Nominees for the 2025 Black British Theatre Awards revealed

The nominees for the 2025 Black British Theatre Awards have now been revealed.

Celebrating Black excellence on stages across the UK, the awards winners will be unveiled in a ceremony at the Piccadilly Theatre (traditionally the home of Moulin Rouge! The Musical) on Sunday 26 October.

Anne Odeke’s Princess Essex at Shakespeare’s Globe leads the pack, with a grand total of four nominations.

You can see the full list of nominees below:

BEST PRODUCER – Sponsored Thomas Hopkins Productions Ltd
Chuchu Nwagu, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Royal Shakespeare Company
Mwansa Phiri, Positive, Southwark Playhouse Borough

BEST DIRECTOR
Lynette Linton, Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse
Prime Isaac, Bitch Boxer, Watford Palace Theatre
Robin Belfield, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR – Sponsored by YOU Management Ltd
Ashton Moore, Play On!, UK tour
Takisha Sargent, The Women of Llanrumney, Stratford East
Xana, Alterations, National Theatre

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER OR MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
Christopher Tendai, Cake: The Marie Antoinette Musical, The Other Palace
Shelley Maxwell, Alterations, National Theatre
Ingrid Mackinnon, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe

BEST DANCE PRODUCTION OR PERFORMER
Ballet Black: Shadows, Hackney Empire
Inside Giovanni’s Room, Phoenix Dance Theatre – Sadler’s Wells East
Our Mighty Groove, Sadler’s Wells East and Uchenna Dance

BEST SOUND AND/OR LIGHTING DESIGN
Eamonn O’Dwyer
Joshua Harriette
Warren “Flamin Beatz” Morgan-Humphreys

THEATRE DESIGN – Sponsored by Disney Theatrical Group
Bolu Dairo
Georgie Lynch
Stella-Jane Odoemelam

BOOK AND LYRICS – Sponsored by Theatrical Rights Worldwide UK
Trish Cooke
Winsome Pinnock FRSL

BEST PLAYWRIGHT – Sponsored by Brixton House in Association with The Writers Group
Anne Odeke
Coral Wylie
Ntombizodwa Nyoni

BEST CASTING DIRECTOR – Sponsored by Spotlight
Heather Basten
Selma Nicholls

BEST MALE LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Arinzé Kene, Alterations, National Theatre
Kyle Ndukuba, Romeo and Juliet, Belgrade Theatre
Omari Douglas, This Bitter Earth, Soho Theatre

BEST FEMALE LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY – Sponsored by LAMDA
Anne Odeke, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe
Beverley Knight, Marie and Rosetta, The Rose Theatre
Suzanne Packer, The Women of Llanrumney, Stratford East

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
Andre Antonio, Romeo and Juliet, Belgrade Theatre
Emmanuel Akwafo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bridge Theatre
Tyreke Leslie, Princess Essex, Shakespeare’s Globe

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY
Cash Holland, A Raisin in the Sun, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
Miranda Mufema, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix Theatre
Nicola Hughes, Intimate Apparel, Donmar Warehouse

BEST PRODUCTION – PLAY – Sponsored by AKA
Alterations, National Theatre
Pig Heart Boy, Unicorn Theatre and on tour
Shifters, Duke of York’s Theatre

BEST MALE LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Jay Perry, Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre
Jeevan Braich, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Newtion Matthews, Kinky Boots, UK and Ireland tour

BEST FEMALE LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL – Sponsored by Link-Artists
Georgina Onuorah, Shucked, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Natalie Kassanga, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre
Shanay Holmes, Oliver!, Gielgud Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL – Sponsored by The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Cedric Neal, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre
CJ Borger, Back To The Future The Musical, Adelphi Theatre
Ryan Carter, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, UK tour

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL – Sponsored by I’m Every Woman
Georgia Bradshaw, Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, UK tour
Georgia Gillam, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, UK and Ireland tour
Jade Marvin, Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION – Sponsored by TodayTix
MJ the Musical, Prince Edward Theatre
The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Aldwych Theatre

BEST CHILD PERFORMER (UNDER 16)
Chizaram Ochuba-Okafor, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, UK and Ireland tour
Keilah Kofi, The Lion King, Lyceum Theatre
Riley-Ann Nicholls Murphy, Our Mighty Groove, Sadler’s Wells East

LGBTQIA+ CHAMPION
Johannes Radebe
Layton Williams
Newtion Matthews

BEST TEACHER – Sponsored by LIPA – Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
Claudimar Neto, Insight Dance Company
Kamara Gray, Artistry Youth Dance
Stewart Avon-Arnold, Studio 59

LORD MICHAEL HASTINGS OF SCARISBRICK AWARD
Liam Godwin

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Nicola Blackman