The 25th annual awards ceremony took place on 9 January 2025 at the London Palladium, hosted by Gina and Mazz Murray.
Imelda Staunton, Jeevan Braich and David Tennant. Photo by Roy J Baron
The 2025 WhatsOnStage Awards winners have been announced.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express led the night, winning seven of its nine nominations. The production claimed awards for Best Musical Revival, Best Professional Debut (Jeevan Braich), Best Set Design (Tim Hatley), Best Lighting Design (Howard Hudson), Best Video Design (Andrzej Goulding), Best Costume Design (Gabriella Slade), and Best Wigs, Hair, and Make-up Design (Jackie Saundercock and Campbell Young Associates).
Macbeth dominated the straight play categories, winning three awards. David Tennant secured Best Performer in a Play, with the production also earning Best Play Revival and Best Sound Design for Gareth Fry.
Dame Imelda Staunton won Best Performer in a Musical for last year's summer hit Hello, Dolly! with Melaine La Barrie winning the award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical category for her performance in Hadestown, which also won Best Musical Direction/Supervision for Liam Robinson and Tarek Merchant. Winning Best Supporting Performer in a Play was Freema Agyeman for Romeo & Juliet, and Layton Williams won Best Takeover for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret.
Tina Fey's Mean Girls (which currently plays at the Savoy Theatre) won the award for Best New Musical while Spirited Away won Best New Play for its run at the London Coliseum. The beloved SIX won Best West End Show whilst Emma Rice was awarded Best Director for The Buddha of Suburbia. Christopher Wheeldon won Best Choreographer for MJ The Musical.
This year's WhatsOnStage Awards also included Best Studio Production for the first time, which was won by Diary of a Gay Disaster at Underbelly Cowgate and Arcola Theatre. Something Rotten! – in Concert won Best Concert Event. Best Regional Production was Chichester Festival Theatre’s revival of Oliver! which is currently running at the Gielgud Theatre. Best Casting Direction was won by Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price for Why Am I So Single?.
Completing the evening, Paule Constable was awarded the Services to UK Theatre Award for her career in lighting design.
Attendees at the evening were also treated to a variety of performances from 42 Balloons, Becoming Nancy, Mean Girls, MJ The Musical and a sneak peek at the upcoming London transfer of Shucked at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre this summer.
