The Stage Debut Awards are theatre awards recognising individuals making their professional debuts in the performing arts in the UK. The annual ceremony was launched in 2017 by

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

and include accolades for Best Performer in a Play, Best Writer, Best Designer and the Best West End Debut Performer. Recipients of these awards have gone on to star in West End shows, television series and films. The awards ceremony is held annually at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London. In 2019, the awards relocated to a new venue, The Brewery, London. In 2020, the Best Actor in a Play and Best Actress in a Play awards were updated to Best Performer in a Play and the Best Actor in a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical awards were updated to Best Performer in a Musical.

Judging process

Eligible nominees must be aged 16 or over, and making their professional debut in a named role in a production reviewed by The Stage. For acting roles this should be a first named role. The Stage's nationwide network of theatre critics put forward nominees from productions they have reviewed. Performers, writers, directors, designers and composers making their stage debut (and their agents) are also able to nominate themselves online for consideration. The public can also nominate individuals for each category. Industry professionals from across the UK are then invited to give their input into the longlist. These advisors have included producer Danielle Tarento, casting director David Grindrod, David Jubb,

Battersea Arts Centre The Battersea Arts Centre ("BAC") is a performance space specialising in Theater, theatre productions. Located near Clapham Junction railway station in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, it was formerly Battersea Town Hall. It is a ...

, designer

Es Devlin Esmeralda Devlin (; born 24 September 1971) is an English artist and stage designer who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms. She has received several accolades including a Tony Award ...

, Hannah Miller,

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

; James Grieve,

Paines Plough Paines Plough is a British touring theatre company founded in 1974, currently led by artistic directors Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner. The company commissions, develops and produces new plays for touring, and helps playwrights develop their ...

; Jenny Sealey,

Graeae In Greek mythology, the Graeae (; ''Graiai'', , alternatively spelled Graiai), also called the Grey Sisters and the Phorcides (), were three sisters who had gray hair from their birth and shared one eye and one tooth among them. They were the ...

; Jimmy Fay, Lyric Theatre; Laura Donnelly,

National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...

; Madani Younis,

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. Artistic Directors * Brian McDermott ...

; director

Michael Grandage Michael Grandage Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 2 May 1962) is a British theatre director and producer. He is currently artistic director of the Michael Grandage Company. From 2002 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse ...

; actor

Noma Dumezweni Noma Dumezweni (born 28 July 1969) is a South African-British actress. In 2006, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her performance as Ruth Younger in '' A Raisin in the Sun'' at the Lyric Hammersmith ...

, designer

Paule Constable Paule Constable is a British lighting designer. She is an Associate Director for the National Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and Matthew Bourne's company New Adventures. Early life and education Originally from North Devon and grown up in a m ...

; Pravesh Kumar, Rifco; actor

Preeya Kalidas Preeya Kalidas (born 21 June 1980) is an English singer and actress. She played Amira Masood in the soap opera ''EastEnders'', from 2009 to 2012. She released the single "Shimmy" in July 2010, taken from her proposed debut album ''(I'm Over It) ...

; Sam Hodges, Nuffield Southampton Theatres; producer

Sonia Friedman Sonia Friedman is a British West End and Broadway theatre producer. On 27 January 2017, Friedman was named Producer of the Year for the third year running at The Stage Awards, becoming the first person to win the award three times. In 2018, ...

; Tom Morris,

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

; and Wendy Spon, National Theatre. The judging panel decide on the shortlist and winners in all categories, except the Best West End Debut where the shortlist is voted on by the public. The Best West End Debut award recognises those who are making their professional debut in London's West End. This includes individuals who have previously made their debut outside of the West End.

Ceremony

In 2017, the inaugural The Stage Debut Awards Ceremony took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London, on September 17. The ceremony was hosted by West End leading man, Ben Forster. Categories Presenters included director

, actor Sharon D. Clarke, actor

Rachel Tucker Rachel Kelly Tucker (born 29 May 1981) is a Northern Irish stage actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the musical '' Wicked''. She also starred in '' Come from Away'' on Broadway, having originated the role in the West End. Rachel ...

, Theatre owner

Nica Burns Lounica Maureen Patricia "Nica" Burns (born August 1954) is a London theatre producer and co-owner with her business partner Max Weitzenhoffer of the Nimax Theatres group, comprising six West End theatres: the Palace, Lyric, Apollo, Garrick ...

, National Theatre director

Rufus Norris Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 f ...

and actor

Kenneth Cranham Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a British film, television, radio and stage actor. His most notable screen roles were in '' Oliver!'' (1968), '' Up Pompeii'' (1971), '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988), '' Chocolat'' (1988), '' Layer ...

. Exclusive performances at the ceremony were from

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

and the National Theatre's

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...

. In 2018, the ceremony took place on September 23 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London. The ceremony was hosted by

Cush Jumbo Cush Jumbo (born 23 September 1985) is a British actress and writer. She is best known for her leading role as attorney Lucca Quinn in the CBS drama series ''The Good Wife'' (2015–2016) and the Paramount Plus spin-off series ''The Good Figh ...

and the Category Presenters included director

, actor

Ruthie Henshall Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...

, singer

, actor

Jodie Prenger Jodie Christine Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known for winning the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006 and the BBC talent show '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008, the latter of which subsequently laun ...

, and lighting designer

. Exclusive performances at the ceremony were from

Anaïs Mitchell Anaïs Mitchell (; born March 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including ''Hadestown (album), Hadestown'' (2010), ''Young Man in America'' (2012),Miriam-Teak Lee Miriam-Teak Lee (born 1 November 1994) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Juliet Capulet in ''& Juliet'', for which she won a 2020 Laurence Olivier Awards, 2020 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Laurence Oli ...

. In 2019, the ceremony took place at The Brewery, London, on September 15. The ceremony was hosted by

, and the exclusive performances were by

and

Amara Okereke Amarachi Weruche A. Okereke (born 27 November 1996) is a Nigerian English actress. She is known for her work in theatre. Early life and education Okereke was born in North Tyneside in 1996, the only daughter of two Nigerian medical professionals ...

. Category Presenters included actor

Giles Terera Giles Terera (born 14 December 1976) is a British actor, musician, and filmmaker. He is best known for his work in the theatre, particularly in the original cast of the London production of the musical ''Hamilton'', as Aaron Burr, for which h ...

, actor

Michael Xavier Michael D. Xavier (born Michael David Smith; 27 November 1977) is an English actor and singer. He is a two-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee and has performed on Broadway and in the West End. Early life Michael David Smith (later known as M ...

, singer

Brenda Edwards Brenda Claudina Susan Edwards (' Artman; born 2 March 1969) is an English singer, actress, television personality and presenter. In 2005, she finished in fourth place on the second series of ''The X Factor''. Since 2019, she has been a weekly p ...

, actor

Janie Dee Janie Dee (born 20 June 1962) is a British actress. She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress, Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Play, and in New York the Obie and Theatre World Award for Best N ...

, actor

Mark Gatiss Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...

, and playwright

Inua Ellams Inua Marc Mohammed Onore de Ellams II (born 23 October 1984) is a Nigerian-born British poet, playwright and performer. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to the arts. E ...

. The first digital ceremony was hosted as a free online event in 2020 by

Miriam-Teak Lee Miriam-Teak Lee (born 1 November 1994) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Juliet Capulet in ''& Juliet'', for which she won a 2020 Laurence Olivier Awards, 2020 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Laurence Oli ...

(winner of Best Actress in a Musical in 2017) on 27 September and featured an exclusive performance was from SpitLip (winner of the 2019 Best Composer/Lyricist awards). In 2021, no ceremony took place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In 2022, the ceremony took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London on Sunday, September 18. The ceremony was hosted by

Susan Wokoma Susan Indiaba Wokoma (born 31 December 1987) is a British actress. She is best known for her roles as Edith in the '' Enola Holmes'' films'','' Cynthia in ''Chewing Gum,'' Raquel in the E4/Netflix show '' Crazyhead'' and Fola in ''Cheaters.'' ...

, and exclusive performances were by Shan Ako, Samuel Thomas,

Frances Mayli McCann Frances Mayli McCann is a Scottish actress. Known for her work in theatre, she is the recipient of Laurence Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award nominations. Her roles include Bonnie Parker in '' Bonnie & Clyde'' and Daisy Buchanan in ''The Great Gats ...

and

Natalie Paris Natalie May Paris (born 6 July 1994) is a British stage actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for originating the role of Jane Seymour in the hit musical ''SIX'', she was nominated for the Olivier Award as Best Actress in a Supporting R ...

. Category Presenters included actor

Amanda Abbington Amanda Abbington (born ) is an English actress. In a career spanning over thirty years on stage and screen, her most prominent roles include Josie Mardle in ''Mr Selfridge'' (2013–2016) and Mary Morstan in '' Sherlock'' (2014–2017). Her ot ...

, director

Jamie Lloyd Jamie Lloyd is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the ''Halloween'' franchise. Introduced in '' Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers'' as the series' new protagonist after Jamie Lee Curtis declined to return as Laurie ...

, singer-songwriter and performer Louise Rednapp, singer

Jay McGuiness James "Jay" McGuiness (born 24 July 1990) is a British singer, songwriter, actor and author best known as a vocalist with boy band The Wanted. In 2015, partnered with Aliona Vilani, he won the 13th series of BBC's '' Strictly Come Dancing''. ...

, actor Matt Henry and theatre designer

Anna Fleischle Anna Fleischle is a theatre designer who has worked in theatre, dance and opera. In 2007 Fleischle designed ''Love and Money'' at the new Maria, Young Vic, which was nominated for an Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in an affiliate t ...

. In 2023, the ceremony took place at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London on Sunday, October 1. The ceremony was hosted by

Divina de Campo Owen Richard Farrow, known professionally as Divina de Campo, is an English drag queen, singer, and actor, best known for competing in the first series of ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'', eventually finishing as runner-up. Early life Growing up, Farr ...

, and the exclusive performances were by Emily Benjamin,

Zizi Strallen Sylphide Charity Vaigncourt-Strallen (born 1 November 1990), known professionally as Zizi Strallen, is a British actress, singer and dancer best known for playing Mary Poppins in the Cameron Mackintosh theatrical production of ''Mary Poppins''. ...

and Rachael Wooding. Category Presenters included actor

Callum Scott Howells Callum Scott Howells (born 29 April 1999) is a Welsh actor and singer. He is best known for portraying Colin Morris-Jones on the Channel 4 drama ''It's a Sin'' (2021). Early life and education Howells was born in Pontypridd to parents Alison and ...

, singer

Faye Tozer Faye Louise Tozer Smith (born 14 November 1975) is an English singer and actress, best known as a member of the pop group Steps. Career Music Steps are a pop group that have had a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2020. Their name ...

, director

Rebecca Frecknall Rebecca Frecknall is a British theatre director best known for directing the 2021 West End revival of ''Cabaret (musical)#2021 West End revival, Cabaret'' starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. The show received the 2022 Olivier Award for ...

, lighting designer Prem Mehta, writer Morgan Lloyd Malcom, actor John Partridge, actor

Bertie Carvel Robert Hugh Carvel (born 6 September 1977) is a British film and theatre actor. He has twice won a Laurence Olivier Award: for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Miss Trunchbull in '' Matilda the Musical'', and for Best ...

and actor

Omari Douglas Omari Shaquille Douglas (born 24 March 1994) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Roscoe Babatunde in the Channel 4 drama ''It's a Sin'' (2021). He has received nominations for a British Academy Television Award and a Laurence Olivi ...

. In 2024, the ceremony will take place on Sunday, September 29.

Previous winners

References

{{reflist British theatre awards Awards established in 2017 2017 establishments in the United Kingdom