It's going to be a battle of theatrical marathons at this year's Helpmann Awards, with Melbourne's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Sydney's Counting & Cracking tied at eight nominations a piece. They're both up for key awards – including Best Production of a Play – against another show with an epic running time, Sydney Theatre Company's The Harp in the South, which scored six nominations. The other nominees for Best Production of a Play are Nakkiah Lui's Blackie Blackie Brown, Nat Randall's The Second Woman (another marathon, running for 24 hours!) and Rawcus' Song for a Weary Throat.
Despite JK Rowling's West End theatrical juggernaut coming out on top, this is a stellar year for local creative talents and artists, and a significantly more culturally diverse bunch than last year's showing.
In the musical theatre categories, Ursula Yovich's Barbara and the Camp Dogs faces off against Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a brilliant production of In the Heights that originated at the Hayes Theatre, and Opera Australia's spectacular harbourside staging of West Side Story.
The Helpmanns will be presented in Melbourne this year – after more than a decade in Sydney – across two events on July 14 and 15. See the full list of nominees below.
DANCE
BEST BALLET
AURUM The Australian Ballet
CARMEN Semperoper Ballett
DRACULA West Australian Ballet
GISELLE Teatro alla Scala and QPAC
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ANTONY HAMILTON Forever & Ever
GARRY STEWART The Beginning of Nature
HOFESH SHECHTER Grand Finale
RAFAEL BONACHELA ab [intra]
BEST DANCE PRODUCTION
FOREVER & EVER Sydney Dance Company
GRAND FINALE Hofesh Shechter Company and Adelaide Festival
OVERTURE Arts House and Jo Lloyd
THE BEGINNING OF NATURE Australian Dance Theatre
BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ASHLEY MCLELLAN Dust
CARINA ROBERTS Dracula
CHARMENE YAP Cinco
TARA JADE SAMAYA Common Ground
BEST MALE DANCER IN A BALLET, DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
KEVIN JACKSON Spartacus
KIMBALL WONG The Beginning of Nature
NELSON EARL ab [intra]
WAANGENGA BLANCO Dark Emu
BEST VISUAL OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
MAN WITH THE IRON NECK Legs On The Wall
OUT OF CHAOS... Gravity & Other Myths
PERSONAL Jodee Mundy Collaborations
PLAYLIST PYT Fairfield
CABARET
BEST CABARET PERFORMER
ALI MCGREGOR Yma Sumac - The Peruvian Songbird
DICKIE BEAU Re-Member Me
LIBBY O'DONOVAN Kate Leigh - The Worst Woman in Sydney
MICHAELA BURGER A Migrant's Son
COMEDY
BEST COMEDY PERFORMER
ANNE EDMONDS What's Wrong With You?
CASSIE WORKMAN Giantess
DAMIEN POWER Man Puts His Dreams In A Sock
HANNAH GADSBY Douglas
JAMES ACASTER Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999
RHYS NICHOLSON Nice People Nice Things Nice Situations
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
DARWIN FESTIVAL AND RPM RECORDS AND BAD APPLES MUSIC RPM vs Bad Apples
KYLIE MINOGUE AND FRONTIER TOURING, ROUNDHOUSE ENTERTAINMENT AND MELLEN EVENTS Golden Tour 2019
PAUL KELLY AND FRONTIER TOURING Making Gravy 2018
TIM MINCHIN AND LIVE NATION AUSTRALASIA Back
BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL
CHUGG ENTERTAINMENT AND ROB POTTS ENTERTAINMENT EDGE CMC Rocks 2019
MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART (MONA) MONA FOMA 2019
VIVID LIVE 2018 AND SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE PRESENTS Vivid LIVE 2018
WOMADELAIDE FOUNDATION WOMADelaide 2019
BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT
CELINE DION AND FRONTIER TOURING, CONCERTS WEST AND AEG PRESENTS Celine Dion - Live 2018
CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS AND PERTH FESTIVAL Christine And The Queens
DAVID BYRNE AND FRONTIER TOURING American Utopia Tour 2018
THE KILLERS AND FRONTIER TOURING The Killers 2018
INDUSTRY
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
GABRIELA TYLESOVA Twelfth Night
JENNIFER IRWIN Dark Emu
KATRINA LINDSAY Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
RENÉE MULDER The Harp in the South
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
DAMIEN COOPER ab [intra]
MARK HOWETT The Long Forgotten Dream
NEIL AUSTIN Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
NICK SCHLIEPER Saint Joan
BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
AARON WYATT Speechless
ANDREA MOLINO Wozzeck
ERIN HELYARD Artaserse
JORDAN DE SOUZA Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute
BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
ADRIANE DAFF, ARIELLE GRAY, CHRIS ISAACS, TIM WATTS, GITA BEZARD, BEN COLLINS, MATTHEW EDGERTON, JEFFREY JAY FOWLER, CAITRI JONES, MICHAEL MACLEAN, JO MORRIS, KRISTIE SMITH, CLARE TESTONI AND ANTHONY WATTS Lé Nør [the rain] The Last Great Hunt, Perth Festival, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art and Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
FELIX RIEBL Spinifex Gum Adelaide Festival, Sydney Festival and Monash Academy of Performing Arts
KATE MULVANY The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two Sydney Theatre Company
NAKKIAH LUI Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre
S. SHAKTHIDHARAN AND EAMON FLACK Counting & Cracking Belvoir & Co-Curious
URSULA YOVICH AND ALANA VALENTINE Barbara and the Camp Dogs Belvoir
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
IMOGEN HEAP Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
KATE MILLER-HEIDKE & KEIR NUTTALL Twelfth Night
URSULA YOVICH, ALANA VALENTINE AND ADM VENTOURA Barbara and the Camp Dogs
WILLIAM BARTON The Long Forgotten Dream
BEST SCENIC DESIGN
ADRIANE DAFF, ARIELLE GRAY, CHRIS ISAACS, TIM WATTS, ANTHONY WATTS, GITA BEZARD, JEFFREY JAY FOWLER, CAITRI JONES, JO MORRIS, KRISTIE SMITH AND CLARE TESTONI Lé Nør [the rain]
BRIAN THOMSON Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
CHRISTINE JONES Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
DALE FERGUSON Counting & Cracking
JACOB NASH The Long Forgotten Dream
BEST SOUND DESIGN
GARETH FRY Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
NATE EDMONDSON The Harp in the South
STEFAN GREGORY Counting & Cracking
STEVE FRANCIS Dark Emu
BEST SPECIAL EVENT
DARK MOFO 2018 Museum of Old and New Art
MUSICALS
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
AMY CAMPBELL In the Heights
JOSHUA BERGASSE Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
JULIO MONGE Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
MALIK LE NOST & MITCHELL WOODCOCK Saturday Night Fever
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
FRANCESCA ZAMBELLO Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
HAL PRINCE Evita
JACK O'BRIEN Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
LUKE JOSLIN In the Heights
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
LUISA SCROFANI In the Heights
NATALIE ABBOTT Muriel's Wedding the Musical
TINA ARENA Evita
URSULA YOVICH Barbara and the Camp Dogs
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
ELAINE CROMBIE Barbara and the Camp Dogs
KARLI DINARDO Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
LUCY MAUNDER Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
PIPPA GRANDISON Muriel's Wedding the Musical
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
ALEXANDER LEWIS Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
BLAKE BOWDEN The Book of Mormon
BRENT HILL School of Rock the Musical
PAUL SLADE SMITH Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The New Musical
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
JOEL GRANGER The Book of Mormon
MARK HILL Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: West Side Story
MARTY ALIX In the Heights
TONY SHELDON Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
BEST MUSICAL
BARBARA AND THE CAMP DOGS Belvoir
HANDA OPERA ON SYDNEY HARBOUR: WEST SIDE STORY Opera Australia
IN THE HEIGHTS Sydney Opera House and The Arthouse Wyong Presents, produced by Blue Saint Productions in association with Neil Gooding
ROALD DAHL'S CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY John Frost, Craig Donnell, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions
OPERA & CLASSICAL MUSIC
BEST CHAMBER AND/OR INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT
GABRIELI CONSORT & PLAYERS - PURCELL'S KING ARTHUR Melbourne Recital Centre and State Opera of South Australia
SABINE MEYER & ALLIAGE QUINTETT Musica Viva Australia
SARA MACLIVER IN CONCERT WITH CAMERATA Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra
SRETENSKY MONASTERY CHOIR Adelaide Festival
BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA
BARRIE KOSKY AND SUZANNE ANDRADE AND 1927 Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute
LINDY HUME Don Giovanni
SARAH GILES Lorelei
WILLIAM KENTRIDGE Wozzeck
BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
ALEKSANDRA OLCZYK Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute
EMMA PEARSON Carmen in the Square
NATALIE AROYAN Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
TARYN FIEBIG Metamorphosis
BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
JESSICA PRATT Lucia di Lammermoor
LISE LINDSTROM Salome
LORINA GORE Wozzeck
VIVICA GENAUX Artaserse
BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE
ASHER FISCH Tristan und Isolde
DIANA DOHERTY Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2019 Season Opening Gala: Doherty plays Westlake
STUART SKELTON Tristan und Isolde
VIVICA GENAUX Vivica Genaux in Concert
BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA
DEREK WELTON Parsifal
JOHN LONGMUIR Wozzeck
NICHOLAS JONES Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
TOM ERIK LIE Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute
BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA
AARON BLAKE Komische Oper Berlin’s The Magic Flute
DAVID HANSEN Artaserse
MICHAEL FABIANO Werther
MICHAEL HONEYMAN Wozzeck
SIMON LOBELSON Metamorphosis
BEST OPERA
ARTASERSE Pinchgut Opera
KOMISCHE OPER BERLIN'S THE MAGIC FLUTE Arts Projects Australia, Adelaide Festival and Perth Festival
METAMORPHOSIS Opera Australia
WOZZECK Opera Australia
BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
DANIEL BARENBOIM CONDUCTING STAATSKAPELLE BERLIN Sydney Opera House Presents
MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Adelaide Festival
MAHLER SIX: SIMONE YOUNG CONDUCTS Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Simone Young
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE West Australian Symphony Orchestra
PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
A CALL TO DANCE Performing Lines
BABA YAGA Windmill Theatre Company and Imaginate
ROBOT SONG Arena Theatre Company
WOLFGANG'S MAGICAL MUSICAL CIRCUS Circa
REGIONAL TOURING
BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION
AB [INTRA] Sydney Dance Company
BENNELONG Bangarra Dance Theatre
PRIZE FIGHTER La Boite Theatre Company
THE BEGINNING OF NATURE Australian Dance Theatre
THEATRE
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
DECLAN GREENE Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death
EAMON FLACK AND S. SHAKTHIDHARAN Counting & Cracking
IMARA SAVAGE Saint Joan
KIP WILLIAMS The Harp in the South
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
HELEN THOMSON Mary Stuart
KATE MULVANY Every Brilliant Thing
MELITA JURISIC Arbus & West
PAULA ARUNDELL Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
SARAH SNOOK Saint Joan
BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
HELEN THOMSON The Harp in the South
MAUDE DAVEY Melancholia
VAISHNAVI SURYAPRAKASH Counting & Cracking
ZOE TERAKES A View from the Bridge
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
AMER HLEHEL TAHA
KELTON PELL Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
PRAKASH BELAWADI Counting & Cracking
WAYNE BLAIR The Long Forgotten Dream
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY
ANTONYTHASAN JESUTHASAN Counting & Cracking
ASH FLANDERS Blackie Blackie Brown: The Traditional Owner of Death
PAUL BLACKWELL Faith Healer
WILLIAM MCKENNA Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
BLACKIE BLACKIE BROWN: THE TRADITIONAL OWNER OF DEATH Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre
COUNTING & CRACKING Belvoir & Co-Curious
HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (PARTS ONE AND TWO) Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, and Australian Executive Producer, Michael Cassel
SONG FOR A WEARY THROAT Rawcus
THE HARP IN THE SOUTH: PART ONE AND PART TWO Sydney Theatre Company
THE SECOND WOMAN Performing Lines
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