Several shows that were winners or nominees at the 40th anniversary Olivier Awards on Sunday are also recognised this week in the second-annual Also Recognised Awards, in a range of notably different categories. The full list of winners is announced today in this audience-voted, industry accolade set up by theatre commentators Mark Shenton and Terri Paddock to celebrate lesser-known but equally worthy talent in fields overlooked by other awards bodies.
The cast of The Phantom of the Opera collect their Also Recognised certificate
Winner of the 11 Also Recognised (#AlsoRecognised) awards categories also includes four shows and two performers featured on Stage Faves.
- Kinky Boots garners the Also Recognised prize for Best Original Music for Cyndi Lauper. At the Oliviers, Kinky Boots won Best New Musical and where Lauper was also individually nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music, but lost out to Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights.
- Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre was the most successful production on Sunday night with four Olivier wins. In the Also Recognised Awards, Nicholas Skilbeck wins the prize for Best Musical Direction for his work on the show. At their inauguration in 2015, the Also Recognised became the first UK awards to include Best Musical Direction, launched with the backing of industry lobbyists, director Andrew Keates and musical director Mike Dixon.
- Bugsy Malone, which lost out to Gypsy for Best Musical Revival at the Oliviers, wins Best Ensemble Performance in the Also Recognised Awards. The production, which returns to Lyric Hammersmith in June after its extended, sell-out 2015 run, is performed by three casts aged 9 to 19.
- The Phantom of the Opera, which won the Olivier Audience Award for long-running West End show is singled out for marketing creativity in the Also Recognised Awards, winning Best Twitter Engagement. We concur: @PhantomOpera definitely Gets Social!
Natalie Dew is Also Recognised as Newcomer of the year
Amongst the musical performers:
Natalie Dew takes the Also Recognised Award for London Newcomer of the Year for her critically-acclaimed musical debut in the leading role of Bend It Like Beckham. Natalie was also nominated for Best Actress in a Musical at the Oliviers this year.
And, in a new category this year for the Also Recognised Awards, Cynthia Erivo shares in the Best Musical Cabaret prize for her evening at St James Studio last year with American songwriter Scott Alan. Erivo is currently wowing audiences on Broadway, starring opposite Jennifer Hudson in The Color Purple.
Recap of musical winners
- Best Musical Direction – Nicholas Skilbeck for Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
- Best Original Music – Cyndi Lauper for Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
- Best Ensemble Performance – Bugsy Malone at the Lyric Hammersmith
- Best Musical Cabaret – Scott Alan & Cynthia Erivo at St James Studio
- London Newcomer of the Year – Natalie Dew for Bend It Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre
- Best Twitter Engagement – The Phantom of the Opera (@PhantomOpera) at Her Majesty’s Theatre
