The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, MJ The Musical, Why Am I So Single? and Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 will face off for the title of best new musical at the Olivier Awards 2025.
The nominees were announced today for British theatre’s most prestigious awards, with the Royal Albert Hall once again hosting the awards ceremony on Sunday, April 6.
Fiddler on the Roof is the most nominated show of the year, earning 13 nominations. Among them is one for Best Musical Revival, with others in the category including Hello, Dolly!, Oliver! and Starlight Express.
Other musicals to receive multiple nominations include Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812 with six, followed by The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Oliver! with four nominations each.
In the musical theatre performing categories, the Best Actor in a Musical nominees are completed by John Dagleish (for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), Myles Frost (MJ The Musical), Simon Lipkin (Oliver!) and Jamie Muscato (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812), alongside Fiddler On The Roof’s Adam Dannheisser.
The Best Actress in a Musical nominees are Chumisa Dornford-May (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812), Lauren Drew (Titanique), Clare Foster (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button), Lara Pulver (Fiddler On The Roof) and Imelda Staunton (Hello, Dolly!).
Here’s the 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
Top image: Royal Albert Hall exterior from Kensington Gardens. Credit: Annabel Moeller