First West End artists announced for Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize concert

George Stiles, Anthony Drewe and Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) have announced the first group of West End stars lined up to perform the songs in the running for this year’s Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize at London’s Hackney Empire on 10 September 2021.

With more star performers to be announced, the concert will feature: Nathan Azmi (Jesus Christ Superstar, Barbican, Heathers, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Aladdin, original London cast); David Bedella (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre, In the Heights, King’s Cross Theatre, The Rocky Horror Show, West End and tour); Hal Fowler (London Road, National Theatre, High Society, H.M.S Pinafore, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Renee Lamb (Six original London cast, Be More Chill, original London cast, Mallory Towers, original cast – Wise Children); Natalie Paris (Six, original London and touring cast, Magic at the Musicals, Magic FM, Sunday in the Park With George, London cast); and Gemma Sutton (Girl from the North Country, West End/Toronto, Gypsy, Savoy Theatre, Follies, National Theatre).

Awarded on an annual basis to a member of MMD, the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to developing new musical theatre writing, the winner of this year’s award will be revealed at the end of the concert.

Chosen from 175 submissions, the 12 nominees are:

‘A Letter at a Time’ by Sam Norman and Eliza Randall from Lever

‘An Eden’ by Celia Cruwys-Finnigan and Lucy Keirl from Pigeons

‘Be Kind’ by Hilmi Jaidin from Employees Must Wash Hands

‘Everything to Me’ by Emily Rose Simons from The Funeral Lady

‘Infinity’ by Leo Mercer and Dan Mawson from Galileo: An A Capella Musical

‘In Places Like These’ by Vikki Stone from My Dog Has Fleas

‘Our Fight is Not Over (The Ballad of Lexa)’ by Flora Leo from Triangularity

‘Pulling the Strings’ by Louis Barabbas from Jocasta

‘The Choice’ by Adam Wachter from Home Free

‘The Road’ by Matthew Harvey from Now or Never

‘Those Stars’ by Eden Tredwell from Galaxy Train

‘Whatsername’ by Sophie Boyce & Fred Feeney from F You Future Alice

The 12 shortlisted songs will be showcased by the West End performers during the celebration concert at the end of the hybrid live and online new musicals showcase BEAM2021. The artists will take to the stage of the Hackney Empire from 7.30pm with the event streaming live on stream.theatre.

The 2021 Best New Song will be chosen by the panel of industry experts including Stiles and fellow composer Dan Gillespie Sells. The winning writer or writers will receive £1,000 towards the development of their work.

Angela Thomas