Winner of the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year announced

Izuka Hoyle, who is currently starring in Working at Southwark Playhouse, has been crowned the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year.

At an event that took place at the Noel Coward Theatre on Sunday, Hoyle performed "Last Midnight" from Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and "The Matchmaker", a new song by Claire McKenzie and Scott Gilmour. The panel of judges including director Rachel Kavanaugh and actors Alex Young and Janie Dee, picked Hoyle to win the £1000 from a shortlist of 12 performers. Shaq Taylor was named runner-up, with Oscar Conlon-Morrey in third place.

The event, which was hosted by Clive Rowe, also included the Stiles and Drewe Prize for Best New Song, awarded to to Tom Lees and Claire Rivers for "Gerry and Me". Ben Glasstone won the MTI Stiles and Drewe Mentorship Award for his new musical Reanimator.

The writing duo, whose reworking of Half a Sixpence is currently playing in the West End, said: "There is no question that there is a wonderful new wave of writing talent, starting to crest in the UK. The diversity and strength of the writing featured in this afternoon's gala bears testament to a very exciting future for British musical theatre."