1979 Laurence Olivier Awards
Winners and nominees from the Laurence Olivier Awards.
1979 Laurence Olivier Awards
Note: Award winners appear on a red background.
| Category | Nominee | Show |
|---|---|---|
| Actor of the Year in a Musical | Ben Cross | Chicago |
| Actor of the Year in a Musical | Michael Crawford | Flowers For Algernon |
| Actor of the Year in a Musical | Tony Britton | My Fair Lady |
| Actor of the Year in a Musical | Anton Rodgers | Songbook |
| Actor of the Year in a New Play | Ian McKellen | Bent |
| Actor of the Year in a New Play | Michael Gambon | Betrayal |
| Actor of the Year in a New Play | Dinsdale Landen | Bodies |
| Actor of the Year in a New Play | John Standing | Close Of Play |
| Actor of the Year in a Revival | Warren Mitchell | Death Of A Salesman |
| Actor of the Year in a Revival | Michael Bryant | Strife |
| Actor of the Year in a Revival | Patrick Stewart | The Merchant Of Venice |
| Actor of the Year in a Revival | Jonathan Pryce | The Taming Of The Shrew |
| Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role | Patrick Stewart | Antony And Cleopatra |
| Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role | Stephen Greif | Death Of A Salesman |
| Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role | David Suchet | Once In A Lifetime |
| Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role | Michael Bryant | Undiscovered Country |
| Actress of the Year in a Musical | Antonia Ellis | Chicago |
| Actress of the Year in a Musical | Carol Channing | Hello, Dolly! |
| Actress of the Year in a Musical | Liz Robertson | My Fair Lady |
| Actress of the Year in a Musical | Virginia McKenna | The King And I |
| Actress of the Year in a New Play | Gemma Jones | And A Nightingale Sang |
| Actress of the Year in a New Play | Jane Lapotaire | Piaf |
| Actress of the Year in a New Play | Jessica Tandy | The Gin Game |
| Actress of the Year in a New Play | Constance Cummings | Wings |
| Actress of the Year in a Revival | Glenda Jackson | Antony And Cleopatra |
| Actress of the Year in a Revival | Billie Whitelaw | Happy Days |
| Actress of the Year in a Revival | Zoe Wanamaker | Once In A Lifetime, RSC |
| Actress of the Year in a Revival | Paola Dionisotti | The Taming Of The Shrew |
| Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role | Patricia Routledge | And A Nightingale Sang |
| Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role | Doreen Mantle | Death Of A Salesman |
| Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role | Alison Fiske | For Services Rendered |
| Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role | Carmen Du Sautoy | Once In A Lifetime |
| Comedy of the Year | Michael Frayn | Clouds |
| Comedy of the Year | Roger Hall | Middle Age Spread |
| Comedy of the Year | Richard Harris | Outside Edge |
| Comedy Performance of the Year | Barry Humphries | A Night With Dame Edna |
| Comedy Performance of the Year | Oscar James | Gloo Joo |
| Comedy Performance of the Year | Richard Griffiths | Once In A Lifetime |
| Comedy Performance of the Year | Maureen Lipman | Outside Edge |
| Designer of the Year | Carl Toms | For Services Rendered |
| Designer of the Year | John Napier | Once In A Lifetime |
| Designer of the Year | John Bury | Strife |
| Designer of the Year | William Dudley | Undiscovered Country |
| Director of the Year | Michael Rudman | Death Of A Salesman |
| Director of the Year | Trevor Nunn | Once In A Lifetime |
| Director of the Year | Michael Elliott | The Family Reunion |
| Director of the Year | Michael Bogdanov | The Taming Of The Shrew |
| Musical of the Year | Julian Moore | Songbook |
| Musical of the Year | Murray Horwitz, Richard Maltby and Luther Henderson | Ain't Misbehavin |
| Musical of the Year | Jack Rosenthal, Don Black andJulie Styne. | Bar Mitzvah Boy |
| Musical of the Year | John Kander, Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb | Chicago |
| Musical of the Year | Monty Norman | Songbook |
| Outstanding Achievement in Opera | The Royal Opera | Die Zauberflote |
| Outstanding Achievement in Opera | English National Opera | Manon |
| Outstanding Achievement in Opera | English National Opera | The Adventures Of Mr Broucek |
| Outstanding Achievement in Opera | The Royal Opera | The Rake's Progress |
| Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet | The Tempest | Ballet Rambert |
| Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet | Peter Schaufuss | London Festival Ballet's La Sylphide |
| Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Ballet | Kenneth MacMillan | Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet's Playground |
| Play of the Year | Harold Pinter | Betrayal |
| Play of the Year | Tom Stoppard | Night And Day |
| Play of the Year | Arthur Conan Doyle | The Crucifer Of Blood |
| Play of the Year | Arthur Schnitzler | Undiscovered Country |
| The Society's Special Award | Lord Olivier | |
Vote in the BroadwayWorld Stage Recording Awards (voting open through April 3, 2026).