Theatre News

Black British Theatre Awards 2022 winners announced

A selection of this year's winners
A selection of this year’s winners
© Johan Persson, Ali Wright

The winners for this year’s Black British Theatre Awards have been revealed this evening at the National Theatre.

The ceremony was presented by Danny Sapani, with the evening featuring opening remarks from the National’s deputy artistic director Clint Dyer.

The winners are highlighted in bold alongside the shortlist:

Creatives Group
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD
– Matthew Xia, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre
Ryan Calais Cameron and Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, 
For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
– Dermot Daly, My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company UK Tour

BEST PRODUCER AWARD
– Jasmyn Fisher-Ryner, For Black Boys Who Have Considered -Suicide 
When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
– Shanay Holmes and Chris Steward, West End Musical Christmas, Lyric Theatre
Ameena Hamid, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR AWARD
– Femi Temowo, Rockets and Blue Lights, National Theatre
Sean Green, Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
– John Pfumojena, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide 
When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER OR MOVEMENT DIRECTOR AWARD
Leah Hill, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre
– Theophilus O Bailey-Godson, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide 
When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
– Kane Husbands and Mateus Daniel, Passionfruit, New Diorama Theatre

BEST OPERA PRODUCTION OR PERFORMANCE AWARD
April Koyejo-Audiger, Jenufa, Royal Opera House
– Pumeza Matshikiza, The Cunning Little Vixen, London Coliseum

BEST DANCE PRODUCTION AWARD
Run it Back, Talawa, Fairfield Halls
Ballet Black Double Bill, Ballet Black, Barbican
Saturn Returns, Gateway Arts Productions, Brixton House

BEST SOLOIST IN A DANCE PRODUCTION AWARD
– Mthuthuzeli November, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican
Cira Robinson, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican
– Isabela Coracy, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican

BEST USE OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY AWARD
– Mawa Theatre Company, What’s Past is Prologue, YouTube
– Natalie Edwards Yesufu, Enter.Stage.Write, YouTube
Ballet Black, Eightfold, Channel 4

Recognition Group (body of work)

LIGHT AND/OR SOUND RECOGNITION AWARD
– Simisola Majekodunmi
– Joshua Harriette
Kayodeine Gomez

COSTUME DESIGN RECOGNITION AWARD
– Maybelle Laye
– Natalie Pryce

Jessica Cabassa

BOOK AND LYRICS RECOGNITION AWARD
Lux Knightley
– Ryan Calais Cameron
– Safaa Benson-Effiom

CASTING DIRECTOR RECOGNITION AWARD
– Heather Basten
Isabella Odoffin
– Tonia Daley Campbell

Plays
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD
– Terique Jarrett, Daddy, Almeida Theatre
– Dior Clarke, Passionfruit, New Diorama Theatre
Michael Fatogun, Foxes, Theatre 503

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD
– Shareesa Valentine, Forgotten Voices, Hope Mill Theatre
Selina Jones, An unfinished man, The Yard Theatre
– Shakira Newton, Things I Can Laugh About Now, Brixton House

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD
– Gabriel Paul, Macbeth, Leeds Playhouse
Hayden Mampasi, Passionfruit, New Diorama Theatre
– Habib Nasib Nader, Life of Pi, Wyndham’s Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD
– Ashh Blackwood, The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre
Sasha Frost, Folk, Hampstead Theatre
– Charlotte Gosling, Passionfruit, New Diorama Theatre

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY AWARD
– Rochelle Rose, Rockets and Blue Lights, National Theatre
– Emmanuel Akwafo, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide 
When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
Misha Duncan-Barry, My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company UK Tour

BEST PRODUCTION PLAY AWARD
My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company UK Tour
For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
Things I Can Laugh About Now, Brixton House

Musicals
BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD
– Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Michael Duke, Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
– Tarik Frimpong, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD
– Nicole Raquel Dennis, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland tour
– Courtney Bowman, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Courtney Stapleton, Beauty and the Beast the Musical, UK and Ireland tour

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD
Jordan Shaw, Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre
– Shem Omari James, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland Tour
– Cameron Bernard Jones, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD
– Nadine Higgin, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Nicolle Smartt, Domitius, Conway Hall
– Jocasta Almgill, Grease, Dominion Theatre

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL AWARD
– Billy Nevers, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Amara Okereke, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum
– Nicole Raquel Dennis, Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland Tour

BEST PRODUCTION MUSICAL AWARD
Domitius, Conway Hall
Dreamgirls, UK and Ireland Tour
The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre

Achievement Awards

LGBTQIA CHAMPION AWARD
– Alex Thomas-Smith
Nicole Raquel Dennis
– Courtney Stapleton

BEST TEACHER AWARD
– Angeline Bell, Urdang Academy
Hakeem Onibudo, Impact Dance
– Carolyn Elaine Bolton, Shockout

BEST RECENT GRADUATE AWARD
– Grace Melville, D&B Academy
– Shonah Buwu, Bird College
Dianté Lodge, Laine Theatre Arts

BEST UNDERSTUDY/SWING IN A THEATRE PRODUCTION AWARD
Mitchell Zhangazha, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
– Jemal Felix, The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre
– Zara MacIntosh, & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre

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