Black British Theatre Awards 2020 winners announced

Thriller Live beat off strong opposition from Hamilton and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical to claim the Best Musical Production Award at the 2020 Black British Theatre Awards during a special socially distanced event at London’s Young Vic Theatre which aired on Sky Arts as part of the channel’s new free-to-air line-up.

Following on from last year’s inaugural live event, the other genre award winners announced during the awards’ first televised ceremony included Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s Noah Thomas who was crowned in the Best Male Actor In A Musical category while Miriam-Teak Lee claimed the Best Female Actor In A Musical title for her performance in & Juliet.

The Best Supporting Male Actor In A Musical went to Nicholas McLean (Wicked) while the Best Supporting Female Actor Award was awarded to Nicole Raquel Dennis (Dear Evan Hansen).

Dennis’ work as creative director alongside Ryan Carter on July’s star-studded online fundraiser TURN UP! was also recognised with the Award for Best Use Of Innovation And Technology. The pair lost out to Thriller Live’s Adrian Grant in the Best Producer Award.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s Layton Williams also picked up another award, taking home the LGBTQ+ Champion prize.

Recognising some of the finest work by black performers and creatives in UK Theatre, the event was hosted by presenter and actor Eddie Nestor and featured guest presenters including Nicola Blackman, Akosua Boakye, Obioma Ugoala and Danny Sapani.

Executively produced by Kwame Kwei-Armah, the 2020 Black Theatre Awards programme was produced by Shantelle Rochester and directed by Charlie Di Placido and Kojey Radical. The Black British Theatre Awards was founded by the organisation’s directors Solange Urdang and Omar F Okai.

The 2020 Black British Theatre Award Winners:

BEST DIRECTOR AWARD FOR A PLAY OR MUSICAL

Nadia Latif – Fairview, Young Vic Theatre

BEST PRODUCER AWARD

Adrian Grant – Thriller Live, Lyric Theatre

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER AWARD

Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy – REDD, Barbican Theatre

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE PRODUCTION ​AWARD

Kenrick ‘H2O’ Sandy – REDD, Barbican Theatre

BEST DANCE PRODUCTION AWARD

Ingoma, Ballet Black, Barbican Theatre

BEST USE OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Nicole Raquel Dennis and Ryan Carter – Turn Up, Cadogan Hall

LIGHT AND SOUND RECOGNITION AWARD

Carmen Wright

COSTUME DESIGN RECOGNITION AWARD

Natalie Pryce

BOOK AND LYRICS RECOGNITION AWARD

Arinzé Kene

MUSICAL DIRECTOR RECOGNITION AWARD

Ian Oakley

CASTING DIRECTOR RECOGNITION AWARD

Isabella Odoffin

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD

Valentine Olukoga – The Fishermen, Trafalgar Studios

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD

Rakie Ayola – On Bear Ridge, Royal Court Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD

Nari Blair-Mangat – Cyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY AWARD

Cherrelle Skeete – The High Table, Bush Theatre

BEST PRODUCTION PLAY AWARD

Death of a Salesman, Young Vic

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD

Noah Thomas – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD

Miriam-Teak Lee – & Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD

Nicholas McLean – Wicked, Apollo Victoria

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL AWARD

Nicole Raquel Dennis – Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION AWARD

Thriller Live – Lyric Theatre

LGBTQ+ CHAMPION AWARD

Layton Williams

DISABILITY CHAMPION AWARD

Rachel Nwokoro

BEST TEACHER OF PERFORMING ARTS AS A SUBJECT AWARD

David Blake, WAC Arts

BEST RECENT GRADUATE AWARD

Tonye Scott-Obene, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Shirley Thompson