for The Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre, London
- Leesa Tulley for Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre, London
Best Writer
Sponsored by Sonia Friedman Productions
- Sarah Bond for Seagulls and Sad, Sad Stories at Laurels, Whitley Bay
- Nathan Englander for What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank at Marylebone Theatre, London
- Danny James King for Miss Myrtle’s Garden at Bush Theatre, London
- Nancy Netherwood for Radiant Boy: A Haunting at Southwark Playhouse, London
- Ava Pickett for 1536 at the Almeida Theatre, London
- Milly Sweeney for Water Colour at Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Byre Theatre, St Andrews
- Saana Sze for Belly of the Beast at Finborough Theatre, London
Best Director
Sponsored by Arts Council England
- Aditya Chopra for Come Fall In Love at Opera House, Manchester
- Nathan Crossan-Smith for The Walrus Has a Right to Adventure at Liverpool Everyman
- Adam Karim for Guards at the Taj at Orange Tree Theatre, London
- Emily Susanne Lloyd for The Mad Ones at the Other Palace, London
- Richard Mylan for Mumfighter at Swansea Grand Theatre
Best Designer
Sponsored by Preevue
- Juliette Demoulin (set), various at Finborough Theatre, London
- Adam Jefferys (lighting) for Communion at Bush Theatre, London
- Hannah Schmidt (set and costume) for The Passenger/Personal Values at Finborough Theatre/Hampstead Theatre, London
- Chloe Wyn (set and costume) for The Walrus Has a Right to Adventure, at Liverpool Everyman
Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer
Sponsored by Theatricals Rights Worldwide
- Martin Batchelar, James Cooper, Bryn Christopher for Lovestuck, at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
- Yve Blake for Fangirls at Lyric Hammersmith, London
- Nicola Dempsey and Rosie Dempsey for One Man Musical by Flo & Joan at Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
Best West End Debut Performer
Sponsored by Noël Coward Foundation
- Heather Agyepong for Shifters at the Duke of York’s Theatre
- Samuel Brewer for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre
- Georgie Buckland for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion Theatre
- Tosin Cole for Shifters at the Duke of York’s Theatre
- Emma Flynn for Clueless the Musical at Trafalgar Theatre
- Diego Andres Rodriguez for Evita at London Palladium
- Kat Ronney for Titanique at Criterion Theatre
- Rachel Zegler for Evita at London Palladium
Best Creative West End Debut
Sponsored by Learn My Lines Productions
- Eline Arbo (adapter/director) for The Years at Harold Pinter Theatre
- Tye Blue (writer/director), Marla Mindelle (writer) and Constantine Rousouli (writer) for Titanique at Criterion Theatre
- Darren Clark (music and lyrics) and Jethro Compton (book and lyrics) for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre
- Justin Craig (musical director and orchestrator) for Stereophonic at the Duke of York’s Theatre
- Benedict Lombe (playwright) for Shifters at the Duke of York’s Theatre
- Mark Rosenblatt (playwright) for Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre
- Amit Sharma (director) for Retrograde at Apollo Theatre
What They Said
Host Julian Clary said: “It is a true pleasure to host this annual celebration of emerging talent in the theatre industry where we will honour the artistry, creativity and dedication of the newest voices shaping the future of the stage. I look forward to celebrating the extraordinary promise of these rising stars.”
The Stage editor Alistair Smith said: “Judging The Stage Debut Awards was as thrilling as it was challenging. The sheer breadth and brilliance of emerging talent across the UK made narrowing down our longlist of more than 200 eligible theatremakers no easy task. For the first time, our shortlists include nominees from productions staged in all four nations of the UK — a real testament to the geographical spread and vibrancy of theatremaking today. We’re also proud to recognise artists working at every scale: from performers and creatives in blockbuster West End musicals to those making their mark in some of the UK’s most intimate fringe spaces. This year’s nominees truly embody the future of British theatre, and I can’t wait to celebrate their achievements.”
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