WhatsOnStage Awards 2025 Winners Announced

The winners for the WhatsOnStage Awards 2025 were unveiled at the London Palladium on 9 February, highlighting the best in UK theatre.

The night was a roaring success, with David Tennant and Starlight Express winning top gongs.

WhatsOnStage Awards 2025 Winner List

Best Performer in a Musical Winner: Imelda Staunton (Hello, Dolly!)

• Georgina Castle (Mean Girls)

• Jo Foster (Why Am I So Single?)

• Myles Frost (MJ the Musical)

• Imelda Staunton (Hello, Dolly!)

• Leesa Tulley (Why Am I So Single?)

• Vanessa Williams (The Devil Wears Prada)

Best Supporting Performer in a Musical Winner: Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown)

• Siobhan Athwal (Bhangra Nation)

• Amy Di Bartolomeo (The Devil Wears Prada)

• Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown)

• Grace Mouat (Mean Girls)

• Jaydon Vijn (Starlight Express)

• Tom Xander (Mean Girls)

Best Musical Direction/Supervision Winner: Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant (Hadestown)

• Mark Aspinall and Dan Turek (Fiddler on the Roof)

• Niraj Chag and Simon Baker (The Buddha of Suburbia)

• Darren Clark and Mark Aspinall (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

• Alasdair Macrae (Macbeth)

• Matthew Malone (Brassed Off)

• Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant (Hadestown)

Best Performer in a Play Winner: David Tennant (Macbeth)

• Emma D’Arcy (The Other Place)

• Tom Holland (Romeo and Juliet)

• Cush Jumbo (Macbeth)

• Anne Odeke (Princess Essex)

• Michael Sheen (Nye)

• David Tennant (Macbeth)

Best Supporting Performer in a Play Winner: Freema Agyeman (Romeo and Juliet)

• Freema Agyeman (Romeo and Juliet)

• Romola Garai (Giant)

• Julie Hesmondhalgh (Punch)

• Teddy Hinde (The History Boys)

• Atsuki Mashiko (Spirited Away)

• Sharon Small (Nye)

Best Lighting Design Winner: Howard Hudson (Starlight Express)

• Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs (Oliver!)

• Howard Hudson (Starlight Express)

• Jessica Hung Han Yun (Minority Report)

• Tim Lutkin (Coriolanus)

• Bruno Poet (Waiting for Godot)

• Zoe Spurr (The Artist)

Best Choreography Winner: Christopher Wheeldon (MJ the Musical)

• Matthew Bourne (Oliver)

• Julia Cheng (Fiddler on the Roof)

• Drew McOnie (The Artist)

• Rujuta Vaidya (Bhangra Nation)

• Anthony Van Laast (Kiss Me, Kate)

• Christopher Wheeldon (MJ the Musical)

Best New Musical Winner: Mean Girls The Musical

• Babies

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

• The Devil Wears Prada

• MJ the Musical

• Mean Girls

• Why Am I So Single?

Best Musical Revival Winner: Starlight Express

• Dear Evan Hansen (tour)

• Hadestown

• Hello, Dolly!

• Kiss Me, Kate

• Oliver!

• Starlight Express

Best Professional Debut Performance Winner: Jeevan Braich (Starlight Express)

• Esme Bowdler (Heathers the Musical)

• Jeevan Braich (Starlight Express)

• Stevie Doc (Mamma Mia!)

• Vasco Emauz (Back to the Future the Musical)

• Mia Kobayashi (Your Lie in April)

• Gerardine Sacdalan (& Juliet)

Best New Play Winner: Spirited Away

• Giant

• Kyoto

• Princess Essex

• Punch

• Slave Play

• Spirited Away

Best Video Design Winner: Andrzej Goulding, (Starlight Express)

• David Bergman (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

• Grant Gee and Ellie Thompson (Bluets)

• Andrzej Goulding (Starlight Express)

• Tal Rosner (Minority Report)

• Ash J Woodward (The Artist)

• Ash J Woodward (Fangirls)

Best Play Revival Winner: Macbeth

• A Raisin in the Sun (tour)

• The Crucible

• Macbeth

• Oedipus

• Romeo and Juliet

• Waiting for Godot

Best West End Show Winner: Six The Musical

• Cabaret

• Hamilton

• Les Misérables

• Mamma Mia!

• Operation Mincemeat

• Six The Musical

Best Regional Production Winner: Oliver!

• 42 Balloons

• The Artist

• Becoming Nancy

• Brassed Off

• Dear Evan Hansen (tour)

• Oliver!

Best Costume Design: Gabriella Slade (Starlight Express)

• Sachiko Nakahara (Spirited Away)

• Lez Brotherston (Oliver!)

• Marg Horwell (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

• Tom Scutt (Fiddler on the Roof)

• Gabriella Slade (Starlight Express)

• Rae Smith (Hello, Dolly!)

Best Studio Production Winner: Diary of a Gay Disaster (Underbelly Cowgate & Arcola Theatre)

• Brace Brace

• Dear Young Monster

• Diary of a Gay Disaster

• Kenrex

• Mulatto Boy

• Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

Best Concert Event Winner: Something Rotten! – In Concert

• Gypsy the Musical in Concert

• I Am Harvey Milk

• Pippin – 50th Anniversary Concert

• Something Rotten! – In Concert

• Sondheim on Sondheim

• Spring Awakening: 15th Anniversary Concert

Best Direction Winner: Emma Rice (The Buddha of Suburbia)

• Eline Arbo (The Years)

• Robert Icke (Oedipus)

• Anthony Lau (The Crucible)

• James Macdonald (Waiting for Godot)

• Drew McOnie (The Artist)

• Emma Rice (The Buddha of Suburbia)

Best Casting Direction Winner: Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price (Why Am I So Single?)

• Amy Ball (The Years)

• Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price (Why Am I So Single?)

• Stuart Burt (Fiddler on the Roof)

• Alastair Coomer and Chloe Blake (Till the Stars Come Down)

• Anna Cooper (Macbeth)

• Lotte Hines (A Raisin in the Sun)

Best Sound Design Winner: Gareth Fry, (Macbeth)

• Paul Arditti (Brace Brace)

• Susan Bear (Maggie and Me)

• Nicola T Chang (Minority Report)

• Gareth Fry (Macbeth)

• Gareth Fry (Viola’s Room)

• Gareth Owen (Starlight Express)

Best Takeover Performance Winner: Layton Williams (Cabaret)

• Zoe Birkett (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical)

• Cara Delevingne (Cabaret)

• Craig Ryder (Moulin Rouge! the Musical)

• Alex Sawyer (Hamilton)

• Tobias Turley (Mamma Mia!)

• Layton Williams (Cabaret)

Best Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Design Winner: Jackie Saundercock (Starlight Express)

• Campbell Young Associates (The Devil Wears Prada)

• Jackie Saundercock (Starlight Express)

• Marg Horwell (The Picture of Dorian Gray)

• Betty Marini (The Cabinet Minister)

• Hiroaki Miyauchi (Spirited Away)

• Georgia Nosal (The Artist)

David Tennant and CushJumbo were both nominated for their roles in Macbeth - photo by Marc Brenner