JC Williamson Award
Awarded forIn recognition of "individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian live entertainment and performing arts industry and shaped the future of our industry for the better."
CountryAustralia
Presented byLive Performance Australia (LPA)
First awarded1998; 26 years ago (1998)
WebsiteWebsite

The JC Williamson Award (formally known as the James Cassius Williamson Award), is an lifetime achievement award presented annually as a sector of the Helpmann Awards, governed by Live Performance Australia.

The awards are named after the American actor, who became Australia's foremost pioneering leading theatre entrepreneur James Cassius Williamson

The board of directors of the JC William Awards committee elects recipients who are members of the performing arts, art administrators, entrepreneurs, members of the media, playwrights, theatre producers, directors and politicians[1]

In 2020 and 2021, the awards where cancelled due to COVID-19, but it was announced in May 2021, that recipients will be awarded for the 2020 season.[2]

Recognition incitement

The awards are a lifetime achievement award in recognition with the incitement of "individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Australian live entertainment and performing arts industry and shaped the future of our industry for the better", the award is the highest honour the LPA can bestow.[3][4]


Operatic soprano, Dame Joan Sutherland, received the award in 2005.
Comedian, Barry Humphries, was the 2008 recipient.

Recipients

Year Recipient(s) Occupation Ref(s)
1998 Edna Edgley
Kenn Brodziak 		Edna Edgley - Theatre entrepreneur
Kenn Brodzik - Concert promotor, producer, artist manager 		[5]
1999 Googie Withers
John McCallum 		Googie Withers - Stage and screen actress, dancer
John McCallum- theatre, film and TV actor and television producer 		[5]
2000 Award not given
2001 Ruth Cracknell Actress, comedienne and author [5]
Clifford Hocking Impresario and festival director [5]
2002 Kevin Jacobsen Concert promotor, former musician [5]
Graeme Murphy Dancer/Choreographer [5]
2003 Wendy Blacklock
John Robertson 		Wendy Blacklock Actress, theatre entrepreneur
John Robertson - Producer 		[5]
2004 John Farnham Singer [5]
John Sumner Founder and director of the Melbourne Theatre Company [5]
2005 Dame Joan Sutherland
David Williamson 		(Dame) Joan Sutherland Coloratura Soprano
David Williamson - Playwright, dramatist 		[6]
2006 John Clark Director [7]
Graeme Bell Musician
2007 Dame Margaret Scott Dancer/Choreographer, teacher, administrator [8]
Barry Tuckwell Musician
2008 Sue Nattrass Performer [9]
Barry Humphries Actor and comedian
2009 John Bell Actor, theatrical impresario [10]
Michael Gudinski Entertainment promotor, founder of Mushroom Records
2010 Tony Gould Queensland performing artsdirector [11]
Brian Nebenzahl
2011 Jill Perryman
Toni Lamond
Nancye Hayes
  • Jill Perryman - Actress and singer
  • Toni Lamond - Vaudevillian, cabaret performer, comedienne, actress, singer, dancer, writer, presenter
  • Nancye Hayes - Actress, singer, dancer/choreographer, director, narrator
 [12]
2012 Jimmy Little
Katharine Brisbane 		Jimmy Little - Country singer/musician
Katharine Brisbane - Journalist 		[13]

[14]

2013 Kylie Minogue
David Bleckinsop 		Kylie Minogue - Singer and actress
David Bleckinsop 		[15] [16]
2014 John Frost Producer [17]
2015 Paul Kelly Musician, singer-songwriter [18]
2016 Stephen Page Artistic director [citation needed]
2017 Richard Tognetti Musician [citation needed]
2018 Robyn Archer
Reg Livermore
Robyn Nevin
Archie Roach
Jim Sharman
  • Robyn Archer -
    • Singer
    • writer
    • stage director
    • artistic director
    • arts patron
    Reg Livermore-
    • Actor
    • singer
    • theatrical performer
    • former television presenter
    Robyn Nevin
    • Actress
    • director
    • stage producer
    • theatre founder
    Archie Roach
    • Singer
    • songwriter
    • musician
    • Indigenous Australian rights activist
    Jim Sharman
    • Screen writer
    • director
    • producer
    • playwright
 [citation needed]
2019 Kev Carmody Singer-songwriter, Musician [19]
2020 Deborah Cheetham, David McAllister Cheetham (Indigenous Australian soprano, actress, composer and playwright)
McAllister (German Australian Politician) 		[2]

References

  1. ^ "JC Williamson Award criteria". Helpmann Awards. Live Performance Australia.
  2. ^ a b Jo Littman. "Four 2020 Helpmann Industry Achievement Awards announced".
  3. ^ "JC Williamson Award". Helpmann Awards. Live Performance Australia. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  4. ^ Morgan, Clare (2 August 2011). "Spoonful of sugar leaves judges sweet on Poppins". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "JC Williamson Award recipients". Helpmann Awards. Live Performance Australia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  6. ^ Staff (12 July 2005). "Springtime for Helpmann". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  7. ^ Creagh, Sunanda (27 June 2006). "For this jazz great, we have a little brother to thank". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  8. ^ Dunn, Emily (10 July 2007). "Promise of glory for Sydney shows". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  9. ^ Eliezer, Christie (30 June 2008). "Australia's Helpmann Nominations Unveiled". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media (Nielsen Business Media). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  10. ^ Higson, Rosalie (28 July 2009). "Helpmanns honour guest for final role". The Australian. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  11. ^ Staff (30 August 2010). "A rewarding life in theatre for, Brian Nebenzahl, one who got with the program". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), (Commonwealth of Australia). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  12. ^ Wright, Maryann (2 August 2011). "Mary's a perfect Poppins - musical scoops annual Helpmann Awards". News.com.au. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  13. ^ Staff reporter (3 May 2012). "Jimmy Little farewelled at Opera House". Herald Sun. The Herald and Weekly Times (News Corporation). Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Katharine Brisbane awarded Helpmann's highest honour". ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 24 September 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  15. ^ Adams, Cameron (28 June 2013). "Kylie Minogue to be presented with special honour at the 2013 Helpmann Awards". Herald Sun. Herald and Weekly Times (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  16. ^ "David Blenkinsop wins National Entertainment Award". University of Western Australia (UWA). 28 June 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  17. ^ Epstein, Jackie (8 April 2014). "John Frost to be honoured at Helpmann Awards". Herald Sun. Herald and Weekly Times (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Helpmann Awards 2015: Les Miserables wins Best Musical, Paul Kelly receives JC Williamson award". ABC News. ABC News Australia. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  19. ^ "2019 Helpmann Awards Act II presented". Limelight. Retrieved 16 July 2019.

External links

JC Williamson Award
Helpmann Awards
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