The Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
This award was first presented in 1977, and covers the breadth of a commingled group of specialties, including individual or combinations of: opera companies, orchestras, conductors, composers, singers, stage directors, theatre directors and libretto translators. It served as the only Olivier Award focused solely on opera until the 1993 introduction of the award for Best New Opera Production.
Winners and nominees 1970s Year Recipient Production 1977 Glyndebourne Festival Opera Don Giovanni English National Opera Toussaint The Royal Opera The Ice Break English National Opera Werther 1978 English National Opera Enterprising Repertoire Colin Davis The Conduction of The Royal Opera 1979 The Royal Opera The Rake's Progress The Royal Opera Die Zauberflote English National Opera Manon English National Opera The Adventures of Mr Brouček
1980s Year Recipient Production 1980 English National Opera Così fan tutte English National Opera Julius Caesar English National Opera The Turn of the Screw Kent Opera The Turn of the Screw 1981 The Royal Opera Les contes d’Hoffmann Welsh National Opera Die Frau ohne Schatten The Royal Opera Lulu The Royal Opera Samson et Delilah 1982 English National Opera Rigoletto Kent Opera Agrippina The Royal Opera Falstaff Welsh National Opera I puritani 1986 English National Opera Doktor Faust Harrison Birtwistle The Mask of Orpheus Anne Evans The Ring Cycle Kathryn Harries The Ring Cycle Stephanos Lazaridis Doktor Faust and The Mikado 1987 English National Opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District Della Jones The Barber of Seville The Kirov Opera Orchestra Carlos Kleiber Otello Marie McLaughlin Le Nozze di Figaro Eva Randová Jenůfa 1988 Leontina Vaduva Manon English National Opera The Magic Flute English National Opera Billy Budd English National Opera Hansel and Gretel The Royal Opera Madama Butterfly Welsh National Opera Falstaff 1989/90 Komische Oper Berlin Orpheus and Eurydice The Royal Opera Un re in ascolto English National Opera Lear The Garden Venture Survival Song English National Opera The Love for Three Oranges
1990s Year Recipient Production 1991 Mark Elder Duke Bluebeard's Castle, Macbeth, Pelléas et Méllisande and Wozzeck English National Opera Greek Tim Albery Les Troyens English National Opera Duke Bluebeard's Castle The Royal Opera The Cunning Little Vixen Éva Marton Elektra 1992 The Royal Opera Mitridate, re di Ponto Harrison Birtwistle Gawain Simon Boccanegra English National Opera Figaro's Wedding English National Opera Peter Grimes The Garden Venture Out of Season and The Dancer Hotoke 1993 Edward Downes The Fiery Angel and Stiffelio Bernard Haitink Die Frau ohne Schatten Philip Langridge Death in Venice Júlia Várady Der Fliegende Hollander 1994 English National Opera Orchestra Lohengrin and Inquest of Love Paul Daniel and Opera North Gloriana Charles Mackerras Tristan und Isolde Ann Murray Ariodante 1995 Roberto Alagna Roméo et Juliette Tom Cairns King Priam Music Theatre London La Traviata John Tomlinson Das Rheingold and Die Walküre 1996 Bernard Haitink Siegfried and Götterdämmerung Jonathan Miller Carmen Bryn Terfel Salome John Tomlinson Billy Budd and Siegfried 1997 Elgar Howarth Die Soldaten and The Prince of Homburg Wolfgang Göbbel The Midsummer Marriage and Tristan und Isolde Karita Mattila Don Carlos 1998 Paul Daniel From the House of the Dead Alan Opie Falstaff Nikolaus Leloff, Tobias Moheisel, Bettina J Walker and Mark Henderson Palestrina Francesca Zambello Paul Bunyan 1999 Royal Opera House Orchestra Le Nozze Di Figaro, The Bartered Bride and The Golden Cockerel Sandra Ford The Tales of Hoffmann and Mary Stuart René Jacobs L'Orfeo Andrew Shore Gianni Schicchi and The Elixir of Love
2000s Year Recipient Production 2000 English National Opera High Standard of Work Kim Begley Parsifal Rosemary Joshua Semele Bryn Terfel Falstaff 2001 Mark-Anthony Turnage and Amanda Holden The Silver Tassie (London Coliseum) Gerald Finley The Silver Tassie The Kirov Opera Season at the Royal Opera House Stefanos Lazaridis The Greek Passion and English National Opera's Italian Season 2002 Bernard Haitink Jenůfa and The Queen of Spades (and "musical directorship of a season of great distinction by the Royal Opera") English National Opera From Morning to Midnight, The Rake's Progress, The Rape of Lucretia and War and Peace Karita Mattila Jenůfa and The Queen of Spades David Sawer From Morning to Midnight 2003 Antonio Pappano Ariadne auf Naxos and Wozzeck (Royal Opera) Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu La Rondine Lisa Saffer Lulu 2004 Cristina Gallardo-Domas Madama Butterfly (title role, Royal Opera) Simon Keenlyside Hamlet and Die Zauberflote Bejun Mehta Orlando Felicity Palmer Elektra and Sweeney Todd 2005 Thomas Adès and the Royal Opera House The Tempest Ben Heppner Peter Grimes John MacFarlane Peter Grimes and Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District Royal Opera House Orchestra Season in London 2006 Simon Keenlyside 1984 and Billy Budd (at Royal Opera & English National Opera) Sarah Connolly La clemenza di Tito David McVicar La clemenza di Tito Anthony Minghella and Carolyn Choa Madama Butterfly 2007 Amanda Roocroft Jenůfa (title role, London Coliseum) John Mark Ainsley Orfeo Joyce DiDonato Hercules John Tomlinson Götterdämmerung 2008 Natalie Dessay La Fille Du Regiment (Marie, Royal Opera) Gerald Finley Pelléas et Mélisande Angelika Kirchschlager Pelléas et Mélisande David McVicar The Turn of the Screw and Agrippina 2009 Edward Gardner Boris Godunov, Cavalliera Rusticana, Der Rosenkavalier, I pagliacci, Riders to the Sea and Punch and Judy (conductor, English National Opera) Patricia Bardon The Rake's Progress, Partenope and Riders to the Sea Ferruccio Furlanetto Don Carlos Christine Rice The Minotaur and Partenope
2010s Year Recipient Production 2010 Nina Stemme Tristan und Isolde (Isolde, Royal Opera House) Anja Kampe Der Fliegende Holländer Stuart Skelton Peter Grimes Michael Volle Lulu and Tristan und Isolde 2011 Christian Gerhaher Tannhäuser (Wolfram, Royal Opera House) Andrew Shore The Elixir of Love Jonas Kaufmann Adriana Lecouvreur 2012 English National Opera Season in London Amanda Holden Castor et Pollux Mark-Anthony Turnage Anna Nicole and Twice Through the Heart Richard Jones Anna Nicole, Il trittico and The Tales of Hoffmann 2013 Bryan Hymel Les Troyens, Robert le diable and Rusalka (performances at the Royal Opera House) Edward Gardner The Flying Dutchman and Billy Budd Music Theatre Wales and Scottish Opera In the Locked Room and Ghost Patrol English National Opera Stage Management 2014 English Touring Opera King Priam and Paul Bunyan Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez La donna del lago Plácido Domingo Nabucco 2015 Richard Jones Rodelinda, The Girl of the Golden West and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (at the London Coliseum) The Chorus Moses und Aron Jonas Kaufmann Andrea Chénier and Manon Lescaut Roundhouse and Sam Wanamaker Playhouse L'Orfeo and L'Ormindo 2016 English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra The Force of Destiny, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and The Queen of Spades Felicity Palmer The Queen of Spades Antonio Pappano Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci, Guillaume Tell and Król Roger Tamara Wilson The Force of Destiny2017Mark WigglesworthDon Giovanni and Lulu (at the London Coliseum)Renée FlemingDer RosenkavalierStuart SkeltonTristan and Isolde2018Joyce DiDonato and Daniela BarcellonaSemiramide (Royal Opera)Paul BrownIolantheRoderick WilliamsThe Return of Ulysses2019The EnsemblePorgy and Bess (London Coliseum)David Butt PhilipRoderick WilliamsWar RequiemEnglish National Opera ChorusPaul BunyanAndris NelsonsLohengrin
2020s Year Nominee Category Production2020The Children's EnsemblePerformersNoye's FluddeMartyn Brabbins and James HenshawConductorsThe Mask of Orpheus The Jette Parker Young Artists PerformersBerenice, Death in Venice and Phaedra 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic2022Peter Whelan and the Irish Baroque OrchestraArtistic director and orchestraBajazet, Irish National Opera and Royal Opera|- |Christine Rice |Performer |4/4 |- | takis | Set and costume designer |H.M.S. Pinafore |- ! rowspan="4" |2023 |- style="background:#B0C4DE" |William Kentridge|Concept & Direction|SybilSinéad Campbell-WallacePerformerTosca by English National OperaAntony McDonaldDesignerAlcina by The Royal Opera2024Antonio PappanoMusic DirectorThe Royal OperaBelarus Free Theatre CompanyTheatre CompanyKing Stakh's Wild HuntMarina AbramovićConcept & Design7 Deaths of Maria Callas2025Allan ClaytonPerformerFestenAigul AkhmetshinaPerformerCarmenJung Young-dooDirectorLear
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