The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included se ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

and physical theatre. Over forty awards are given to productions, festivals and concerts, and for individuals for their work in performance, direction, choreography, lighting, sound, music, costume and scenic design. They are named in honour of ballet dancer, choreographer, director and actor

Sir Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann CBE ( Helpman, 9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (n ...

. The awards are the Australian equivalent of the United States'

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...

and the United Kingdom's Laurence Olivier Awards for

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194� ...

History

The Helpmann Awards were established in 2001 by the Australian Entertainment Industry Association (now known as Live Performance Australia (LPA)). They are named in honour of Australian actor, choreographer, dancer and theatre director,

. At the inaugural Helpmann Awards, twenty six accolades were handed out for achievements in

performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

, direction,

choreography Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayl ...

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

and scenic design and production, in the disciplines of

and physical theatre. Over the years the categories expanded and now include many more honours.

Aims and description

The aim of the awards is to promote Australia's

live entertainment Artisan Entertainment (formerly known as U.S.A. Home Video, International Video Entertainment (IVE) and LIVE Entertainment) was an American film studio and home video company. It was considered one of the largest mini-major film studios until ...

industry, both locally and internationally, by: recognising artistic achievements; administering the awards with integrity; ensuring the awards are celebrated by the industry and Australian community; and ensuring the ceremony is the most prestigious awards in the local industry and the highlight of each season. Special non-competitive prizes are also bestowed upon individuals: the JC Williamson Award (named after theatre manager James Cassius Williamson), for one's life's work in Australia's live entertainment industry. This is the highest honour presented by Live Performance Australia. Other special awards are the Sue Nattrass Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in a field without high public profile, the Brian Stacey Memorial Award, and an award for Best Special Event.

Eligibility and voting

To be eligible for the Helpmann Awards, a production must: be produced or presented by an LPA Member, or professionally produced by a non-Member that has paid an Industry Service Fee for the production; fall within the artistic or industry award categories; and officially open in Australia during the season (or for Best Regional Touring Production Award, undertake its first Australian regional tour during the season). Exemptions from the entry criteria can be granted in exceptional circumstances by a committee consisting of the LPA president, chief executive and chair of the Helpmann Awards Administration Committee (HAAC). Nine nominating panels determine the nominees for their respective fields. These are: cabaret, children's presentation, comedy, contemporary music, dance and physical theatre, industry awards, musicals, opera and classical music, and theatre. The nominating panels comprises artists, creatives, arts administrators, writers, journalists, producers, promoters, venue managers and educators. The HAAC selects the chair of each panel, who in turn chooses the members of their respective fields. The nominations are then determined by each of them, who choose four per category. The winners are determined in a secret online ballot by the voters who are employees of LPA members, panelists and previous Helpmann winners and nominees.

Award categories

The award categories are currently: ;Theatre * Best Play * Best Direction of a Play * Best Male Actor in a Play * Best Female Actor in a Play * Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Play * Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Play ;Musicals * Best Musical * Best Direction of a Musical * Best Choreography in a Musical * Best Male Actor in a Musical * Best Female Actor in a Musical * Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical * Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Musical ;Opera and classical music * Best Opera * Best Symphony Orchestra Concert * Best Chamber and Instrumental Ensemble Concert * Best Direction of an Opera * Best Male Performer in an Opera * Best Female Performer in an Opera * Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role – Opera * Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role – Opera * Best Individual Classical Music Performance ;Dance and physical theatre *Best Ballet *Best Dance Production * Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production * Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production * Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production * Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production ;Contemporary music * Best International Contemporary Concert * Best Australian Contemporary Concert * Best Contemporary Music Festival ;Other * Best Regional Touring Production * Best Comedy Performer * Best Cabaret Performer * Best Presentation for Children ;Industry * Best New Australian Work * Best Original Score * Best Music Direction * Best Costume Design * Best Scenic Design * Best Lighting Design * Best Sound Design ;Special awards * JC Williamson Award * Sue Nattrass Award * Brian Stacey Memorial Award * Best Special Event ;Retired * Best Ballet or Dance Work *Best Classical Concert Presentation * Best Contemporary Concert Presentation *Best Live Music Presentation * Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert

Ceremony

The annual Helpmann Awards ceremony is usually held between May and September. They have been variously held in Sydney at the Star City Show Room,

Sydney Lyric Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains ...

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

and the Capitol Theatre, and at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Australian stage and screen actor Simon Burke has presided over the event seven times, the most of any other person, from 2001 to 2006, and again in 2012. The awards have been broadcast since 2004 on various

Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...

channels, and since 2018 live on

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

Each year is linked to the full list of winners and nominees from that year following the ceremony.

References

External links

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Helpmann Awards trophy picture
{{Helpmann Awards Australian theatre awards Australian music awards