Winners announced at the UK Theatre Awards 2025 sponsored by Encore
Sheffield Theatres & Storyhouse secure two wins each
Northampton’s Royal & Derngate receives the prestigious UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award
Carlos Acosta CBE is honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award
Sunday 12 October 2025: The winners of the UK Theatre Awards 2025 have been announced today at a ceremony hosted by Faye Tozer. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nominees from across all four nations attended this afternoon’s celebration, which took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, supported by headline sponsor Encore.
Amidst a strong contingent of nominated venues, the North of England leads the way with Sheffield Theatres and Chester’s Storyhouse securing two wins each. Sheffield’s co-productions KENREX (Best Performance in a Play for Jack Holden, co-produced with Aria Entertainment) and Pig Heart Boy (Best Show for Children & Young People, co-produced with Children’s Theatre Partnership & Unicorn Theatre) triumphed in their respective categories, whilst Storyhouse picked up wins for The Parent Agency (Best Performance in a Musical for Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis,co-produced with Scenario Two) and Excellence in Inclusivity.
Elsewhere in the On Stage categories, Georgie Henley took home the award for Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play) for The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs (a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production), Prasanna Puwanarajah won Best Director for Twelfth Night (a Royal Shakespeare Company production), and Kei Ishihara/BlankRD (Scenography), Sacico Ito/Brucke (Costume Design), Simon Wilkinson (Lighting Design) & Ailie Cohen (Puppet Design) collectively secured the award for Best Design for Confessions Of A Shinagawa Monkey (a Vanishing Point & Kanagawa Arts Theatre co-production in association with Tramway in partnership with Dundee Rep & The Japan Foundation).
Jesus Christ Superstar (a Watermill Theatre production by arrangement with LW Entertainment) won for Best Musical Production, Flumps (a Mercury Original production in association with The Thelmas) for Best New Play, and Animal Farm (a Leeds Playhouse & Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse) for Best Play Revival. Achievement in Dance was awarded to Natural Behaviourby Thick & Tight, and Achievement in Opera to Welsh National Opera for Peter Grimes (a WNO production).
Alongside Storyhouse for Excellence in Inclusivity, Off Stage Award winners were Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, winning Excellence in Arts Education for their touring theatre intervention production Cross The Line, Theatre By The Lake, picking up Excellence in Touring for Steel: Regional & National Tour, BEAM, Hertford for Excellence in Sustainability, and Orchard Theatre & Orchard West Theatre for Excellence in Workforce Culture.
The highly anticipated winner of the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award was Royal & Derngate, with close competition from fellow nominees Birmingham Rep and Shakespeare North Playhouse. Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, was also honoured at the ceremony, receiving the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award in recognition of his extraordinary career both on and off stage, and his commitment to broadening access to dance across the UK and internationally.
Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said:
“This year’s UK Theatre Awards have once again shone a spotlight on the breadth and brilliance of work taking place across the UK. From inspiring community projects to world-class productions, the talent and dedication of our members makes us immensely proud.
“Our congratulations go to all of the winners and nominees, and our thanks to the sponsors and partners who make these awards possible. It’s been a joy to celebrate another remarkable year of UK theatre with you all.”
The UK Theatre Awards 2025 are sponsored by Encore, the premier provider of lighting equipment for theatre productions across the UK, including London’s West End, Off-West End, Europe, and Asia, as well as numerous UK and international tours.
Special thanks to our partners ATG Entertainment, ConcepTonic, Harbottle & Lewis, John Good, Nimbus Disability, Theatre Tokens, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Trafalgar Theatres, Tysers Live in association with Ecclesiastical and Unusual Rigging.
Full list of winners at the UK Theatre Awards 2025
On Stage Awards:
Best Musical Production sponsored by Tysers Live
Jesus Christ Superstar, a Watermill Theatre production by arrangement with LW Entertainment
Best New Play sponsored by Ecclesiastical
Flumps, a Mercury Original production in association with The Thelmas
Best Play Revival
Animal Farm, a Leeds Playhouse & Stratford East co-production in association with Nottingham Playhouse
Best Director
Prasanna Puwanarajah for Twelfth Night, a Royal Shakespeare Company production
Best Performance in a Musical
Rakesh Boury & Rebecca McKinnis for The Parent Agency, a Scenario Two & Storyhouse co-production
Best Performance in a Play
Jack Holden for KENREX, a Sheffield Theatres & Aria Entertainment co-production
Best Supporting Performance (in a Musical or Play)
Georgie Henley for The Ministry Of Lesbian Affairs, a Kiln Theatre, Antic Productions & Damsel Productions co-production
Best Design
Kei Ishihara/BlankRD for Scenography, Sacico Ito/Brucke for Costume Design, Simon Wilkinson for Lighting Design & Ailie Cohen for Puppet Design for Confessions Of A Shinagawa Monkey, a Vanishing Point & Kanagawa Arts Theatre co-production in association with Tramway in partnership with Dundee Rep & The Japan Foundation
Best Show for Children & Young People
Pig Heart Boy, a Children’s Theatre Partnership, Unicorn Theatre & Sheffield Theatres co-production
Achievement in Dance
Natural Behaviour by Thick & Tight
Achievement in Opera
Welsh National Opera for Peter Grimes, a WNO production
Off Stage Awards:
Excellence in Arts Education
Lyric Hammersmith Theatre for Cross The Line
Excellence in Touring sponsored by Theatre Tokens
Theatre By The Lake for Steel: Regional & National Tour
Excellence in Inclusivity sponsored by ATG Entertainment
Storyhouse
Excellence in Sustainability
BEAM, Hertford
Excellence in Workforce Culture
Orchard Theatre & Orchard West Theatre
UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre sponsored by Encore
Royal & Derngate
Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre
Carlos Acosta CBE
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