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Cameron Mackintosh's Les Miserables has landed the prestigious title of Best Musical at the 2015 Helpmann Awards at Sydney's Capitol Theatre – scooping up five awards including best actor in a musical for Simon Gleeson and best supporting role for Kerrie Anne Greenland, who is starring in her first professional role.

Having received the most nominations in the 2015 Helpmann Awards, Les Miserables, which is currently on stage at Sydney's Capitol Theatre picked up the hotly contested award for Best Musical.

Other big winners on the night included Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC’s Faramondo (five Helpmann Awards) and The Rabbits (Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company co-production in association with West Australian Opera, commissioned by Melbourne Festival and Perth International Arts Festival), which took out all four awards it was nominated for.

Veteran star Caroline O'Connor won best female actor in a musical for her performance in Anything Goes.

Announced in in front of a full house, the annual Helpmann Awards celebrates the best work on Australian stages, covering contemporary and classical music as well as dance, comedy and musicals.

Hosted by Australian favourite, Todd McKenney, the 2015 event celebrated a remarkable year in the Australian live performance industry with presenters including Cate Blanchett, Danielle Cormack, Adam Garcia and David Campbell honouring the year’s best achievements.

Live Performance Australia (LPA) Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson said the breadth of winners, nominees and performances at the ceremony highlighted Australia’s world-class creative and artistic talent.

Richardson stated “the Helpmann Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of the many people whose skill, passion and commitment continues to put Australia on the world map for live performance excellence.

“On behalf of the Helpmann Awards and LPA, I congratulate all of tonight’s nominees and winners whose talents serve as an inspiration to the live performance industry and audiences alike.”

In addition to the presentation of the Helpmann Awards, show highlights included Les Misérables opening the night, and a one-off and exclusive performance by the full cast of the Helpmann Award nominated Once.

Helpmann Awards host, Todd McKenney brought the house down with a powerful performance of ‘I Am What I Am’ from the Tony Award winning production of La Cage aux Folles and Victorian Opera’s Sweeney Todd took the audience on a dark and twisted musical experience.

Clare Bowditch and the Paul Kelly Band also payed homage to this year’s JC Williamson Award® recipient, Paul Kelly, by performing his single from the 1995 acclaimed album of the same name, ‘Deeper Water’.

Australia’s foremost illusionist, Cosentino – The Grand Illusionist brought some magic to the stage and a moving performance by the Australia Piano Quartet accompanied the In Memoriam segment of the show.

The Helpmann Awards are proudly supported by the New South Wales Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

The full list of winners for the 2015 Helpmann Awards follow:

CABARET
BEST CABARET PERFORMER
Camille O'Sullivan
Camille O'Sullivan - Changeling
Arts Centre Melbourne

COMEDY
BEST COMEDY PERFORMER
Judith Lucy
Judith Lucy - Ask No Questions of The Moth
Token Events
  
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
Chet Faker | National Tour 2015
Chet Faker, Frontier Touring, Artist Voice, Opulent, Future Classic & Perth International Arts Festival

BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Vivid Live 2015
Destination NSW and Sydney Opera House

BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
Ed Sheeran | X World Tour 2015
Ed Sheeran & Frontier Touring
  
DANCE AND PHYSICAL THEATRE
BEST BALLET OR DANCE WORK
Frame of Mind
Sydney Dance Company

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Rafael Bonachela
Frame of Mind
Sydney Dance Company

BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Chloe Leong
William Forsythe's Quintett
Sydney Dance Company

BEST MALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Cass Mortimer Eipper
William Forsythe's Quintett
Sydney Dance Company

BEST VISUAL AND/OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
The Paper Architect
Davy and Kristin McGuire and Perth International Arts Festival
  
MUSICALS
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
Andrew Hallsworth
Anything Goes
Opera Australia & John Frost

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
John Tiffany
ONCE
John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith and Frederick Zollo in association with the Melbourne Theatre Company

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Kerrie Anne Greenland
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Caroline O'Connor
Anything Goes
Opera Australia & John Frost

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Alex Rathgeber
Anything Goes
Opera Australia & John Frost

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Simon Gleeson
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh

BEST MUSICAL
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh
  
OPERA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC
BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA
Paul Curran
Faramondo
Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
Anna Devin
Faramondo
Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
Jennifer Rivera
Faramondo
Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
Christopher Lowrey
Faramondo
Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
Michael Fabiano
Faust
Opera Australia

BEST OPERA
Faramondo
Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC
  
BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT
Les Arts Florissants and Le Jardin des Voix in Un Jardin à l'italienne
Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House and Perth International Arts Festival

BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Reflections on Gallipoli
Australian Chamber Orchestra

BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
William Christie
William Christie
Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House and Perth International Arts Festival

REGIONAL TOURING AND CHILDREN’S PRESENTATION
BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION
Festival of Circa
Circa

BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN
The Rabbits
An Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company co - production. In association with West Australian Opera. Commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival
  
THEATRE
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Kip Williams
Suddenly Last Summer
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
Helen Thomson
After Dinner
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
Pamela Rabe
The Glass Menagerie
Belvoir

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
John Bell
As You Like It
Bell Shakespeare

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
Hugo Weaving
Endgame
Sydney Theatre Company

BEST PLAY
The Glass Menagerie
Belvoir
  
INDUSTRY AWARDS
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Gabriela Tylesova
The Rabbits
An Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company co- production. In association with West Australian Opera. Commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Paule Constable
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Kate Miller-Heidke with Iain Grandage
The Rabbits
An Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company co - production. In association with West Australian Opera. Commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
Martin Lowe
ONCE
John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr, Patrick Milling Smith and Frederick Zollo in association with the Melbourne Theatre Company

BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Geoff Cobham
Little Bird
State Theatre Company of South Australia in association with Adelaide Festival Centre

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Mick Potter
Les Misérables
Cameron Mackintosh
  
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Kate Miller-Heidke – composer, Lally Katz – librettist, and Iain Grandage – musical arrangements and additional music
The Rabbits
An Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company co - production. In association with West Australian Opera. Commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival
2015 HELPMANN AWARDS BESTOWED AWARD

BEST SPECIAL EVENT
ROYAL DE LUXE and PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL
The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants to the Streets of Perth

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
SUE NATTRASS AWARD® - ERIC ROBINSON 
JC WILLIAMSON AWARD® - PAUL KELLY

For more information go to www.helpmannawards.com.au 

Related Articles

24th June 2015 - Nominees announced for 2015 Helpmann Awards

24th March 2015 - Les Miserables producer slams inadequate Sydney theatre provision

11th July 2013 - WA theatre to thrill thanks to grants for new works

28th April 2013 - State Theatre Centre at forefront of Perth’s Golden Age of Arts

22nd December 2009 - One Year to WA State Theatre Centre opening

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