21st Annual WhatsOnStage Awards to be streamed online – with tickets on sale now

The WhatsOnStage Awards are back for 2021 – but this year, we are doing things differently!

A brand-new streamed ceremony, presented from The Turbine Theatre, will, like any other year, feature performances from a variety of celebrated shows. The programme will include those halted by the pandemic, those created during lockdown and those to look forward to when live entertainment returns. It is scheduled to be presented next month.

Back on hosting duties will be Jodie Prenger and Tom Read Wilson, following their fabulous turns last March, while the ceremony will also feature a round of starry birthday messages as we reach the Award's 21st year. The full all-star lineup has now been revealed and tickets are on sale via our partners stream.theatre.

You can buy tickets for the Awards ceremony here

In a year where many companies and venues have not been able to present shows, rather than handing out awards, we are going to be recognising "Angels". WhatsOnStage's COO Sita McIntosh explains more: "As the WOS Awards are and always have been centred around the audience, rather than ask you to nominate performers and creatives we are inviting you to nominate Angels – someone in your life that has been a source of love, support and kindness during the pandemic.

"In theatre Angels are traditionally people who invest in new shows, enabling productions to get off the ground. It seems a fitting term for people that go that extra mile to help others.

"We will then select 21 Angels from the nominations we've received and announce their names during the Concert, as well as treating them to a night at the theatre when live performances return. This is our way of recognising the heroes in our community as well as doing our bit to support shows, and encourage audiences back into theatres."

That means we are asking you – our trusty, loyal audiences, to send us your nominations. We want to know who, in your lives, has kept your spirits high. This is someone in your life that has been a source of love, support and kindness during the pandemic.

We've got further instructions for nominating your "Angels" here.

The WhatsOnStage Awards ceremony, which is available worldwide, will take place on Sunday 14 March at 7pm GMT. The 14 March is a special day – one that, for many venues, marked the final time they were able to welcome audiences before the pandemic brought the curtains down.

The awards will reunite a number of creatives from last year, including producer Paul Taylor-Mills, musical director Alex Parker and lighting and set designer Jack Weir. Joining them on the production side will be stream.theatre.

McIntosh continues: "We have to remain positive and optimistic that theatres will re-open fully soon and at WhatsOnStage we'll keep writing, promoting, advertising and talking about theatre as much as possible until that happens."

Tickets will cost £15.00 for 72 hours as an early-bird rate that moves up to £21 at midnight GMT on Sunday 21 February 2021. Transaction fee applies.

All productions that would have been eligible for the 2021 WhatsOnStage Awards will automatically be "rolled over" and included in the nominations for 2022, so all shows that opened from December 2019 until 16 March 2020 will still have an opportunity to be voted on.

Buy tickets for the WhatsOnStage Awards now