The woman behind an image of a buzzing ball of cactus bees spinning over the hot sand on a Texas ranch has been named winner of this year’s Wildlife Photographer Of The Year competition.
American photographer Karine Aigner became just the fifth woman in the competition’s 58-year history to be awarded the Grand Title award.
The winners of the Natural History Museum’s prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition were announced at an awards ceremony in London on Tuesday night.
Entitled “The big buzz”, her winning shot was taken close up at bee-level and shows all except one of the male insects intent on mating with the single female at the centre.
Organisers of the contest pointed out that, like most bees, the insects pictured are threatened by habitat loss, pesticides and climate change, along with farming practices that disrupt their nesting grounds.
Chair of the jury, writer and editor Rosamund Kidman Cox OBE, said: “Wings-whirring, incoming males home in on the ball of buzzing bees that is rolling straight into the picture.
“The sense of movement and intensity is shown at bee-level magnification and transforms what are little cactus bees into big competitors for a single female.”
Image: The beauty of baleen by Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, Thailand – Winner, 15-17 Years
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, from Thailand, was awarded the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 for his creative image, “The beauty of baleen”.
Organisers explained that when a Bryde’s whale surfaced close to the boat, Katanyou was intrigued by the contrasting colours and textures of its dark skin, pink gum and the brush-like mass of baleen hanging down from its top jaw.
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Like other baleen whales, the species use a technique known as lunge-feeding to capture large numbers of small schooling fish and use the plates of baleen to filter the small prey from the ocean.
“Out of the jaws of a Bryde’s whale comes this dazzling creation,” said Ms Kidman Cox.
“The pin-sharp detail of the tiny anchovies is set against an abstraction of colour with the weave of brown baleen hair rimmed by a cascade of water drops.”
The two Grand Title winners were chosen from 19 category winners that highlight the natural world in all its wonder and diversity.
They had been picked from a total of 38,575 entries from 93 countries to be judged anonymously by an international panel of experts on their originality, narrative, technical excellence and ethical practice.
The images will go on show as part of the redesigned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition from 14 October at the Natural History Museum.
Below are the individual award winners along with their categories and descriptions:
Battle stations by Ekaterina Bee, Italy – 10 years and under
Image: Battle stations by Ekaterina Bee, Italy
Ekaterina Bee watches as two Alpine ibex spar for supremacy. It was near the end of a spring day trip with her family that Ekaterina spotted the fight.
The two ibex clashed horns and continued to trade blows while standing on their hind legs like boxers in a ring.
In the early 1800s, following centuries of hunting, fewer than 100 Alpine ibex survived in the mountains on the Italy-France border. Successful conservation measures mean that, today, there are more than 50,000.
Out of the fog by Ismael Domínguez Gutierrez, Spain – 11 to 14 years
Image: Out of the fog by Ismael Domínguez Gutiérrez, Spain
Ismael Domínguez Gutiérrez reveals a monochromatic scene as an osprey sits on a dead tree, waiting for the fog to lift.
When Ismael arrived at the wetland, he was disappointed not to be able to see beyond a few metres – and certainly he had no hope of glimpsing the grebes he wanted to photograph.
But as the fog began to lift, it revealed the opportunity for this striking composition.
Ospreys are winter visitors to the province of Andalucia.
Spectacled bear’s slim outlook by Daniel Mideros, Ecuador – Animals in their Environment
Image: Spectacled bear’s slim outlook by Daniel Mideros, Ecuador
Daniel Mideros takes a poignant portrait of a disappearing habitat and its inhabitant.
Daniel set up camera traps along a wildlife corridor used to reach high-altitude plateaus.
He positioned the cameras to show the disappearing natural landscape with the bear framed at the heart of the image.
These bears, found from western Venezuela to Bolivia, have suffered massive declines as the result of habitat fragmentation and loss.
Puff perfect by José Juan Hernández Martinez, Spain – Animal Portraits
Image: Puff perfect by José Juan Hernández Martinez, Spain
Jose Juan Hernández Martinez witnesses the dizzying courtship display of a Canary Islands houbara.
Jose arrived at the houbara’s courtship site at night. By the light of the moon, he dug himself a low hide.
From this vantage point he caught the bird’s full puffed-out profile as it took a brief rest from its frenzied performance.
A Canary Islands houbara male returns annually to its courtship site to perform impressive displays.
Raising the plumes from the front of its neck and throwing its head back, it will race forward before circling back, resting just seconds before starting again.
The listening bird by Nick Kanakis, USA – Behaviour: Birds
Image: The listening bird by Nick Kanakis, USA – Winner, Behaviour: Birds
Nick Kanakis gains a glimpse into the secret life of wrens.
Nick spotted the young grey-breasted wood wren foraging. Knowing it would disappear into the forest if approached, he found a clear patch of leaf litter and waited.
Sure enough, the little bird hopped into the frame, pressing its ear to the ground to listen for small insects.
This prey-detecting technique is used by other birds, including the Eurasian blackbird.
The great cliff chase by Anand Nambiar, India – Behaviour: Mammals
Image: The great cliff chase by Anand Nambiar, India – Winner, Behaviour: Mammals
Anand Nambiar captures an unusual perspective of a snow leopard charging a herd of Himalayan ibex towards a steep edge.
From a vantage point across the ravine, Anand watched the snow leopard manoeuvre uphill from the herd.
It was perfectly suited for the environment – unlike Anand, who followed a fitness regime in preparation for the high altitude and cold temperatures.
The bat-snatcher by Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar, Mexico – Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles
Image: The bat-snatcher by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar, Mexico
Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar waits in darkness as a Yucatan rat snake snaps up a bat.
Using a red light to which both bats and snakes are less sensitive, Fernando kept an eye on this Yucatan rat snake poking out of a crack.
He had just seconds to get the shot as the rat snake retreated into its crevice with its bat prey.
Heavenly flamingos by Junji Takasago, Japan – Natural Artistry
Image: Heavenly flamingos by Junji Takasago, Japan – Winner, Natural Artistry
Junji Takasago powered through altitude sickness to produce a dream-like scene.
High in the Andes, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt pan. It is also one of Bolivia’s largest lithium mines, which threatens the future of these flamingos.
New life for the tohora by Richard Robinson, New Zealand – Oceans: The Bigger Picture
Image: New life for the tohorā by Richard Robinson, New Zealand – Winner, Oceans
Richard Robinson captures a hopeful moment for a population of whales that has survived against all odds.
Hindered by poor visibility, Richard used a polecam to photograph the whales gradually moving towards his boat.
Pushing his camera to its limits in the dark water, he was relieved to find the image pin-sharp and the moment of copulation crystallised in time.
The magical morels by Agorastos Papatsanis, Greece – Plants and Fungi
Image: The magical morels by Agorastos Papatsanis, Greece
Agorastos Papatsanis composes a fairy tale scene in the forests of Mount Olympus.
He waited for the sun to filter through the trees and light the water in the background, then used a wide-angle lens and flashes to highlight the morels’ labyrinthine forms.
Morels are regarded as gastronomic treasures in many parts of the world because they are difficult to cultivate, yet in some forests they flourish naturally.
Shooting star by Tony Wu, USA/Japan – Underwater
Image: Shooting star by Tony Wu, USA/Japan – Winner, Underwater
Tony Wu watches the electrifying reproductive dance of a giant sea star.
As the surrounding water filled with sperm and eggs from spawning sea stars, Tony faced several challenges.
Stuck in a small, enclosed bay with only a macro lens for photographing small subjects, he backed up to squeeze the undulating sea star into his field of view, in this galaxy-like scene.
House of bears by Dmitry Kokh, Russia – Urban Wildlife
Image: House of bears by Dmitry Kokh
Dmitry Kokh presents this haunting scene of polar bears shrouded in fog at the long-deserted settlement on Kolyuchin.
As they explored every window and door, Dmitry used a low-noise drone to take a picture that conjures up a post-apocalyptic future.
In the Chukchi Sea region, the normally solitary bears usually migrate further north in the summer, following the retreating sea ice they depend on for hunting seals, their main food.
The dying lake by Daniel Nunez, Guetamala Winner, Wetlands – The Bigger Picture
Image: The dying lake by Daniel Núñez, Guatemala
Daniel Nunez uses a drone to capture the contrast between the forest and the algal growth on Lake Amatitlan.
Daniel took this photograph to raise awareness of the impact of contamination on Lake Amatitlan, which takes in around 75,000 tonnes of waste from Guatemala City every year.
Ndakasi’s passing by Brent Stirton, South Africa – Photojournalism
Image: Ndakasi’s passing by Brent Stirton, South Africa – Winner, Photojournalism
Brent Stirton shares the closing chapter of the story of a much-loved mountain gorilla.
Brent photographed Ndakasi’s rescue as a two-month-old after her troop was brutally killed by a powerful charcoal mafia as a threat to park rangers.
Here he memorialised her passing as she lay in the arms of her rescuer and caregiver of 13 years, ranger Andre Bauma.
‘The Cuban connection’ by Karine Aigner, USA – Photojournalist Story Award
Image: ‘The Cuban connection’ by Karine Aigner, USA – Winner, Photojournalist Story Award
A Cuban bullfinch is positioned alongside a road so that it becomes accustomed to the hubbub of street life and therefore less likely to be distracted during a competition.
These birds are highly prized for their sweet voice and feisty spirit.
‘A theatre of birds’ by Mateusz Piesiak, Poland – Rising Star Portfolio Award
Image: ‘A theatre of birds’ by Mateusz Piesiak, Poland – Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award
Placing his remote camera on the mud of the reed bed, Mateusz seized the opportunity to capture the moment when a passing peregrine falcon caused some of the dunlins to fly up.
‘Under Antarctic ice’ by Laurent Ballesta, France – Portfolio Award
Image: ‘Under Antarctic ice’ by Laurent Ballesta, France – Winner, Portfolio Award
Living towers of marine invertebrates punctuate the seabed off Adelie Land, 32 metres (105 feet) under East Antarctic ice.
Here, at the centre, a tree-shaped sponge is draped with life, from giant ribbon worms to sea stars.
Jay-Z has sued the woman who accused him of raping her, in a now-withdrawn complaint.
Sky News’ US partner NBC News reported the 55-year-old music mogul had launched a defamation lawsuit against the woman.
The American rapper reportedly said the woman and the lawyers representing her “were soullessly motivated by greed, in abject disregard of the truth” and alleged that they caused harm to his personal and professional reputation.
Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, is reported to have filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Alabama, where the woman, referred to in the lawsuit only as “Jane Doe”, lives.
The initial allegation made by the woman centred on Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
At the time the lawsuit was withdrawn, Jay-Z said: “Today is a victory. These frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed.
“The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone.”
In her lawsuit, in New York, the woman originally accused Carter and Combs of raping her at an after party following the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards.
His lawsuit cited inconsistencies in the woman’s account that were reported by NBC News.
This reportedly included claiming her father had picked her up for a ride home, but him saying he didn’t recall making the drive – of more than five hours – at the time.
She also claimed to speak to musician Benji Madden at the party, but a representative for Madden said that neither Benji nor his brother Joel attended the 2000 VMAs and that they were on tour in the Midwest at the time, NBC News added.
Jay-Z is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
However, in a separate legal filing Monday, the woman said she was sticking with her story, NBC News reported.
The BBC has called the ongoing controversy over a documentary on Gaza a “really, really bad moment”, admitting the film’s failings are “a dagger to the heart” of the corporation’s impartiality.
Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone was pulled from iPlayer and will not be broadcast on channels again after it emerged that the child narrator is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC chairman Samir Shah were questioned by MPs during a Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee meeting on Tuesday.
Mr Shah told committee members: “This is a really, really bad moment. It’s is a dagger to the heart of the BBC claim to be impartial and to be trustworthy.”
He said questions over “what went wrong” were asked “on day one” following the programme’s transmission.
He went on: “To my shock, I think that we found that there were serious failings on both sides, on the independent production side as well, as well as on the BBC side.”
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Mr Shah said an interim report commissioned by the BBC found “it wasn’t so much the processes were at fault as people weren’t doing their job”.
Mr Shah said he believed the problem was confined to this programme, adding: “On this story we’re examining the how and why, the compliance that determines did not take place.”
However, he also said he thought an independent review into how the BBC covers stories in the Middle East should also be carried out independently.
Image: BBC director general Tim Davie and chairman Samir Shah. Pic: PA
Tim Davie said there was “a lot of frustration and disappointment” over the film, adding: “We’re very sorry to the audience.”
How To Survive A Warzone was made on commission by independent production company Hoyo Films, and features 13-year-old Abdullah al Yazouri, who speaks about life in Gaza during the war between Israel and Hamas.
Mr Davie said there were specific questions asked around Abdullah’s father, and the BBC “found out that we were not told”.
He went on: “At that point, quite quickly, I lost trust in that film. Therefore, I took the decision quite quickly to take it off iPlayer while we do this deep dive.”
Mr Davie said removing the film from iPlayer had been “a very tough decision”.
Discussing whether or not the family involved in the film had been paid for their work, he said: “As I understand it today, the BBC has only made one payment. This was for a licence fee, to the programme maker.”
He said an initial assessment of the economics had showed “that there was a small payment to the sister… It’s totally normal payment because the boy recorded the narration. He went to a studio to do it.”
Describing the fallout as “damaging”, Mr Davie said he believes “overall trust in BBC news remains very high”.
He went on: “We’re not losing all context here. This was a serious failing. But we have trust numbers that we’re very proud of, we’re the most trusted brand in the world. And part of what we do to earn that trust… is actually be highly transparent and go through enormous processes when we fail like this to show how we’re going to fix it.”
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What’s next as the ceasefire deal ends?
Mr Davie says he has “fast-tracked” the review “out of the news department”, where it will be overseen by Peter Johnson, BBC Director, Editorial Complaints and Reviews.
Media watchdog Ofcom sent a letter to the BBC flagging their “ongoing concerns” about the “nature and gravity” of the documentary on Monday, which Mr Shah said he “welcomed”.
The Metropolitan Police said: “Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are currently assessing whether any police action is required” in relation to the documentary.
Complaints from both sides
Hoyo Films said in a statement: “We are co-operating fully with the BBC and Peter Johnston (director of editorial complaints and reviews) to help understand where mistakes have been made.
“We feel this remains an important story to tell, and that our contributors – who have no say in the war – should have their voices heard.”
Last week, protesters gathered outside Broadcasting House in London claiming the BBC had aired Hamas propaganda.
The BBC also faced criticism in pulling the documentary, with Gary Lineker, Anita Rani, Riz Ahmed and Miriam Margoyles among more than 500 media figures who had condemned the action.
In an open letter addressed to Mr Davie, Dr Shah and outgoing chief content officer Charlotte Moore, hundreds of TV and film professionals and journalists called the decision to remove the documentary “politically motivated censorship”.
Following the committee session, Artists for Palestine UK, the group that published the letter, accused Mr Davie and Mr Shah of “throwing Palestinian children under the bus”, questioning how the corporation would safeguard the young people who appeared in the documentary.
In a statement, the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism accused the BBC of “marking its own homework”, adding: “No other broadcaster would be permitted this latitude, and no other regulated industry would allow this.”
They also called for the licence fee to be suspended pending an independent investigation into the documentary.
Nominations for the Olivier Awards, British theatre’s most prestigious honours, have been announced.
Following his second Oscar win at the weekend, Adrien Brody is nominated for best actor, for his performance in The Fear Of 13 – a play based on the real-life story of a man who spent 22 years on death row for a rape and murder that he did not commit.
Fellow US stars Billy Crudup and John Lithgow are up against him in the category, along with UK stars Paapa Essiedu and Mark Strong.
Brody, Crudup, Essiedu and Lithgow are all first-time nominees.
In the best actress category, The Crown star Lesley Manville is up against Meera Syal, Indira Varma, Heather Agyepong and Rosie Sheehy.
Manville and Varma both nominated for playing the same role in different productions of the Greek mythology classic Oedipus
Fiddler On The Roof is this year’s most nominated production, with 13 nods.
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It’s up for best musical revival, with old favourites including Oliver!, Hello Dolly and Starlight Express.
Image: Starlight Express. Pic: SOLT
In the musical theatre performing categories, John Dagleish is up for best actor for his role in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, a decade after his last win.
He’s up against Myles Frost, Simon Lipkin, Jamie Muscato and Adam Dannheisser.
Four-time Olivier winner Imelda Staunton is up for best actress in a musical for her role in Hello Dolly!, her 14th Olivier nomination and her eighth in the category.
She’s competing against Lara Pulver, Chumisa Dornford-May, Lauren Drew and Clare Foster.
Image: Why Am I So Single? Pic: SOLT
Best new play includes Brody’s The Fear Of 13, along with Kyoto, Shifters, Giant and The Years.
Giant and The Years are tied for most nominated play this year with five apiece.
Gina McKee is nominated for best actress in a supporting role, alongside Romola Garai who is double nominated in the same category for her roles in Giant and The Years.
Actress Sharon D Clarke makes up the category.
And in best supporting actor, Ben Whishaw will be battling it out against Jorge Bosch, Tom Edden, and Elliot Levey.
Sunset Boulevard was the big winner at last year’s Olivier Awards, taking home seven gongs and equalling the record for the most prizes for a musical at the ceremony.
The 2025 Olivier Awards will take place on Sunday 6 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter.
Image: MJ The Musical. Pic: SOLT
Full list of nominations:
Mastercard Best New Musical
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, music & lyrics by Darren Clark, book & lyrics by Jethro Compton at Ambassadors Theatre
MJ The Musical, book by Lynn Nottage at Prince Edward Theatre
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812, music, lyrics & book by Dave Malloy at Donmar Warehouse
Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics & book by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss at Garrick Theatre
Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
Jon Bausor for Set Design, Toby Olié & Daisy Beattie for Puppetry Design and Satoshi Kuriyama for Projection Design for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Frankie Bradshaw for Set Design for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Es Devlin for Set Design for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier
Tom Scutt for Set Design for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
White Light Award for Best Lighting Design
Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre
Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Howard Hudson for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Aideen Malone for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera at London Coliseum
Festen by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera & The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
The Tales Of Hoffmann by The Royal Opera at Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen at Royal Opera House
Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen at Royal Opera House
Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear at Barbican Theatre
Best Family Show
Brainiac Live at Marylebone Theatre
Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas at Apollo Theatre
The Nutcracker at Polka Theatre
Rough Magic at Shakespeare’s Globe – Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy
Boys On The Verge Of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho Theatre
English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln Theatre
Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone Theatre
Best New Dance Production
Assembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young at Sadler’s Wells
Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by The National Ballet Of Canada at Sadler’s Wells
Theatre Of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company at Sadler’s Wells
An Untitled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham at Sadler’s Wells
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets at Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre
Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner at Sadler’s Wells
Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena at Sadler’s Wells
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jorge Bosch for Kyoto at @sohoplace
Tom Edden for Waiting For Godot at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Elliot Levey for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Ben Whishaw for Bluets at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sharon D Clarke for The Importance Of Being Earnest at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Romola Garai for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Romola Garai for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Gina McKee for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer
Matthew Bourne for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre
Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus at The Old Vic
Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre
Best Costume Design
Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood at The London Palladium
Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design
Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Christopher Shutt for Oedipus at The Old Vic
Thijs van Vuure for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision & Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre
Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements & Orchestration for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Liv Andrusier for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion Theatre
Beverley Klein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Andy Nyman for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium
Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Layton Williams for Titanique at Criterion Theatre
Tom Xander for Mean Girls at Savoy Theatre
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre – Olivier
Inside No 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith at Wyndham’s Theatre
Spirited Away adapted by John Caird & co-adapted by Maoko Imai at London Coliseum
Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle & Constantine Rousouli at Criterion Theatre
Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director
Eline Arbo for The Years at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre
Jordan Fein for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Nicholas Hytner for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Robert Icke for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre
Best Actress
Heather Agyepong for Shifters at Duke of York’s Theatre
Lesley Manville for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre
Rosie Sheehy for Machinal at The Old Vic
Meera Syal for A Tupperware Of Ashes at National Theatre – Dorfman
Indira Varma for Oedipus at The Old Vic
Best Actor
Adrien Brody for The Fear Of 13 at Donmar Warehouse
Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke at Ambassadors Theatre
Paapa Essiedu for Death Of England: Delroy at @sohoplace
John Lithgow for Giant at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Mark Strong for Oedipus at Wyndham’s Theatre
Cunard Best Revival
The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Machinal by Sophie Treadwell at The Old Vic
Oedipus by Robert Icke at Wyndham’s Theatre
Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett at Theatre Royal Haymarket
Piper-Heidsieck Award for Best Musical Revival
Fiddler On The Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Hello, Dolly!, music & lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart at The London Palladium
Oliver!, book, music & lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material & revisions by Cameron Mackintosh at Gielgud Theatre
Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre
Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Myles Frost for MJ The Musical at Prince Edward Theatre
Simon Lipkin for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre
Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Best Actress in a Musical
Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse
Lauren Drew for Titanique at Criterion Theatre
Clare Foster for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Ambassadors Theatre
Lara Pulver for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly! at The London Palladium
The Londoner Award for Best New Play
The Fear Of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino at Donmar Warehouse
Giant by Mark Rosenblatt at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre
Kyoto by Joe Murphy & Joe Robertson at @sohoplace
Shifters by Benedict Lombe at Duke of York’s Theatre
The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain at Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre