2008 Helpmann Awards
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Helpmann Awards were presented on 28 July 2008 at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney
. The ceremony was hosted by Jonathan Biggins
and Julia Zemiro
and was broadcast live on Bio.
(Foxtel
's biography channel).
Lyric Theatre, Sydney
Lyric Theatre, Sydney, Australia, is part of The Star Casino. It plays host to large scale musicals, theatre productions, opera and ballet.The Lyric Theatre was home to the world premier of Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical....
. The ceremony was hosted by Jonathan Biggins
Jonathan Biggins
Jonathan Biggins , is an Australian actor, singer, writer and comedian. He has appeared on film, stage and television, as well as in satirical sketch comedy television programs...
and Julia Zemiro
Julia Zemiro
Julia Zemiro is an Australian television presenter, radio host, actor, singer and comedian.- Early life :...
and was broadcast live on Bio.
Bio.
Bio. is an Australian general entertainment channel available on Australia's Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television pay television services.- Series Programming :*Airline*The Dog Whisperer*Fashion File*Inside Edition...
(Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
's biography channel).
Best Play
- Company BCompany B (theatre)Belvoir is an Australian theatre company based at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia. Its Artistic Director is Ralph Myers.Belvoir receives government support for its activities from the federal government through the Major Performing Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts and...
– Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a play by Edward Albee that opened on Broadway at the Billy Rose Theater on October 13, 1962. The original cast featured Uta Hagen as Martha, Arthur Hill as George, Melinda Dillon as Honey and George Grizzard as Nick. It was directed by Alan Schneider...
- National Theatre of ScotlandNational Theatre of ScotlandThe National Theatre of Scotland is a theatre company established in February 2006. The company performs in a wide range of venues including theatres, halls and found spaces across Scotland....
, Presented by Sydney FestivalSydney FestivalSydney Festival is Australia's largest and most attended annual cultural event running every January since it was first held in 1977. Its program features around 80 events including contemporary and classical music, dance, circus, drama, visual arts and artist talks...
, Perth International Arts FestivalPerth International Arts FestivalThe Perth International Arts Festival is Australia's longest running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia between February-March. The program features contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, opera, visual arts, large-scale public works, Lotterywest Festival Films and the...
– Black WatchBlack Watch (play)Black Watch is a play written by Gregory Burke and directed by John Tiffany for the National Theatre of Scotland. Based on interviews with former soldiers, it portrays soldiers in the Black Watch regiment of the British Army serving on Operation TELIC in Iraq during 2004, prior to the amalgamation... - Brink ProductionsBrink ProductionsBrink Productions is a professional theatre company based in Adelaide, South Australia established in 1996 as an actor-driven collective of seven members, primarily graduates from the drama school of Flinders University, in order to "improve artistic production" in Australian theatre...
– When the Rain Stops Falling - Company B – Toy Symphony
- National Theatre of Scotland
Best Direction of a Play
- Neil ArmfieldNeil ArmfieldNeil Geoffrey Armfield AO is an Australian director of theatre, film and opera.Born in Sydney, Armfield was the youngest of three boys. The son of a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's biscuit factory he was brought up in the suburb of Concord adjacent to Exile Bay...
– Toy SymphonyToy SymphonyThe Toy Symphony is a musical work with parts for toy instruments and is popularly played at Christmas....
- Benedict Andrews – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Barrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie Kosky's name is sometimes misspelled as Barry Kosky, Barrie Koski, Barrie Koskie. is an Australian theatre and opera director.Kosky also plays the piano, as he did in his production of Monteverdi's Poppea...
– The Tell-Tale Heart - John Tiffany – Black Watch
Best Male Actor in a Play
- Richard RoxburghRichard RoxburghRichard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
– Toy Symphony- Geoffrey RushGeoffrey RushGeoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
– Exit the KingLe Roi se meurtLe Roi se meurt is an absurdist drama by Eugene Ionesco that premiered in 1962.-The play:It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", the first two being The Killer and Rhinocéros , and the final one being A Stroll in the Air... - Marton CsokasMarton Csokas-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
– Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Martin Niedermair – The Tell-Tale Heart
- Geoffrey Rush
Best Female Actor in a Play
- Leah PurcellLeah PurcellLeah Purcell is an Australian actor, director and writer.-Biography:She is a film, television and theatre actor, singer, director and playwright. She is the youngest of seven children of Aboriginal and white Australian descent. Her father was a butcher and a boxing trainer...
– The Story of the Miracles at Cookie's Table- Catherine McClementsCatherine McClementsCatherine McClements is an Australian actress.-Early life:Catherine is the third of four children, and after acting with the St Martin's Youth Arts Centre in Melbourne for a couple of years, she successfully auditioned for the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art when she was 17...
– Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - Kate DickieKate DickieKate Dickie is a Scottish actress who has appeared in television series, stage plays and films. She is best-known for her portrayal as the security camera operative Jackie in her starring debut Red Road, directed by Andrea Arnold, and for which she was given several awards as best actress, among...
– AalstAalst (play)Aalst is a play by the Belgian stage director Pol Heyvaert. Based on real-life events that took place in the town of Aalst in 1999, the play recounts the murder of two children by their parents. It was originally performed in 2005 by the Ghent-based theatre company Victoria... - Genevieve Picot – Rock n Roll
- Catherine McClements
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
- Russell Dykstra – Toy Symphony
- James StewartJames Stewart (Australian actor)James Stewart is an Australian stage, television and film actor, best known for his appearances in the television series Breakers, Monarch Cove and Packed to the Rafters...
– The Glass MenagerieThe Glass MenagerieThe Glass Menagerie is a four-character memory play by Tennessee Williams. Williams worked on various drafts of the play prior to writing a version of it as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted... - David Woods – Exit the King
- Travis McMahon – Don's PartyDon's PartyDon's Party is a 1971 play by David Williamson set during the 1969 Australian federal election. The film based on the play was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
- James Stewart
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
- Julie Forsyth – Exit the King
- Monica MaughanMonica MaughanMonica Maughan was an Australian actor with notable and well-known roles in film, theatre, radio and television.-Early life and education:...
– Toy Symphony - Alison WhyteAlison WhyteAlison Whyte is a Tasmanian-born Australian actress best known for her role on the Australian television series Frontline and Satisfaction....
– Don's Party - Susan Prior – Riflemind
- Monica Maughan
Best Musical
- Universal PicturesUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Working Title FilmsWorking Title FilmsWorking Title Films is a British film production company, based in London, UK. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. It produces feature films and several television productions, including films starring comic actor Rowan Atkinson...
and Old Vic Productions – Billy Elliot the MusicalBilly Elliot the MusicalBilly Elliot the Musical is a musical based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot. The music is by Sir Elton John, and book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes...
- Ambassador Theatre GroupAmbassador Theatre GroupThe Ambassador Theatre Group is an independent operator of theatres in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1992, by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire,OBE, it acquired the Live Nation theatre group in November 2009.-List of theatres:...
, Shows Inc, Marriner Theatres and Tulchin/Bartner Productions – Guys and Dolls - Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre CompanyKookaburra Musical TheatrePeter Cousens' Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company was an Australian theatre company dedicated to musical theatre. Launched in 2006, with its first production Pippin in 2007, it collapsed in late 2009....
– Company - The Really Useful GroupReally Useful GroupThe Really Useful Group Ltd. is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing, records and music publishing...
Asia Pacific Pty Ltd and The Gordon/Frost Organisation – The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
- Ambassador Theatre Group
Best Direction of a Musical
- Stephen DaldryStephen DaldryStephen David Daldry, CBE is an English theatre and film director and producer, as well as a three-time Academy Award nominated and Tony Award winning director.-Early years:...
in association with Julian Webber – Billy Elliot the Musical- Gale EdwardsGale EdwardsGale Edwards is an Australian theatre director, who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally. She has also directed for television and film. She began her career at Adelaide youth theatre company Energy Connection...
– Company - Michael GrandageMichael GrandageMichael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer, and current Artistic Director at the Donmar Warehouse, London. Grandage won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Red.-Early years:...
& Jamie Lloyd – Guys and Dolls - Roger Hodgman – Little MeLittle Me (musical)Little Me is a musical written by Neil Simon, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. The original Broadway production was memorable with Sid Caesar in multiple roles with multiple stage accents playing all of the heroine's husbands and lovers...
- Gale Edwards
Best Choreography in a Musical
- Peter DarlingPeter DarlingPeter Darling is an English dancer and choreographer best known for his award-winning work in Billy Elliot the Musical.-External links:...
– Billy Elliot the Musical- Rob AshfordRob AshfordRob Ashford is an American choreographer and director. He is a seven-time Tony Award nominee , five-time Olivier Award nominee, Emmy Award winner, Drama Desk winner, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner.-Biography:...
– Guys and Dolls - Ross Coleman – Sweet CharitySweet CharitySweet Charity is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon. It is based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria...
- Ross Coleman – Shout! The Legend of the Wild One
- Rob Ashford
Best Male Actor in a Musical
- Lochlan Denholm, Nick Twiney, Rarmian Newton and Rhys Kosakowski – Billy Elliot the Musical
- iOTAIota (entertainer)Iota is an ARIA nominated musician and a Helpmann Award winning actor.- Music :Iota's first album The Hip Bone Connection was released in 1999. This album was Iota labeled as an acoustic/blues/roots musician, a label he does not like. His second, Big Grandfather, was considered less accessible,...
– Richard O'BrienRichard O'BrienRichard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
's Rocky Horror Show - Mitchell Butel – Little Me
- Anthony WarlowAnthony WarlowAnthony Warlow is an Australian opera and musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range ....
– The Phantom of the Opera
- iOTA
Best Female Actor in a Musical
- Genevieve LemonGenevieve LemonGenevieve Lemon is an Australian actress who has appeared in a number of soap operas – as Zelda Baker in The Young Doctors, Marlene "Rabbit" Warren in Prisoner and Brenda Riley in Neighbours...
– Billy Elliot the Musical- Marina PriorMarina PriorMarina Prior is an Australian singer and actress.- Early life :When she was a young child her parents returned to Australia and she grew up in Melbourne, attending Syndal South Primary School and Korowa Anglican Girls' School...
– Guys and Dolls - Ana Marina – The Phantom of the Opera
- Sharon Millerchip – Sweet Charity
- Marina Prior
Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Shane JacobsonShane JacobsonShane Jacobson is an Australian actor, director, writer, and comedian, best known for his performance as the eponymous character Kenny Smyth in the 2006 film Kenny...
– Guys and Dolls- Linal Haft – Billy Elliot the Musical
- Bill HunterBill Hunter (actor)William John "Bill" Hunter was an Australian actor of film, stage and television. He appeared in more than 60 films and won two Australian Film Institute Awards.-Early life:Hunter was a son of William and Francie Hunter...
– Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The MusicalPriscilla Queen of the Desert - the MusicalPriscilla, Queen of the Desert is a musical with a book by Australian film director-writer Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, using well-known pop songs as its score... - John Paul YoungJohn Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
– Shout! The Legend of the Wild One
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Sharon Millerchip – Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show
- Lola Nixon – Billy Elliot the Musical
- Colette MannColette MannColette Mann is an Australian actress, most notable for playing the role of Doreen Anderson , in the Australian series Prisoner from 1979–1982, with return appearances in 1983 and in 1984....
– Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical - Jackie Rees – The Phantom of the Opera
Best Opera
- Opera AustraliaOpera AustraliaOpera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
– ArabellaArabellaArabella is a lyric comedy or opera in 3 acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. It was first performed on 1 July 1933, at the Dresden Sächsisches Staatstheater....
- Opera Australia – Les Contes d'Hoffmann
- Andrew McManus Presents and Alexander Productions – Dead Man WalkingDead Man Walking (opera)Dead Man Walking is the first opera by Jake Heggie, with a libretto by Terrence McNally; it premiered on October 7, 2000 at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Opera.-Roles:...
- State Opera of South Australia/State Theatre Company of SAState Theatre Company of South AustraliaThe State Theatre Company of South Australia is South Australia's leading professional theatre company. It is based in the Dunstan Playhouse at the Adelaide Festival Centre. The current artistic director is Adam Cook...
– Little WomenLittle Women (opera)Little Women is the first opera composed by American composer Mark Adamo to his own libretto after Louisa May Alcott's tale of growing up in New England after the American Civil War, Little Women. The opera also includes text by John Bunyan , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Little Women (1998) is the...
Best Classical Concert Presentation
- West Australian OperaWest Australian OperaWest Australian Opera is the principal opera company of Western Australia and is based at His Majesty's Theatre in Perth.The company formed in 1967 and works in close association with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. As of 2008, the Chairman is Erich Fraunschiel and Artistic Director is...
– Opera in the Park – Madama ButterflyMadama ButterflyMadama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
- Australian Brandenburg OrchestraAustralian Brandenburg OrchestraThe Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is an Australian period instrument orchestra specialising in the performance of baroque and classical music.The musicians play from original edition scores on restored or reproduced instruments of the 18th century...
with L'Arpeggiata – Baroque Beat - Sydney Symphony – Sir Charles MackerrasCharles MackerrasSir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras, AC, CH, CBE was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan...
concerts - Adelaide Symphony OrchestraAdelaide Symphony OrchestraThe Adelaide Symphony Orchestra was founded as a 17 player radio ensemble in 1936, in Adelaide, South Australia. The orchestra reformed in 1949 as the 55 member South Australian Symphony Orchestra. It reverted to its original and present title, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in late 1974, and...
– Sibelius Festival
- Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Best Direction of an Opera
- John Cox – Arabella
- Bruce BeresfordBruce BeresfordBruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
– A Streetcar Named DesireA Streetcar Named Desire (opera)A Streetcar Named Desire is an opera composed by André Previn with a libretto by Philip Littell in 1995. It is based on the play by Tennessee Williams and received its premiere at the San Francisco Opera during the 1998-99 season.-Cast:... - Nigel Jamieson – Dead Man Walking
- Adam Cook – Little Women
- Bruce Beresford
Best Male Performer in an Opera
- Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Dead Man Walking
- John Wegner – Les Contes d'Hoffmann
- Peter Coleman-Wright – Arabella
- Jonathan Summers – Il tritticoIl tritticoIl trittico is the title of a collection of three one-act operas, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi, by Giacomo Puccini...
Best Female Performer in an Opera
- Cheryl BarkerCheryl BarkerCheryl Barker is an Australian operatic soprano who has had an active international career since the late 1980s. She has sung on several complete opera recordings with Chandos Records, including Dvořák's Rusalka , Janáček's The Makropulos Case , Janáček's Káťa Kabanová , and Puccini's Madama...
– Arabella- Emma MatthewsEmma MatthewsEmma Matthews is an Australian lyric soprano, noted for operatic roles, but also popular on the concert stage. She is currently a Principal Artist with Opera Australia....
– Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Kirsti Harms – Dead Man Walking
- Elvira Fatykhova – RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
- Emma Matthews
Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
- James Egglestone – Little Women
- Luke Gabbedy – La bohèmeLa bohèmeLa bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
- Kanen Breen – Les Contes d'Hoffmann
- Stuart Skelton – A Streetcar Named Desire
- Luke Gabbedy – La bohème
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
- Emma Matthews – Arabella
- Antoinette HalloranAntoinette Halloran-Education:Antoinette Halloran is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts where she won the Mabel Kent Scholarship and completed a Diploma of Arts ; she has an Honours Degree in Music from the University of Melbourne. In 1993 she studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston.-Career:In...
– A Streetcar Named Desire - Hye Seoung Kwon – CarmenCarmenCarmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
- Anke Hoppner – The Love of the NightingaleThe Love of the Nightingale (opera)The Love of the Nightingale is an opera in two acts by Richard Mills. The libretto by Timberlake Wertenbaker is based on her play of the same name...
- Antoinette Halloran
Best Performance in a Classical Concert
- Melbourne Symphony OrchestraMelbourne Symphony OrchestraThe Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
– Classical Connections – Sir Charles Returns- Simone YoungSimone YoungSimone Margaret Young AM is an Australian conductor. She is music director of the Hamburg Philharmonic and general manager of the Hamburg State Opera...
– Turangalîla-SymphonieTurangalîla-SymphonieThe Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. It was written from 1946 to 1948, on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere was given by that orchestra on December 2, 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in Boston... - Michael Kieran HarveyMichael Kieran HarveyMichael Kieran Harvey is an Australian pianist whose career has been notable for its diversity and wide repertoire. He is renowned for commissioning and performing new music. He has especially promoted the works of Australian composers, such as Carl Vine, all of whose piano music he has recorded...
– MessiaenOlivier MessiaenOlivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
's Catalogue d'oiseaux - Aivale Cole – Opera in the Park – Madama Butterfly
- Simone Young
Best Ballet or Dance Work
- Chunky MoveChunky MoveChunky Move is an Australian contemporary dance company from Southbank, VictoriaIt was founded in 1995 and debuted at the Melbourne International Arts Festival with artistic director Gideon Obarzanek....
& Melbourne International Arts FestivalMelbourne International Arts FestivalMelbourne Festival is a celebration of dance, theatre, music, visual arts, multimedia, outdoor and free events held for 17 days each October in a number of venues across Melbourne, Australia.-History:...
– Glow- The Australian Ballet – The Nutcracker
- Akram KhanAkram Khan (dancer)Akram Khan, MBE is a dancer whose background is rooted in his classical kathak training and contemporary dance.-Career:Khan was born in London into a family of Bangladeshi origin. He began dancing and trained in the classical Indian dance form of Kathak at the age of seven. He studied with Sri...
Co. Present By Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2008, Sydney Opera House, Brisbane Powerhouse – Sacred Monsters - Brisbane Powerhouse and Dancenorth choreographed by Splintergroup – Roadkill
Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production
- Chunky Move presented by Sydney Festival – Mortal Engine
- Presented by Sydney Festival – Au Revoir Parapluie
- Branch Nebula, produced by Performing Lines – Paradise City
- Cirque Ici, Presented by Sydney Festival – Secret
Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work
- Paul White – Construct
- Akram Khan – Sacred Monsters
- Steven Heathcote – After the Rain
- Gavin Webber – Roadkill
Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work
- Sara Black – Glow
- Sarah-Jayne Howard – Roadkill
- Larissa McGowan – G
- Lucinda Dunn – Don Quixote
Best Choregraphy in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work
- Tanja LiedtkeTanja LiedtkeTanja Liedtke was a German-born professional dancer. She was most noted as a dancer, choreographer and director of contemporary dance in Australia.- Biography :...
– Construct- Christopher WheeldonChristopher WheeldonChristopher Wheeldon is an international choreographer of contemporary ballet. Born in Somerset, England, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dancer at the age of 8. He attended the Royal Ballet School between the ages of 11 and 18...
– After the Rain - Gideon ObarzanekGideon ObarzanekGideon Obarzanek is an Australian choreographer and the Artistic Director of Melbourne, Australia based contemporary dance company Chunky Move which he formed in 1995, in collaboration with Garry Stewart....
– Glow - Lloyd Newson – To Be Straight With You
- Christopher Wheeldon
Best International Contemporary Concert
- Sydney Festival – BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
on the Steps of the Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
- The Frontier Touring Company – Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
- Dainty Consolidated Entertainment – Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
– Lost Highway TourLost Highway TourThe Lost Highway Tour was a worldwide concert tour by American rock band Bon Jovi, that took place from October 2007 to July 2008 in support of their tenth studio album Lost Highway... - Chugg Entertainment and Perth International Arts FestivalPerth International Arts FestivalThe Perth International Arts Festival is Australia's longest running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia between February-March. The program features contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, opera, visual arts, large-scale public works, Lotterywest Festival Films and the...
– Rufus WainwrightRufus WainwrightRufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
- The Frontier Touring Company – Justin Timberlake
Best Australian Contemporary Concert
- The Frontier Touring Company – Crowded HouseCrowded HouseCrowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
- Maiden Australia and QPAC – Broad
- Andrew McManus Presents – Kate CeberanoKate CeberanoKate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
– Nine Lime Avenue Tour - Sydney Symphony – The WhitlamsThe WhitlamsThe discography of The Whitlams consists of six studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and eighteen singles.-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Videos:-Music videos:-Awards:...
with the Sydney Symphony
Best Contemporary Music Festival
- Womadelaide Foundation – Womadelaide
- Chugg Entertainment & Rockin Roll Circus – St Jeromes Laneway FestivalSt Jerome's Laneway FestivalKnown simply as the Laneway or St. Jerome's Festival, the music festival began in Caledonian Lane in Melbourne in 2004. Emerging as an indie music event, the Laneway Festival has grown rapidly in popularity, receiving favourable reviews in music press....
- Chugg Entertainment & Peter Noble Presents – 19th Annual East Coast Blues and Roots FestivalEast Coast Blues & Roots Music FestivalThe East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest, is an annual music festival held for five days over the Easter long weekend at Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia...
- Vivian Lees & Ken West – Big Day OutBig Day OutThe Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
Festival 2008
- Chugg Entertainment & Rockin Roll Circus – St Jeromes Laneway Festival
Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert
- David Campbell – The Swing Sessions 2
- Guy SebastianGuy SebastianGuy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
– The Memphis Tour - Kate Ceberano – Nine Lime Avenue Tour
- Tina ArenaTina ArenaFilippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
in concert
- Guy Sebastian
Best Comedy Performer
- David Collins & Shane Dundas – The Umbilical BrothersThe Umbilical Brothers-History:They met in 1988, at the University of Western Sydney in a jazz class, , where David swung around and broke Shane's nose...
: Don't ExplainDon't ExplainDon't Explain is the title of the second Umbilical Brothers DVD, released in November 2007. The show was filmed at the Athenaeum theatre in Melbourne.The Description on the back of the DVD:...
- Frank WoodleyFrank WoodleyFrank Woodley is an Australian comedian who is best known for his work alongside Colin Lane as part of the comedic duo, Lano and Woodley. The two performed together for almost 20 years in live shows, a television series and an album of comedic songs, before deciding to pursue individual careers...
– Possessed - Julia MorrisJulia MorrisJulia Morris is an Australian writer, comedian, actress, television presenter and television producer who has worked extensively in Australian and British television and radio. She has toured widely with her solo stand-up comedy shows. In Australia, she is best known as one of the stars of the...
– Julia Morris in Shoosh Please! - Ross NobleRoss NobleRoss Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
- Frank Woodley
Best New Australian Work
- Michael Gow – Toy Symphony
- Alana Valentine – Parramatta Girls
- Gideon Obarzanek – Glow
- Andrew Bovell – When the Rain Stops Falling
Best Special Event
- Sydney Opera House and Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
– The Choir of Hard KnocksThe Choir of Hard KnocksThe Choir of Hard Knocks is a choir consisting of homeless and disadvantaged people formed in Melbourne, Australia. It came to prominence as the subject of a five-part Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentary television series broadcast in 2007....
- Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company – An Audience With Stephen Sondheim
- Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2008 & The Electric Canvas – Ignition! and Northern Lights
- Queensland Music FestivalQueensland Music FestivalThe Queensland Music Festival is a series of musical events staged in a number of locations in Queensland, Australia usually around late July, every second year. It is financially supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and a wide range of other partners...
and Brisbane City Council – Pig City
Best Original Score
- Barrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie Kosky's name is sometimes misspelled as Barry Kosky, Barrie Koski, Barrie Koskie. is an Australian theatre and opera director.Kosky also plays the piano, as he did in his production of Monteverdi's Poppea...
– The Tell-Tale Heart- Richard MillsRichard MillsRichard John Mills AM, DMus BA Qld, is an Australian conductor and composer. He currently works as Artistic Director of the West Australian Opera and Artistic Consultant with Orchestra Victoria...
– Songlines for the Heart's Desire - Andree Greenwell – Venus & Adonis
- Ben Frost – Mortal Engine
- Richard Mills
Best Music Direction
- Stephen Amos – Billy Elliot the Musical
- Peter Farnan – Sleeping Beauty
- Lionel Friend – Arabella
- Peter Casey – Company
Best Costume Design
- Julie Lynch – Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show
- Robert Perdziola – Arabella
- Stephen Curtis – The Government Inspector
- John F Macfarlane – The Nutcracker
Best Lighting Design
- Rick Fisher – Billy Elliot the Musical
- Paul Jackson – Moving Target
- Trudy Dalgleish – Dead Man Walking
- Niklas Pajanti – When the Rain Stops Falling
Best Scenic Design
- Dan Potra – Dead Man Walking
- Peter McKintosh – The 39 Steps
- John F Macfarlane – The Nutcracker
- Ian MacNeil – Billy Elliot the Musical
Best Sound Design
- Gareth Fry – Black Watch
- Chris Full, John Scandrett & Nick Reich – Guys & Dolls
- Paul Arditti – Billy Elliot the Musical
- Mic Pool – The 39 Steps
Best Presentation for Children
- Patch Theatre CompanyPatch Theatre CompanyIn its 37 year history, Patch Theatre Company has produced 100 new works and performed to 1.45 million children and their families nationally and internationally....
– Mr McGee and the Biting Flea- Gooligulch Productions in Association with Garry Ginivan Attractions – My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch
- Real T.V – Hoods
- Windmill Performing ArtsWindmill Performing ArtsWindmill Performing Arts established in 2002 as a South Australian Government initiative is Australia's flagship professional theatre company for child and young adult audiences. The current artistic director is Rosemary Myers.Since 2002, it has grown into a leading national company...
– Cat
Best Regional Touring Production
- Company B – Keating!Keating!Keating! is a musical theatre production which portrays the political career of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. Keating was Prime Minister between 1991 to 1996; the musical follows him from his ascendancy to the leadership through to his eventual electoral defeat by John Howard...
- Patch Theatre Company – Mr McGee and the Biting Flea
- Bangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance TheatreBangarra Dance Theatre is an Indigenous Australian contemporary dance company founded in 1989 by Carole Johnson, an African-American and founding director of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association . Bangarra is the Wiradjuri word meaning "to make fire".Stephen Page has been the...
– True Stories - Queensland Theatre CompanyQueensland Theatre CompanyThe Queensland Theatre Company was established in 1970 as the Royal Queensland Theatre Company. The Company is the state's flagship professional theatre company, headed up by multi-award winning playwright and director Wesley Enoch...
– Heroes