Life, Legacy, And Laughter: The 2024 Wellington Theatre Awards - Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai

The Wellington Theatre Awards - Ngā Whakarākei o Whātaitai are back, celebrating a year of innovation, creativity, and excellence in the capital’s thriving live theatre scene.

This year’s awards will take place on Sunday, 8 December, in the grand and glamorous Wellington Opera House, offering a night to indulge in the art of theatre, connect as a community.

For the first time, the move to this larger venue welcomes a broader audience, bringing practitioners and audiences together to celebrate the magic of live performance.

Director of Playmarket, Murray Lynch, reflects on the importance of this occasion:

“The event allows for a celebration of the work undertaken by a highly underpaid workforce and for reflection on the legacy of theatre as a life-enriching and wellbeing tool in all our lives.”

This year, 12 dedicated judges have watched over 130 productions at a range of venues across the city. From The Savage Coloniser Show, Dawn Raids at The Opera House, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Sense and Sensibility, Gravity & Grace, The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular - the judges have experienced a remarkable array of performances.

This special evening will honour the writers, designers, actors, directors, technicians, and audiences who make theatre possible in Wellington.

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Hosted by the dazzling Tīwhas, Aotearoa’s Takatāpui Drag Super-Group, alongside Kree Matthews, Hayden Taylor, and Tom Knowles, the night promises plenty of sparkle, celebration, and unforgettable moments.

The awards are made possible by the support of sponsors and funders, including Wellington City Council, Grouse Lighting, HardKase Audio, Grassroots Trust, The Woodbury Family, Adam Foundation, Footnote Dance, and key theatre organisations such as BATS Theatre, Playmarket, Taki Rua Productions, Circa Theatre, NZ Fringe, The Conch, Barbarian Productions, Aotearoa NZ Festival, Te Auaha, Tahi Festival, PAYPA and Hannah Playhouse.

These awards have reached this new level because of the determined commitment of the Wellington Theatre Awards - Ngā Whakarākei o Whātaitai Trustees, Tom Broadmore, Peter Dengate-Thrush, Chair, Suzanne Snively, Kaine Thompson and Mike Woodbury.

Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster. For those wishing to give back to the community, “pay it forward” donor tickets are also available, offering an opportunity to enter a draw for entry to the pre-function and recognition in the digital programme.

Join us for this spectacular evening as we celebrate the drama, legacy, passion of Wellington’s theatre community.

Full List of Award Names and Nominees here:

Most Promising Newcomer Award in honour of George Webby + Most Promising Newcomer Award in honour of Willem Wassenaar (Two awards)

Stela Dara Resende Albuquerque – Show Do Café

Sina Esera – Dawn Raids

Te Hāmama Hohua (Tina Coco Couture) – The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular

Rachel McSweeney –One Bedroom Available in Super Sunny Central Wellington Flat $260 Per Week Excluding Expenses, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Lizzie the Musical

Oli Mathiesen – The Butterfly who Flew into the Rave

Andrew Paterson – and the Lochburns

Iuni-Katalaina Polataivao-Saute – The Savage Coloniser Show

Rongopai Tickell – Gravity & Grace

Lighting Designer of the Year

Alex Fisher – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Lizzie the Musical

Izzi Lao – Crunch, Show Do Café

Lucas Neal – and the Lochburns

Rowan Pierce – Belle – A Performance of Air

Sound Designer of the Year sponsored by HardKase Audio

Tane Upjohn Beatson – Suitcase Show

Te Aihe Butler – Heartbreak Hotel

Oliver Devlin – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Paddy Free – Hatupatu | Kurungaituku: A Forbidden Love

Outstanding Composer of Music in honour of Constance Scott Kirkaldie

Tane Upjohn Beatson (and Robyn Bryant) – Suitcase Show

David Long – The Savage Coloniser Show

Eden Mulholland, Jol Mulholland and Anita Clark – Belle – A Performance of Air

Emi Pogoni – Gravity & Grace

Set Designer of the Year in honour of Raymond Boyce

Ian Harman – Treasure Island, The Supper Club, Two Guitars

Rachel Marlow and Brad Gledhill – The Savage Coloniser Show, Heartbreak Hotel

Meg Rollandi – Gravity & Grace, and the Lochburns

Joshua Tucker-Emerson – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Lizzie the Musical

Costume Designer of the Year in honour of Paul Jenden

Ian Harman – Sense and Sensibility

Sharon Johnstone and The Tīwhas – The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular

Rhys Tunley – Lizzie the Musical

Ben Tucker-Emerson – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

New Playwright of the Year in honour of Peter Harcourt

Jack McGee – Boys and Girls at the School Silent Disco

Andy Manning – False Idol

Viki Moananu – Icky

Catriona Tipene and Ryan Cundy – Trees, Bees and Me

New Aotearoa Play of the Year in honour of Renée

The Savage Coloniser Show by Tusiata Avia

Gravity & Grace by Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken

and the Lochburns by William Duignan

Two Guitars by Jamie McCaskill

Most Original Production of the Year

Belle – A Performance of Air

Disaster

Manage Your Expectations

The Tīwhas: A Matariki Spectacular

Acting Nominations for the following:

Actor of the Year in honour of Grant Tilly

Actor of the Year in honour of Dorothy McKegg

Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Ray Henwood

Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Michele Amas

Cam Clayton – Two Guitars

William Duignan – Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Peter Hambleton – and the Lochburns

Sophie Hambleton – Transmission: Beta

Kali Kopae - and the Lochburns

Simon Leary – Gravity & Grace, Heartbreak Hotel, and the Lochburns

Stacey Leilua – The Savage Coloniser Show

Karin McCracken – Gravity & Grace, Heartbreak Hotel, Disaster

Sepelini Mua’au – You and A.I, Transmission: Beta

Aimée Sullivan – Sense and Sensibility, Lizzie the Musical

Jake Tupu – Dawn Raids

Bronwyn Turei – Sense and Sensibility, Treasure Island

Director of the Year in honour of Richard Campion

Eleanor Bishop – Gravity & Grace, Heartbreak Hotel

Andrew Paterson – and the Lochburns

Anapela Polataivao – The Savage Coloniser Show

Troy Tu‘ua, Jake Tupu, Tanya Muagututi’a – Dawn Raids

Production of the Year in honour of Bill Sheat

and the Lochburns

The Butterfly who Flew into the Rave

Gravity & Grace

The Savage Coloniser Show

Backstage Production Award presented by Grouse Lighting

Kate Anderson

Eleanor Strathern

Natasha Thyne

Fay Van Der Meulen

Excellence Award Movement

Belle – A Performance of Air (Malia Johnston and Jenny Ritchie)

The Butterfly who Flew into the Rave (Oli Mathiesen, Lucy Lynch, Sharvon Mortimer, Abbie Rogers)

Whenua (Malia Johnston, Rodney Bell, Eddie Elliott)

The Savage Coloniser Show (Tupua Tigafua and Mario Faumui)

Excellence Award for Ensemble

Dawn Raids

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

The Savage Coloniser Show

Sense and Sensibility

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