The Olivier Awards 2024 took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Hannah Waddingham. The event featured performances from nominees such as The Little Big Things, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat, Guys & Dolls, Hadestown, and Groundhog Day Australia, with Waddingham herself opening the ceremony alongside Joe Stilgoe. Awards were presented by a lineup of notable figures from theatre, TV, and fashion, including Michael Ball, Cara Delevingne, Lenny Henry, Michelle Visage, and Dominic West, among others. Comedian Meera Syal provided the evening’s voiceover.
This year marked the 60th anniversary of The National Theatre, founded by Laurence Olivier, which received 15 nominations. The most nominated production was Jamie Lloyd’s “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis, which garnered recognition in multiple categories including Best Actress and Best Actor in a Musical.
Full list of the Oliver Award Winners:
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Accidental Death Of An Anarchist
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Stranger Things: The First Shadow **WINNER**
Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial
Best Family Show
Bluey’s Big Play
Dinosaur World Live **WINNER**
The House With Chicken Legs
The Smeds And The Smoos
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
Fabian Aloise for Sunset Boulevard
Ellen Kane & Hannes Langolf for Dear England
Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for Guys & Dolls **WINNER**
Mark Smith for The Little Big Things
Susan Stroman for Crazy For You
Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design
Bunny Christie & Deborah Andrews for Guys & Dolls
Ryan Dawson Laight for La Cage Aux Folles
Hugh Durrant for Peter Pan
Marg Horwell for The Picture Of Dorian Gray **WINNER**
Cunard Best Revival
The Effect by Lucy Prebble
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell
Vanya by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Simon Stephens **WINNER**
Best Musical Revival
Groundhog Day
Guys & Dolls
Hadestown
Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design
Paul Arditti for Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Dan Balfour & Tom Gibbins for Dear England
Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Gareth Fry for Macbeth
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Tom Brady and Charlie Rosen for Guys & Dolls
Matthew Brind for Just For One Day
Steve Sidwell and Joe Bunker for Operation Mincemeat
Alan Williams for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Close for Dear England **WINNER**
Paul Hilton for An Enemy Of The People
Giles Terera for Clyde’s
Luke Thompson for A Little Life
Zubin Varla for A Little Life
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Lorraine Ashbourne for Till The Stars Come Down
Priyanga Burford for An Enemy Of The People
Haydn Gwynne for When Winston Went To War With The Wireless **WINNER**
Gina McKee for Dear England
Tanya Reynolds for A Mirror
Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
Miriam Buether for Set Design & 59 Productions for Video Design for Stranger Things: The First Shadow **WINNER**
Bunny Christie for Set Design for Guys & Dolls
Es Devlin for Set Design & Ash J Woodward for Video Design for Dear England
Soutra Gilmour for Set Design and Nathan Amzi & Joe Ransom for Video Design for Sunset Boulevard
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
Jon Clark for Dear England
Jon Clark for Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Paule Constable for Guys & Dolls
Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Best Actress in a Supporting Role In a Musical
Grace Hodgett Young for Sunset Boulevard
Zoë Roberts for Operation Mincemeat
Amy Trigg for The Little Big Things **WINNER**
Eleanor Worthington-Cox for Next To Normal
Best Actor in a Supporting Role In a Musical
Jak Malone for Operation Mincemeat **WINNER**
Cedric Neal for Guys & Dolls
David Thaxton for Sunset Boulevard
Jack Wolfe for Next To Normal
TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production
Blue by the English National Opera
Innocence by the Royal Opera **WINNER**
Picture A Day Like This by the Royal Opera
The Rhinegold by the English National Opera
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Antonio Pappano for his role as Musical Director of the Royal Opera House **WINNER**
Belarus Free Theatre Company for King Stakh’s Wild Hunt at the Barbican Theatre
Marina Abramović for her concept and design of 7 Deaths Of Maria Callas at the London Coliseum
Best Actor in a Musical
David Cumming for Operation Mincemeat
Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Daniel Mays for Guys & Dolls
Charlie Stemp for Crazy For You
Best Actress in a Musical
Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat
Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Marisha Wallace for Guys & Dolls
Best New Dance Production
Broken Chord by Gregory Maqoma & Thuthuka Sibisi
The Rite Of Spring by Seeta Patel
La Ruta by Gabriela Carrizo, part of Nederlands Dans Theater – NDT 1 **WINNER**
Time Spell by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers & Tiler Peck
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Isabela Coracy for NINA: By Whatever Means, part of Ballet Black: Pioneers **WINNER**
Jonzi D for Breakin’ Convention 2023 International Festival Of Hip Hop Dance Theatre
Rhiannon Faith for Lay Down Your Burdens at The Pit
Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
Blue Mist by Mohamed-Zain Dada at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
A Playlist For The Revolution by AJ Yi
Sleepova by Matilda Feyişayo **WINNER**
The Swell by Isley Lynn
The Time Machine: A Comedy by Steven Canny and John Nicholson
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin for Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Rupert Goold for Dear England
Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard **WINNER**
Sam Mendes for The Motive And The Cue
Best Actress
Laura Donnelly for The Hills Of California
Sophie Okonedo for Medea
Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite
Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine
Sarah Snook for The Picture Of Dorian Gray **WINNER**
Best Actor
Joseph Fiennes for Dear England
Mark Gatiss for The Motive And The Cue **WINNER**
James Norton for A Little Life
Andrew Scott for Vanya
David Tennant for Macbeth
The Londoner Award for Best New Play
Dear England by James Graham **WINNER**
The Hills Of California by Jez Butterworth
The Motive And The Cue by Jack Thorne
Till The Stars Come Down by Beth Steel
Mastercard Best New Musical
The Little Big Things
Next To Normal
Operation Mincemeat **WINNER**
A Strange Loop
