22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards nominations – all the information on eligibility

About the WhatsOnStage Awards

Each year thousands of theatregoers up and down the country nominate their favourite performers and shows in a number of categories.

Nominations open on Wednesday 17 November 2021 and close on Friday 26 November 2021.

When the nominations close, the top nominees in each of those categories are put forward for the final vote along with the short-listed nominees in the technical categories*.

The full shortlist of nominees will be announced on Thursday 9 December 2021 when voting then opens and runs until Friday 21 January 2022.

*The shortlist for the technical categories (Choreography, Costume Design, Direction, Graphic Design, Lighting Design, Musical Direction, Set Design, Sound Design and Video Design) will be decided by an independent panel of industry experts appointed by WhatsOnStage. Their shortlist will then be voted on by the general public.

You can nominate here

Nominations and Voting

Nominations and votes are limited to one per person and require an email address to maintain the integrity of the submission. We do everything we can to ensure fairness across the board. Many performers and productions mobilise their fanbase, so be sure to get involved and spread the word using #WOSAwards.

Eligibility

All live, original UK professional productions and performers within these productions, whose performances began between 28 November 2019 and 25 November 2021 are eligible in almost all of the categories.

Productions that have been eligible in previous years, plus any performers that have appeared in these productions between 28 November 2019 and 25 November 2021, are not eligible.

There are further rules for three categories:

Best Off-West End Production

Any professional production whose performances began in an Off-West End venue (in London) between 28 November 2019 and 25 November 2021 is eligible.

Best Regional Production

Any professional production whose performances began in a venue outside of Greater London between 28 November 2019 and 25 November 2021 is eligible.

Best West End Show

The award recognises the most popular show currently running in a West End theatre that will have played for at least 12 months up to 21 January 2022. This includes shows that began performances before 28 November 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for these awards?

All live UK professional productions whose performances began between 28 November 2019 and 25 November 2021.

How are the nominees and winners chosen?

When nominations open on Wednesday 17 November 2021 voters can choose any person or show that is eligible according to the rules above. When nominations close on Friday 26 November 2021 the top nominees in those categories are short-listed for the final vote. The exceptions to this are the technical categories as the nominees will be chosen by a panel of industry experts.

When are the nominees announced?

The nominees will be announced on Thursday 9 December 2021 and voting then immediately opens.

When are the winners announced?

The winners of the awards are announced at a star-studded ceremony on Sunday 27 February 2022.

Can I attend the Launch Party?

The launch will be online only this year and details of how you can tune in will be available shortly.

How do I attend the Awards Ceremony?

Details of when tickets will be on sale will be available soon.

Rules

– You must be over 16 to nominate/vote

– You must submit a valid email address to nominate/vote

– Nominations/votes are limited to one per person

– All nomination/voting results are tabulated and will be audited to remove fake, duplicate and other invalid votes

– No automatic, programmed or robotic means of nomination/voting are permitted. Any such nominations/votes will be declared invalid and removed

– WhatsOnStage reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend nominations/voting should any virus, bug, non-authorised human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the nomination/voting process

– All decisions regarding the nomination/voting process are final and shall not be subject to challenge or appeal