Here’s Who Won Big At The 2025 Olivier Awards

While the US has the Tony Awards (forming the ‘T’ in ‘EGOT’), the UK’s answer is the Laurence Olivier Awards (or simply ‘The Olivier Awards’), our most prestigious theatre awards functioning as a seal of approval for stage actors performing in the UK. Originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, they were renamed in honour of the English actor of the same name in 1984, and have only gained prestige since.

So who won at the 2025 awards? Here’s the full list of Olivier Award winners in 2025, from a nominee list boasting Oscar Best Actor Adrien Brody, Black Doves star Ben Whishaw and Dame Imelda Staunton.

The 2024 Olivier Awards at The Royal Albert Hall (© Pamela Raith Photography)

The Headlines

Leading the charge in 2025 was Fiddler on the Roof with 13 nominations, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s revival of Joseph Stein’s classic musical, which is set to transfer to the Barbican this summer. This included Best Musical Revival, as well as four acting nods for the cast. The musical ultimately walked away with three awards, including Best Musical Revival and nods for its set and sound design.

Though they trailed Fiddler in the nominations, Giant bagged three wins from its five nominations (including Best New Play and Best Actor for John Lithgow), while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won three awards from four nominations, including Best New Musical.

While Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 had six nominations, the new musical only bagged one award, while The Years won two prizes from four awards, including Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Romola Garai, who was nominated in the same category for her performance in Giant.

In Best Actress, it was the battle of the Jocastas: Lesley Manville and Indira Varma were both been nominated for the prestigious award for their portrayals of Oedipus’s mother-wife in separate productions of the classic Greek tragedy – and Manville ultimately emerged triumphant. Her production, directed by Robert Icke, bagged Best Revival.

It was stiff competition in the Best Actor category, with John Lithgow walking away with the hotly contested prize for his leading performance in Giant. He beat recent Oscar Best Actor champion Adrien Brody who was nominated for his performance in The Fear of 13, Mark Strong for Oedipus, Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke, and Paapa Essiedu for Death of England: Delroy.

Olivier Awards 2025: All The Winners & Nominees

Best New Play

• The Fear of 13 by Lindsey Ferrentino – Donmar Warehouse
• Giant by Mark Rosenblatt – Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at Royal Court Theatre – WINNER
• Kyoto by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson – @sohoplace
• Shifters by Benedict Lombe – Duke of York’s Theatre
• The Years adapted by Eline Arbo, in an English version by Stephanie Bain – Almeida Theatre & Harold Pinter Theatre

Best New Musical

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, music and lyrics by Darren Clark, book and lyrics by Jethro Compton – Ambassadors Theatre – WINNER
• MJ The Musical, book by Lynn Nottage – Prince Edward Theatre
• Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, music, lyrics and book by Dave Malloy – Donmar Warehouse
• Why Am I So Single?, music, lyrics and book by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss – Garrick Theatre

Best Revival

• The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre
• Machinal by Sophie Treadwell – The Old Vic
• Oedipus by Robert Icke – Wyndham’s Theatre – WINNER
• Waiting For Godot by Samuel Beckett – Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Musical Revival

• Fiddler on the Roof, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – WINNER
• Hello, Dolly!, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart – The London Palladium
• Oliver!, book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, new material and revisions by Cameron Mackintosh – Gielgud Theatre
• Starlight Express, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Richard Stilgoe – Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Best Actress

• Heather Agyepong, Shifters
• Lesley Manville, Oedipus – WINNER
• Rosie Sheehy, Machinal
• Meera Syal, A Tupperware of Ashes
• Indira Varma, Oedipus

Best Actor

• Adrien Brody, The Fear of 13
• Billy Crudup, Harry Clarke
• Paapa Essiedu, Death of England: Delroy
• John Lithgow, Giant – WINNER
• Mark Strong, Oedipus

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

• Jorge Bosch, Kyoto
• Tom Edden, Waiting for Godot
• Elliot Levey, Giant – WINNER
• Ben Whishaw, Bluets

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

• Sharon D Clarke, The Importance of Being Earnest
• Romola Garai, Giant
• Romola Garai, The Years – WINNER
• Gina McKee, The Years

Best Actor, Musical

• John Dagleish, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – WINNER
• Adam Dannheisser, Fiddler on the Roof
• Myles Frost, MJ The Musical
• Simon Lipkin, Oliver!
• Jamie Muscato, Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812

Best Actress, Musical

• Chumisa Dornford-May, Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
• Lauren Drew, Titanique
• Clare Foster, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Lara Pulver, Fiddler on the Roof
• Imelda Staunton, Hello, Dolly! – WINNER

Best Actress In A Supporting Role, Musical

• Liv Andrusier, Fiddler on the Roof
• Amy Di Bartolomeo, The Devil Wears Prada
• Beverley Klein, Fiddler on the Roof
• Maimuna Memon, Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 – WINNER

Best Actor In A Supporting Role, Musical

• Andy Nyman, Hello, Dolly!
• Raphael Papo, Fiddler on the Roof
• Layton Williams, Titanique – WINNER
• Tom Xander, Mean Girls

Best Director

• Eline Arbo, The Years – WINNER
• Jordan Fein, Fiddler on the Roof
• Nicholas Hytner, Giant
• Robert Icke, Oedipus

Best Costume Design

• Hugh Durrant, Robin Hood
• Sachiko Nakahara, Spirited Away
• Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof
• Gabriella Slade, Starlight Express – WINNER

Best Sound Design

• Nick Lidster, Fiddler on the Roof – WINNER
• Christopher Shutt, Oedipus
• Thijs van Vuure, The Years
• Koichi Yamamoto, Spirited Away

Best New Entertainment Or Comedy Play

• Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver at National Theatre
• Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith
• Spirited Away adapted by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai
• Titanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli – WINNER

Best Family Show

• Brainiac Live, Marylebone Theatre – WINNER
• Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas, Apollo Theatre
• The Nutcracker, Polka Theatre
• Rough Magic, Shakespeare’s Globe

Best Theatre Choreographer

• Matthew Bourne, Oliver!
• Julia Cheng, Fiddler on the Roof
• Hofesh Shechter, Oedipus
• Christopher Wheeldon, MJ The Musical – WINNER

Best Set Design

• Spirited Away: Jon Bausor for set design, Toby Olié and Daisy Beattie for puppetry design, and Satoshi Kuriyama for projection design
• Frankie Bradshaw, Ballet Shoes
• Es Devlin, Coriolanus
• Tom Scutt, Fiddler on the Roof – WINNER

Best Lighting Design

• Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs, Oliver! – WINNER
• Howard Hudson, Starlight Express
• Howard Hudson, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
• Aideen Malone, Fiddler on the Roof

Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre

• Animal Farm – Theatre Royal Stratford East
• Boys on the Verge of Tears – Soho Theatre – WINNER
• English – Kiln Theatre
• Now, I See – Theatre Royal Stratford East
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank – Marylebone Theatre

Outstanding Achievement In Opera

• Aigul Akhmetshina, Carmen – Royal Opera House
• Allan Clayton, Festen – Royal Opera House – WINNER
• Jung Young-doo, direction of Lear – Barbican

Best New Opera Production

• Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by ENO – London Coliseum
• Festen by the Royal Opera – Royal Opera House – WINNER
• L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera and the Royal Opera – Royal Opera House
• The Tales of Hoffmann by the Royal Opera – Royal Opera House

Best New Dance Production

• Assembly Hall – Sadler’s Wells – WINNER
• Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner – Sadler’s Wells
• Theatre of Dreams – Sadler’s Wells
• An Untitled Love – Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

• Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets
• Tom Visser for lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner
• Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbabuena – WINNER

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision and Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler on the Roof
• Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – WINNER
• Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812
• Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements and Orchestration for Ballet Shoes

When Are The Olivier Awards?

The 2025 Olivier Awards were presented on Sunday 6 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter.

Find out more and stay up to date at officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards