THE EDIT, GRIEF IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS, and More Receive 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards Nominations; Full List

Nominations were announced for the 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards, which will be presented at an industry gala ceremony on Monday 19 January 2026 at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre.

Nominations in the 28 categories were spread across 56 different productions, which played on Sydney stages during 2025. Leading the list with nine nominations is The Edit (Unlikely Productions, Legit Theatre Company and 25A), while Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents) and Sistren (Green Door Theatre in association with Griffin Theatre Company) received eight. Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co) received seven nominations, and The Player Kings (Sport for Jove) and Bright Star (Sport for Jove in association with Hayes Theatre Co) both received six.

The nominees for Best Mainstage Production are Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents), Jacky (Belvoir), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company) and The Player Kings (Sport for Jove). The nominees for Best Independent Production are Cruise (Fruit Box Theatre), The Edit (Unlikely Productions, Legit Theatre Company and 25A), Fewer Emergencies (The Company Theatre) and Sistren (Green Door Theatre in association with Griffin Theatre Company). Vying for Best Production of a Musical are Bright Star (Sport for Jove in association with Hayes Theatre Co), Hadestown (Jones Theatrical and Opera Australia), Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co) and The Producers (Joshua Robson Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co).

Cassie Tongue, who regularly reviews for The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald and the Saturday Paper, said, “Despite a financial crisis in the arts, Sydney's theatre scene continues to keep live performance alive across all corners of the city — offering entertainment, insight and community to all of us who love to sit in dark rooms and experience a group of artists hold up mirrors and show us hundreds of different ways to be human, working through big feelings and big ideas that remind us that we are not alone. Bright, ambitious and honest gems abound in the list of nominations, even in a year where making any work at all feels like a small miracle: this is a sector of which we can all be immensely proud.”

"Across 2025 there was a desire to expand the richness and diversity of storytelling we see in Sydney's independent theatres,” added Justin Clarke, Editor of Theatre Thoughts. “Through creatives across the sector facing the challenges arising from the rising cost of living, we saw breakout solo performances, gripping two-handers and compelling narratives told in new and exciting ways. Alongside the revisiting of contemporary plays, there was a large focus on making new and original works with diverse voices at the forefront. Ultimately, the independent artists and creatives showed once more that they're the true backbone of the arts industry in Australia.”

The Sydney Theatre Awards was founded in 2005 by a group of Sydney's leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength and diversity of Sydney's theatre artists and productions. Judging panels include prominent industry specialists and theatre critics who see all eligible productions in their sector and vote on the nominations.

Peter Lowry AM, President of the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, said, “As avid theatre goers, many of us have attended the shows and seen the performances that will be honoured at the 2025 Sydney Theatre Awards. We congratulate all nominees, and we commend the Board and Judging Panels responsible for the Awards, now in its 21st year.”

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Belvoir and Andrew Henry Presents)

Jacky (Belvoir)

Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company)

The Player Kings (Sport for Jove)

 

BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Cruise (Fruit Box Theatre)

The Edit (Unlikely Productions, Legit Theatre Company and 25A)

Fewer Emergencies (The Company Theatre)

Sistren (Green Door Theatre in association with Griffin Theatre Company)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Sarah Goodes (The Talented Mr Ripley)

Ian Michael (Picnic at Hanging Rock)

Simon Phillips (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

Damien Ryan (The Player Kings)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Sean Landis (Cruise)

Ian Michael (Sistren)

Gabrielle Scawthorn (The Edit)

Nigel Turner-Carroll (Port)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Joseph Althouse (Whitefella Yella Tree)

Will McDonald (The Talented Mr Ripley)

Albert Mwangi (Primary Trust)

Toby Schmitz (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

Guy Simon (Jacky)

Kat Stewart (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Janet Anderson (Sistren)

Meg Clarke (Iphigenia in Splott)

Iolanthe (The Edit)

Sharon Millerchip (Born on a Thursday)

Fraser Morrison (Cruise)

Matilda Ridgway (The Edit)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Danny Howard (Jacky)

Phillip Lynch (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

Angela Mahlatjie (Primary Trust)

Greg Stone (Jacky)

Megan Wilding (Big Girls Don’t Cry)

Shirong Wu (4000 Miles)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Deborah Galanos (Saints of Damour)

Julian Garner (Furious Mattress)

Faisal Hamza (Dear Elena Sergeevna)

James Lugton (Born on a Thursday)

Tim McGarry (The Seagull)

Mây Trần (These Youths)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Jeremy Allen (The Shiralee)

Kate Beere (The Player Kings)

Nick Schlieper and Simon Phillips with Craig Wilkinson and Jon Weber (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

Anna Tregloan (Henry 5)

 

BEST STAGE DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Soham Apte (Mary Jane)

Ruby Jenkins (The Edit)

Hannah Tayler and Paris Bell (Lost & Finding)

Emma White (Sistren)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Dann Barber (Meow Meow’s The Red Shoes)

Kate Beere, Ruby Jenkins and Lily Moody (The Player Kings)

Ella Butler and Hailley Hunt (Orlando)

Emma White (The Talented Mr Ripley)

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Kate Beere (Eureka Day)

Lily Mateljan (IRL)

Emelia Simcox (Cowbois)

Helen Wojtas and Mitchell Bourke (Taming of the Shrew)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Damien Cooper (The Talented Mr Ripley)

Matt cox (The Player Kings)

Matthew Marshall (The 39 Steps)

Nick Schlieper (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Kelsey Lee (Sistren)

Topaz Marlay-Cole (IRL)

Ryan McDonald (Furious Mattress)

Phoebe Pilcher (The Edit)

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

Sabyasachi (Rahul) Bhattacharya and Steve Francis (The Wrong Gods)

Steve Francis (The Talented Mr Ripley)

Daniel Herten and Freya Schack-Arnott (Grief is the Thing with Feathers)

Jethro Woodward (Henry 5)

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN AND COMPOSITION OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

Alyx Dennison (The Edit)

Daniel Herten (Sistren)

Tom Hogan (Birdsong of Tomorrow)

Chelsea Wheatley (Cruise)

 

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

The Edit (Gabrielle Scawthorn)

Grief is the Thing with Feathers (Simon Phillips, Nick Schlieper & Toby Schmitz)

Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Steven Kramer)

The Seagull (Saro Lusty-Cavallari)

Sistren (Iolanthe)

 

BEST NEWCOMER

Alexandra Cashmere (The Producers)

Danny Howard (Jacky / Whitefella Yella Tree)

Iolanthe (Sistren / The Edit)

Heather Jeong (Koreaboo)

Aliyah Knight (Snakeface)

 

BEST ENSEMBLE

Bright Star (Sport for Jove)

Eureka Day (Outhouse Theatre Company)

Picnic at Hanging Rock (Sydney Theatre Company)

The Player Kings (Sport for Jove)

 

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL

Bright Star (Sport for Jove and Hayes Theatre Co)

Hadestown (Jones Theatrical and Opera Australia)

Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical (Hayes Theatre Co)

The Producers (Joshua Robson Productions and Hayes Theatre Co)

 

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Alexander Berlage (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

Sheridan Harbridge (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

Julia Robertson (The Producers)

Damien Ryan and Miranda Middleton (Bright Star)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Joel Granger (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

Amy Hack (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

Hannah McInerney (Bright Star)

Seann Miley Moore (Hedwig And The Angry Inch)

Lyndon Watts (Candide)

 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Alexandra Cashmere (The Producers)

Calista Nelmes (Rent)

Elenoa Rokobaro (Hadestown)

Tom Struik (The Book of Mormon)

Adrian Tamburini (Hadestown)

 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

David Butler (Ghost Quartet)

David Gardos (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

Guy Simpson (Guys and Dolls)

Alex Steedman (Bright Star)

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY OF A MUSICAL

Kelley Abbey (Guys and Dolls)

Chiara Assetta (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

Shannon Burns (The Producers)

Ellen Simpson (Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

 

BEST DESIGN IN A MUSICAL

Dann Barber (Set and Costume Design, Candide)

Mason Browne (Costume Design, Phar Lap: The Electro-Swing Musical)

Isabel Hudson (Set Design, Bright Star)

Hailley Hunt (Set Design, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)

Nicol & Ford (Costume Design, Hedwig And The Angry Inch)

 

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN

Moss Piglet (Windmill Theatre Company and Sydney Opera House)

Where Is The Green Sheep? (Monkey Baa, QPAC’s Out of the Box and Sydney Opera House)

Where to Hide a Star (Australian Chamber Orchestra)

Wolfgang in the Stars (Circa and Riverside Theatres)

 

BEST PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Converted (ATYP)

Daytime Deewane (Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta)

Detention (Monkey Baa)

Work But Like You Mean It (Canberra Youth Theatre)

 

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