| WhatsOnStage Awards | |
|---|---|
| Current: 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards | |
| Awarded for | Achievements in British theatre |
| Venue | Prince of Wales Theatre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | WhatsOnStage.com |
| First awarded | 2001 |
| Website | [1] |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | BBC Radio 2 (2020–present) |
The WhatsOnStage Awards (WOS Awards), formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com.[1] The awards recognise performers and productions of British theatre with an emphasis on London's West End theatre.[2]
Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public's vote. The awards are held each February. Between 2012 and 2023, they have been staged at the West End's Prince of Wales Theatre, with the awards being moved to the London Palladium for the 2024 edition.[3]
In early 2001, WhatsOnStage.com published the shortlists for that year's Laurence Olivier Awards and invited site visitors to vote online for who they thought should win. In a fortnight, 5,000 people took part – and their results differed wildly from the Olivier judges. For the 2002 awards, the editors compiled their own shortlists and in 2003, they held their first launch party to announce the shortlists to around 200 industry guests. The first awards concert and ceremony was introduced for the 2008 awards.
Each year, the awards shortlists are drawn up with the help of thousands of theatregoers who log on to nominate their favourites across all 20+ awards categories. Nominations are announced at a star-studded launch event held in early December. Voting then opens and runs until the end of January the following year. In 2012–13, over 60,000[4] theatregoers logged on to vote, with leaders in many categories fluctuating dramatically from day to day.
The 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony took place on 21 February at the Prince of Wales Theatre and were hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst.[5]
The 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony took place on 19 February 2017 at the Prince of Wales Theatre and were hosted by Simon Lipkin and Vikki Stone.[6]
The 2018 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony took place on 25 February 2018 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
The 2019 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony took place on 3 March 2019 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.[7]
The 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony took place on 1 March 2020 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 WhatsOnStage Awards were held virtually. They did not honour creatives as they traditionally did but instead recognised 21 members of the public who had supported the theatre industry during the pandemic.[8]
The 2022 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony were held on 27 February 2022 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
The 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony were held on 12 February 2023 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.
The 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards concert and ceremony were be held on 11 February 2024 at the London Palladium.[3]
Presenters of the WhatsOnStage Awards have included James Corden, Sheridan Smith, Christopher Biggins, Mel Giedroyc, Miranda Hart, Alan Davies, Jenny Eclair, Rufus Hound, Steve Furst, Vikki Stone and Simon Lipkin.[9]
Over the years, guest presenters and performers at the Launch Party have included Graham Norton, Elaine Paige, Michael Ball, Lesley Garrett, Ryan Molloy, James Earl Jones, Jools Holland, Patina Miller, Julian Clary, Jeremy Irons, Simon Russell Beale, Bertie Carvel and Meera Syal.[9]
West End stars who have performed at the Awards Concerts at the Prince of Wales have included Alfie Boe, Sally Ann Triplett, Ryan Molloy, Jodie Prenger, Hannah Waddingham, Leanne Jones, Jill Halfpenny, Hadley Fraser, Ramin Karimloo, Rosemary Ashe, Nancy Sullivan, Samantha Barks, Sarah Lark, Kim Criswell, Siobhan McCarthy, Julie Atherton, Suranne Jones, Elena Roger, Sean Palmer, Clare Foster, Hannah Waddingham, Dean Chisnall, Brian May, Kerry Ellis, Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Sam Tutty.
The inaugural launch party was held at The Venue, before moving to the Dominion Theatre in 2004, Planet Hollywood in 2005 and 2006, and Café de Paris, where it has been every year since with the exception of the 2009 awards, when it was held at the London Hippodrome as part of their campaign to save the venue as a performance space.[citation needed]
The first awards concert and ceremony was introduced for the 2008 awards and was held at the 960-seat Lyric Theatre. The concert moved to the 1,100-seat Prince of Wales Theatre for the 2009 awards and was a sell-out for four straight years from 2009–2012. The concert moved to the Palace Theatre for the 2013 awards but returned to the Prince of Wales Theatre for 2014.[citation needed]
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Performance categories
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Production categories
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Special categories
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Defunct categories
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2008[10]
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2009 [11]
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2010[12]
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2011[13]
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2012[14]
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2013[15]
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2014[16]
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2015[17]
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2016[18]
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2017[19]
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