James McAvoy and Lesley Manville hosted the announcement of the nominees, led by Memphis the Musical and Carole King musical Beautiful
Nominations were announced today for the 2015 Olivier Awards, winners of which will be announced on 12 April at the Royal Opera House.
It's a strong year for musicals with Memphis and Beautiful leading the shortlists with nine and eight nominations respectively, including for Best New Musical.
The Young Vic Theatre is the venue with the most nominations, receiving 11 for shows including A Streetcar Named Desire, A View from the Bridge, The Scottsboro Boys and Bull.
The Donmar Warehouse claimed six nods for its revivals of My Night with Reg and City of Angels. And Angela Lansbury could win her first Olivier Award following her nomination for Blithe Spirit.
The Royal Court and National suffered a notably poor year with just one and three nominations respectively.
Video: Nominees react to Olivier Awards shortlist
Billy Elliot, Jersey Boys, Matilda and Wicked are shortlisted for the This Morning Audience Award, which, like the WhatsOnStage Awards, is voted for by the public.
As previously announced, Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey will be given a special Olivier Award to recognise his "extraordinary contribution to The Old Vic and to British Theatre" during his tenure, which comes to an end this year following 11 years in the post.
The full list of nominees for the 2015 Olivier Awards is as follows:
BEST REVIVAL
A View from the Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
The Crucible at Old Vic
My Night with Reg at Donmar Warehouse & Apollo Theatre
Skylight at Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
David Calder for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Richard Goulding for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
John Light for Taken at Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Nathaniel Parker for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Phoebe Fox for A View from the Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
The Girls playing Iris for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit at Gielgud Theatre
Lydia Wilson for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Jon Clark for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Paule Constable and David Plater for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Howard Harrison for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Jan Versweyveld for A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Tom Gibbons for A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
Matt McKenzie for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre
Gareth Owen for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Brian Ronan for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
Dance ‘Til Dawn at Aldwych Theatre
Hetty Feather at Vaudeville Theatre
La Soirée at La Soirée Spiegeltent
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Rob Jones for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Christopher Oram for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Paul Tazewell for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Alejo Vietti for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
XL VIDEO AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN
Bunny Christie for Made in Dagenham at Adelphi Theatre
Es Devlin for The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Rob Jones for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Jan Versweyveld for A View from the Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
32 Rue Vandenbranden by Peeping Tom at Barbican
Mats Ek’s Juliet And Romeo by Royal Swedish Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
Tabac Rouge by Compagnie Du Hanneton/James Thiérrée at Sadler’s Wells
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Christopher Wheeldon for The Winter’s Tale at Royal Opera House
Crystal Pite for her choreography in the productions of The Associates – A Picture Of You Falling, The Tempest Replica and Polaris at Sadler’s Wells
Rocio Molina for Bosque Ardora at Barbican
The Elders Project as part of the Elixir Festival at Sadler’s Wells
VIRGIN ATLANTIC BEST NEW PLAY
King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
The Nether at Duke of York’s Theatre
Taken at Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
BEST ACTOR
Richard Armitage for The Crucible at Old Vic
James McAvoy for The Ruling Class at Trafalgar Studio 1
Tim Pigott-Smith for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Mark Strong for A View from the Bridge at Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
BEST ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson for A Streetcar Named Desire at Young Vic
Kristin Scott Thomas for Electra at Old Vic
Imelda Staunton for Good People at Hampstead Theatre & Noël Coward Theatre
Penelope Wilton for Taken at Midnight at Theatre Royal Haymarket
THIS MORNING AUDIENCE AWARD
Billy Elliot – The Musical at Victoria Palace Theatre
Jersey Boys at Piccadilly Theatre
Matilda at Cambridge Theatre
Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theatre
BEST NEW COMEDY
Handbagged at Vaudeville Theatre
The Play That Goes Wrong at Duchess Theatre
Shakespeare in Love at Noël Coward Theatre
MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
Cats at London Palladium
City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
The Gershwins’ Porgy And Bess at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theatre
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
Benvenuto Cellini at London Coliseum
Dialogues Des Carmélites at Royal Opera House
Die Frau Ohne Schatten at Royal Opera House
The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg at London Coliseum
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Jonas Kaufmann for Andrea Chénier and Manon Lescaut at Royal Opera House
Richard Jones for his direction of The Girl Of The Golden West, The Mastersingers Of Nuremberg and Rodelinda at London Coliseum
Royal Opera House and Early Opera Company for their offsite programme at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse and Roundhouse
Welsh National Opera Chorus for Moses Und Aron at Royal Opera House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Bull at The Maria at Young Vic
Four Minutes Twelve Seconds at Hampstead Downstairs
Juma Sharkah for her performance in Liberian Girl at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court
Tanya Moodie for her performances in Intimate Apparel at Park Theatre and The House That Will Not Stand at Tricycle Theatre
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Jerry Mitchell for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Annie-B Parsons for Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
Josh Prince for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Sergio Trujillo for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR
Rupert Goold for King Charles III at Almeida Theatre & Wyndham’s Theatre
Jeremy Herrin for Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies at Aldwych Theatre
Josie Rourke for City Of Angels at Donmar Warehouse
Ivo Van Hove for A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic & Wyndham’s Theatre
AUTOGRAPH SOUND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC
The Orchestra for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
David Byrne and Fatboy Slim for Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, Tim Sutton and the Memphis Band for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Ray Davies for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Rolan Bell for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
George Maguire for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre
Ian McIntosh for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Jason Pennycooke for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Samantha Bond for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels The Musical at Savoy Theatre
Haydn Gwynne for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theatre
Nicole Scherzinger for Cats at London Palladium
Lorna Want for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jon Jon Briones for Miss Saigon at Prince Edward Theatre
John Dagleish for Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Killian Donnelly for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Brandon Victor Dixon for The Scottsboro Boys at Garrick Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Gemma Arterton for Made in Dagenham at Adelphi Theatre
Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Tamsin Greig for Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown The Musical at Playhouse Theatre
Beverley Knight for Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Here Lies Love at National Theatre, Dorfman
Memphis the Musical at Shaftesbury Theatre
Sunny Afternoon at Hampstead Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre