2020 Green Room Awards Nominees

37th Annual Green Room Awards Celebrates Melbourne’s Arts

Comedy Theatre, March 30

Melbourne’s Arts Industry will again converge at the iconic Comedy Theatre to celebrate and applaud the accomplishments of its talented community at The 37th Annual Green Room Awards. Hosted by the Green Room Awards Association (GRAA), Victoria’s peak body for honouring excellence and innovation across our dynamic performing arts sector, this vibrant evening is always a highlight on the Melbourne Arts Calendar.

Launched in 1983, the Green Room Awards are wholly peer-presented Performing Arts Industry Awards, supporting outstanding achievements from artists, creatives, and companies across Cabaret, Contemporary and Experimental Performance, Dance, Independent Theatre, Musical Theatre, Opera, and Theatre Companies. Previous winners include La Mama’s legendary Liz Jones, singer Christine Anu, Anthony Warlow, Caroline O’Connor, actor Kat Stewart, and the multi-talented Eddie Perfect.

In the categories of Dance and Musical Theatre (as relevant to our readership) several nods have been given to works and performances by Sydney Dance Company, The Australian Ballet, Chunky Move, Dancehouse, Melanie Lane, Thomas E.S. Kelly, Vicki Van Hout, Come From Away, Ragtime, Barnum, Legally Blonde and Muriel’s Wedding. 

In 2020, the Green Room Awards Association introduces a private giving program called The Winners Circle ⏤ inviting former winners and members of the performing arts community to help extend the awards’ reach and be part of the annual performing arts conversation. For close to four decades thousands of talented artists have benefitted from the awards, and the ceremony has become a vital gathering point for the sector. The Winners Circle provides an opportunity to achieve the twin goals of bringing previous winners, judges and committee members together and helping to support the ongoing success of the awards.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Otto and Astrid, Berlin’s Prince and Princess of Art Rock and Europop, on an electric night with live performances, fabulous fashion, and inspiring words honouring the outstanding work on our stages in 2019.

The Nominations in the categories of Dance and Musical Theatre are listed in full below – for the full list of nominees across all 7 categories please go to www.greenroom.org.au/awards/nominees2020/:

DANCE

Performer (2 Winners)

• Benedicte Bemet – Years Work  (The Australian Ballet)
• Marlo Benjamin – Skeleton Tree  (Stephanie Lake Company)
• Joel Bray – Biladurang (Joel Bray)
• Tra Mi Dinh – Make Your Own World (Lucy Guerin Inc)
• Rebecca Jensen – Make Your Own World (Lucy Guerin Inc)
• Marcus Morelli – Sylvia (The Australian Ballet)
• Dalisa Pigram – Le Dernier Appel/The Last Cry (Marrugeku)
• Thomas E.S. Kelly – CO_EX_EN (Karul Projects)
• Vicky Van Hout – Plenty Serious Talk Talk (Vicki Van Hout)
• Paul White – Cella (Narelle Benjamin)

Duet and Ensemble Performance

• Sydney Dance Company – Woof  
• Jonathan Sinatra, Stuart Shugg, Alexandra Petrarca, David Huggins, Linda Sastradipradja, Rachel Doust, Megan Payne – Cultural Residues 2020
• Marrugeku – Le Dernier Appel/The Last Cry
• Cody Lavery and Kyall Shanks – Universal Estate
• Alice Dixon, Caroline Meaden, William McBride and Mark Wilson – Doors Shut

Visual Design

• Benjamin Cisterne (Lighting) – I have loved the stars too fondly… (Rachel Arianne Ogle)
• Vicki Van Hout, Karen Norris, Martin Abboud, Dominic O’Donnell (Video/Set/Light) – Plenty Serious Talk Talk (Vicki Van Hout)
• Matthew Adey, Antony Hamilton, Bosco Shaw (Object/Set/Light) – Universal Estate (Antony Hamilton Projects)
• Mirabella Wouters (Set) – High Performance Packing Tape (Branch Nebula)
• Creature Technology Company, Antony Hamilton, Blair Hart, Paula Levis, Andrew Treloar and Bosco Shaw (Objects/Costume/Light) – Token Armies (Chunky Move)

Music Composition or Sound Design

• Chris Clark Woof (Sydney Dance Company)
• Phil Downing Plenty Serious Talk Talk (Vicki Van Hout)
• Aviva Endean Token Armies (Chunky Move )
• Amelia Barden Adherence (Sandra Parker)
• Andrew Wilson What Am I Supposed To Do? (WAISTD) (Sarah Aiken and Rebecca Jensen / Deep Soulful Sweats)

Shirley McKechnie Award for Choreography

• Melanie Lane Woof  (Sydney Dance Company)
• Thomas E.S. Kelly CO_EX_EN  (Arts House and Karul Projects)
• Russell Dumas Cultural Residues 2020  (Dancehouse)
• Siobhan McKenna Utterance  (Dancehouse)

Production

• Biladurang (Joel Bray in association with Arts House)
• Le Dernier Appel/The Last Cry (Marrugeku)
• Plenty Serious Talk Talk (Vicki Van Hout)
• Token Armies (Chunky Move)
• What Am I Supposed To Do? (WAISTD) (Sarah Aiken and Rebecca Jensen / Deep Soulful Sweats)

MUSICAL THEATRE

Lead Role (2 winners)

• Kurt Kansley – Ragtime (The Production Company)
• Vidya Makan – Sunday in the Park with George (Watch This)
• Richard Piper – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby
• Natalie Abbott – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Ainsley Melham – Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Melbourne Theatre Company)
• Zoe Gertz – Come from Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Ryan Gonzales – Jersey Boys (Dodger Theatricals, Rodney Rigby, TEG Dainty, Joseph J. Grano, Pelican Group, Michael Watt, Tommy Mottola in association with Latitude Link & Anita Waxman)
• Georgina Hopson – Ragtime (The Production Company)
• Sam Hagen – Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)
• Anthony Warlow – Sweeney Todd (TEG, Life Like Company)

Supporting Role (2 winners)

• Stefanie Jones – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Adam-Jon Fiorentino – Body Of Work
• John O’May – Ragtime (The Production Company)
• Queenie Van De Zandt – Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company)
• Sam Skuthorp – The Beautiful Game (Manilla Street Productions)
• Kirby Burgess – Barnum (Storyboard Entertainment in association with National Institute of Circus Arts Australia, Yourshow & JTM Productions)
• Cameron McDonald – Jersey Boys (Dodger Theatricals, Rodger Rigby, TEG Dainty, Joseph J. Grano, Pelican Group, Michael Watt, Tommy Mottola in association with Latitude Link & Anita Waxman)
• Willow Sizer – Body of Work
• Verity Hunt-Ballard – A Little Night Music (Victorian Opera)
• Evan Lever – Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)

Ensemble

• The Band – Rebel (Starlight Productions, LSS Productions, Front & Centre Productions)
• The Company – Jersey Boys (Dodger Theatricals, Rodger Rigby, TEG Dainty, Joseph J. Grano, Pelican Group, Michael Watt, Tommy Mottola in association with Latitude Link & Anita Waxman)
• The Company – Ghost Quartet (Antipodes Theatre Company)
• The Company – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• The Circus Performers – Barnum (Storyboard Entertainment in association with National Institute of Circus Arts Australia, Yourshow & JTM Productions)

Original Australian Writing

• Drew Downing (Book, Music & Lyrics) – Rebel (Starlight Productions, LSS Productions, Front & Centre Productions)
• PJ Hogan (Book), Kate Miller-Heidke & Keir Nuttall (Music & Lyrics) – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)

Sound Design

• Marcello Lo Ricco – The Beautiful Game (Manilla Street Productions)
• Jack Scandrett – Everything’s Coming Up Sondheim (Spears Entertainment)
• Gareth Owen – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• System Sound – Body of Work (The Production Company)
• Nick Walker – Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Melbourne Theatre Company)

Set Design

• Alicia Clements – Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Melbourne Theatre Company)
• Beowulf Boritt – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Christina Smith – Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company)
• Gabriela Tylesova – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Sarah Tulloch – Bright Star (Pursued By Bear)

Costume Design

• Jodi Hope – Bright Star (Pursued By Bear)
• Gabriela Tylesova – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Isaac Lummis – Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company)
• Jacinda Hall – Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)
• Toni-Leslie James – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)

Lighting and Multimedia Design

• Howell Binkley (Lighting) – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Dean Drieberg & Damian Dunne, Milked Studios (Multimedia) – Sunday In The Park (Watch This)
• Nick Roux (Multimedia) – Lazarus (By arrangement with Robert Fox & Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment. The Production Company in association with Mens Mens Theatre)
• Trent Suidgeest (Lighting) – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Trudy Dalgleish (Lighting) – A Little Night Music (Victorian Opera)

Betty Pounder Award for Excellence in Choreography

• Freya List – Bright Star (Pursued By Bear)
• Christopher Horsey – Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Production Company)
• Andrew Hallsworth – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Kelly Devine – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Michael Ralph – Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)

Music Direction

• David Butler – Ghost Quartet Antipodes Theatre Company
• Katie Weston – Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)
• Luke Hunter – Body of Work
• Nathan Firmin – Bright Star (Pursued By Bear)
• Phoebe Briggs – A Little Night Music (Victorian Opera)

Direction

• Sonya Suares & Dean Drieberg – Sunday In The Park (Watch This)
• Roger Hodgman – Ragtime (The Production Company)
• Michael Kantor – Lazarus (By arrangement with Robert Fox & Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment. The Production Company in association with Mens Mens Theatre)
• Christopher Ashley – Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Simon Phillips – Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)

Best Production

• Bright Star (Pursued By Bear)
• Come From Away (Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby)
• Legally Blonde (James Terry Collective)
• Muriel’s Wedding (Global Creatures with Sydney Theatre Company)
• Ragtime (The Production Company)

The GRAA is proudly supported by City of Melbourne, Marriner Group, Media Super, Arts in Sync, Auspicious Arts, MTC, the Ron and Margaret Dobell Foundation and the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance.

GREEN ROOM AWARDS 2020

Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
Monday March 30, 7:00pm
Tickets on Sale March 1st
Bookings: 13 61 00 or online via www.greenroom.org.au

#GRA2020 #GreenRoomAwards