Nicole Kidman, who has just completed her run in Photograph 51 won the Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress with McAvoy awarded Best Actor for his role in Jamie Lloyd’s production of The Ruling Class.
Imelda Staunton took home Best Musical Performance for her role as Mama Rose in Chichester Festival Theatre’s West End transfer of Gypsy.
Kinky Boots beat fellow musical hits Assassins, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Bend It Like Beckham The Musical and Gypsy to be crowned winner of the public-voted Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical.
The Royal Court took home the most prizes on the night, winning in the Best Design, (Anna Fleischle for Hangmen), Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright (Molly Davies for God Bless The Child) and Emerging Talent Award in partnership with Burberry (David Moorst for Violence And Son) categories.
Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Motherfucker With The Hat won Best Play with Robert Icke awarded Best Director for his production of Oresteia at the Almeida.
The Royal Court was awarded the most prizes, winning in the Best Design, (Anna Fleischle for Hangmen), Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright (Molly Davies for God Bless The Child) and Emerging Talent Award in partnership with Burberry (David Moorst for Violence And Son) categories.
Other prizes awarded went to actress Vanessa Redgrave, who was presented the Editor’s Award by her daughter Joely Richardson and nominee Ralph Fiennes, and musical legend Stephen Sondheim, who received the Lebedev Award from co-hosts Judi Dench and Ian McKellen.
The 61st Evening Standard Awards were held on 22 November 2016 at the Old Vic.
Full list of winners:
Best Actor
James McAvoy for The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studios
Natasha Richardson Award for Best Actress
Nicole Kidman for Photograph 51, Noël Coward Theatre
Best Play
The Motherf**ker With The Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis), National Theatre
Milton Shulman Award for Best Director
Robert Icke for Oresteia, Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios
Best Design
Anna Fleischle, Hangmen, Royal Court
Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright
Molly Davies for God Bless The Child, Royal Court
Emerging Talent Award in Partnership with Burberry
David Moorst for Violence And Son, Royal Court
Best Musical Performance
Imelda Staunton for Gypsy, Savoy Theatre
Newcomer in a Musical
Gemma Arterton for Made In Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre
Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical
Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre
Beyond Theatre
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Editor’s Award
Vanessa Redgrave
Lebedev Award
Stephen Sondheim