Shortlist Announced For The Stage Debut Awards - Including The INHERITANCE, SIX, and More!

The Stage today announces the shortlist for its prestigious The Stage Debut Awards 2019, in association with Access Entertainment. Voting has also opened for The Joe Allen Best West End Debut Award 2019.

The shortlist features emerging talent from across the UK, including nominees from productions in Colchester, Sheffield, Leicester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Cardiff.

This year also sees the addition of two new categories: Best Creative West End Debut sponsored by the Noël Coward Foundation and Child Performer of the Year sponsored by Stagecoach.

Critically acclaimed West End hit The Inheritance has three nominees on this year's shortlist, with writer Matthew Lopez in the running for Best West End Creative, while actors Andrew Burnap and Samuel H Levine compete for the public-voted Joe Allen Best West End Debut. They feature on a 10-strong shortlist alongside Hollywood star Matthew Broderick for his performance in The Starry Messenger, as well as the entire community chorus for The National Theatre's production of Pericles and Joseph and the Amazing Tehnicolor Dreamcoat star Jac Yarrow.

Alistair Smith, Editor of The Stage said: "We're delighted to announce another terrific set of nominees for The Stage Debut Awards 2019 in association with Access Entertainment, celebrating the country's finest breakthrough talent. This year's line-up features some extremely exciting young (and not-so-young) performers and creatives making superb work across the UK. It reflects not only the ongoing excellence but also the increasing diversity - in every sense - of the emerging theatre-makers who are positively shaping the future of British theatre."

The Joe Allen Best West End Debut Award is the only category where the public decides the winner. Votes can be cast online here. This award celebrates a performer's first time in London's West End and voting closes at midnight on September 8, 2019.

Danny Cohen, president of headline sponsor Access Entertainment, said: "Access Entertainment is delighted to continue its support for The Stage Debut Awards as part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing new talent across the creative industries."

All winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at The Brewery, London on September 15, 2019 which will be streamed live on The Stage's Facebook page.

Best Actress in a Play - sponsored by Audible

• Liv Hill for Top Girls at The National Theatre, London
• Urielle Klein-Mekongo for Yvette at the Bush Theatre, London
• Lauren O'Leary for The Awkward Years at The Other Room, Cardiff
• Bea Webster for Mother Courage at the Albion Electric Warehouse, Leeds

Best Actor in a Play - sponsored by Audible

• Jamal Ajala for Ear for Eye at the Royal Court, London
• Stuart Campbell for The Hunt at the Almeida Theatre, London
• Patrick Gibson for Sweat at The Donmar Warehouse and the Gielgud Theatre, London
• Ivan Oyik for Blue/Orange at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham

Best Actress in a Musical - sponsored by Really Useful Group

• Georgina Ambrey for My Mother Said I Never Should and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
• Danielle Fiamanya for The Color Purple at the Curve, Leicester
• Maiya Quansah-Breed for Six at the Arts Theatre, London
• Jarneia Richard-Noel for Six at the Arts Theatre, London

Best Actor in a Musical - sponsored by Encore Radio

• Adam Hugill for Standing at the Sky's Edge at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
• Ryan Hutton for Only Fools and Horses The Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
• Jac Yarrow for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, London

Best Director - sponsored by Smith & Williamson

• Atri Banerjee for Hobson's Choice at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
• Tyrone Huntley for Ain't Misbehaving at The Mercury Theatre, Colchester
• Jade Lewis for Superhoe at the Royal Court, London
• Tom Scutt for Berberian Sound Studio at The Donmar Warehouse, London

Best Designer - sponsored by Robe Lighting

• Abby Clarke for Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
• Evie Gurney for Antony and Cleopatra and The Hunt at The National Theatre, London and the Almeida Theatre, London
• Maxwell Nicholson Lailey for Huddle at the Unicorn Theatre, London

Best Composer or Lyricist - sponsored by Trafalgar Entertainment Group

• Oran Eldor and Marcus Stevens for Mythic the Musical at the Charing Cross Theatre, London
• Anaïs Mitchell for Hadestown at The National Theatre, London
• David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts for Operation Mincemeat at the New Diorama Theatre, London
• Femi Temowo for Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic, London

Best Writer - sponsored by Sonia Friedman Productions

• Ross Willis for Wolfie at Theatre503, London
• Nicole Lecky for Superhoe at the Royal Court, London
• Jasmine Lee-Jones for Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner at the Royal Court, London
• Holly Robinson for Soft Animals at Soho Theatre, London

The Joe Allen Best West End Debut

• Matthew Broderick for The Starry Messenger at the Wyndham's Theatre
• Andrew Burnap for The Inheritance at the Noël Coward Theatre
• Nathanael Campbell for Come From Away at The Phoenix Theatre
• Saffron Coomber for Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre
• Sarah Gordy for Jellyfish at The National Theatre
• Ryan Hutton for Only Fools and Horses The Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Samuel H Levine for The Inheritance at the Noël Coward Theatre
• Pericles community cast for Pericles at The National Theatre
• Christie Prades for On Your Feet! at the London Coliseum
• Jac Yarrow for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium

Best Creative West End Debut - sponsored by the Noël Coward Foundation

• Frankie Bradshaw (designer) and Lynette Linton (director) for Sweat at Donmar Warehouse and the Gielgud Theatre
• Arinzé Kene (writer) for Misty at Trafalgar Studios
• Matthew Lopez (writer) for The Inheritance at the Noël Coward Theatre
• Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (writer) for Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre
• Irene Sankoff and David Hein (writers) for Come From Away at The Phoenix Theatre

Child Performer of the Year - sponsored by Stagecoach

• Caelan Edie for The Bodyguard Musical at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow and Tour
• Jack Meredith for Caroline or Change at the Playhouse Theatre, London
• Clara Read for The Wild Duck at the Almeida Theatre, London
• Taya Tower for The Hunt at the Almeida Theatre, London

The Stage Debut Awards celebrate the very best breakthrough talent in theatre, from actors and directors to designers, writers, composers and lyricists, all of whom have made their professional debuts in the past year. Shortlisted nominees will be invited to an invitation-only ceremony in central London on September 15, 2019, when the winners will be revealed.

The ceremony will be live streamed on Facebook and winners will be published in The Stage.