Tim Finn, WOMADelaide, Tim Minchin’s Matilda win Helpmann Awards

Tim Minchin’s stage musical of Roald Dahl’s Matilda took home a record 13 Helpmann Awards last night.

The 16th Annual Helpmann Awards, which recognises excellence in Australia’s theatre and live performance industry, saw Matilda the Musical win the night across 13 categories, including best original score, best direction, choreography, music direction, male actor (James Millar), lighting design and sound design.

Adelaide’s annual world music and dance festival WOMADelaide beat out Bluesfest, St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival and Tasmania’s MOFO for Best Contemporary Music Festival.

Taking out Best Australian Contemporary Concert was Kate Miller-Heidke & The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for their performance at Mofo 2016. Heidke’s pre-recorded acceptance speech was played during the ceremony. Heidke was up against State Of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley, Flight Facilities with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Vance Joy’s Fire And The Flood Tour in April. 

The winner of Best International Contemporary Concert was Prince’s Piano & Microphone Tour, which marked the superstar’s last visit to Australia two months before his death. During Paul Dainty’s pre-recorded speech he said he accepted the award with great sadness.

Music legend Tim Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz) was a multi-award nominee. Finn, along with writer Carolyn Byrne and director Simon Phillips took out the Best New Australian Work Helpmann for their production of Ladies in Black; Finn wrote the music and lyrics for the production. 

Among the performances on the night were Sarah Blasko, who performed Luxurious, the full cast from Singin’ in the Rain, and the eight ‘Matildas’ who collectively took out the Best Female Actor Helpmann.

The Helpmann Awards were presented by Live Performance Australia and held at Sydney Lyric Theatre, was broadcast live on Foxtel Arts and webcast for free via foxtelarts.com.au. 

Helpmann Award winners of 2016:

​Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play

Mark Leonard Winter, King Lear, Sydney Theatre Company

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play 

Sarah Peirse, The Golden Age, Sydney Theatre Company

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Daniel Frederiksen, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical

Elise McCann, Matilda The Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best International Contemporary Concert

Prince, Piano and a Microphone Tour 2016, Prince, Dainty Group and ICO ApS

Best Contemporary Music Festival

Womadelaide, 2016 Womadelaide Foundation

Best Australian Contemporary Concert

Kate Miller-Heidke and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with visuals by Amy Gebhardt, MOFO 2016, Kate Miller-Heidke and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with visuals by Amy Gebhardt

Best Costume Design

Rob Howell, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Scenic Design

Rob Howell, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Lighting Design

Hugh Vanstone, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Sound Design

Simon Baker, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Individual Classical Music Performance 

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Best Chamber and/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert

French Baroque with Circa, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

Best Symphony Orchestra Concert

Sir Simon Rattle Conducts the Australian World Orchestra, Australian World Orchestra

Best Original Score

Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Music Direction

Stephen Amos, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Presentation for Children

Bambert’s Book of Lost Stories, Barking Gecko Theatre Company

Best Regional Touring Production

Sugarland, Australian Theatre for Young People and Performing Lines

Best Cabaret Performer

Michael Griffiths Cole, Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

Best Comedy Performer

Tom Ballard, The World Keeps Happening, Token Events

Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production

Il Ritorno, Brisbane Festival and Circa

Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work

Frances Rings, Sheoak, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Best Choreography in a Musical

Peter Darling, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work

Kimball Wong, Habitus, Australian Dance Theatre

Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work

Yolanda Lowatta, Sheoak, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera

João Fernandes, Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera

Keri Fuge, Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

Best Male Performer in an Opera

Carlo Vistoli, Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC

Best Female Performer in an Opera

Nicole Car, Luisa Miller, Opera Australia

Best Direction of an Opera

Sir David McVicar, The Marriage of Figaro, Opera Australia

Best Male Actor in a Play

Mark Leonard Winter, Birdland, Melbourne Theatre Company

Best Female Actor in a Play

Paula Arundell, The Bleeding Tree, Griffin Theatre Company

Best Male Actor in a Musical

James Millar, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Female Actor in a Musical

Molly Barwick, Dusty Bursill, Tiana Mirra, Alannah Parfett, Sasha Rose, Georgia Taplin, Bella Thomas And Ingrid Torelli, Matilda The Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best Direction of a Play

Lee Lewis, The Bleeding Tree, Griffin Theatre Company

Best Direction of a Musical

Matthew Warchus, Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch

Best New Australian Work

Carolyn Burns and Tim Finn with Simon Phillips, Ladies in Black, Queensland Theatre Company

Best Opera

Agrippina, Brisbane Baroque and QPAC

Best Ballet or Dance Work

Sheoak, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Best Play

The Bleeding Tree, Griffin Theatre Company

Best Musical

Matilda the Musical, The Royal Shakespeare Company and Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Michael Watt with Chokey Productions, Just for Laughs Theatricals, Glass Half Full Productions, Paula Marie Black, Greenleaf Productions and Michael Lynch