The WhatsOnStage Awards, founded in 2001 as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are a fan-driven set of awards organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com, based on a popular vote recognising performers and productions of English theatre, with an emphasis on London's West End theatre.
The 2016 WhatsOnStage Award winners and nominees were:
Best New PlayBest New Musical Photograph 51 Farinelli and the King Hangmen Oppenheimer People, Places and Things Kinky Boots Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Bend It Like Beckham Elf In the HeightsBest Play RevivalBest Musical Revival Hamlet Death of a Salesman Oresteia The Importance of Being Earnest The Ruling Class Gypsy American Idiot Cats High Society Mack and MabelBest Actor in a PlayBest Actress in a Play Benedict Cumberbatch for Hamlet Bradley Cooper for The Elephant Man Alex Hassell for Henry V James McAvoy for The Ruling Class Mark Rylance for Farinelli and the King Nicole Kidman for Photograph 51 Rosalie Craig for As You Like It Denise Gough for People, Places and Things Harriet Walter for Death of a Salesman Lia Williams for OresteiaBest Actor in a MusicalBest Actress in a Musical Matt Henry for Kinky Boots Michael Ball for Mack and Mabel Killian Donnelly for Kinky Boots Ben Forster for Elf Sam Mackay for In the Heights Imelda Staunton for Gypsy Katie Brayben for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Lily Frazer for In the Heights Beverley Knight for Cats Kimberley Walsh for ElfBest Supporting Actor in a PlayBest Supporting Actress in a Play Mark Gatiss for Three Days in the Country Bertie Carvel for Bakkhai Johnny Flynn for Hangmen Ciarán Hinds for Hamlet Kobna Holdbrook-Smith for Hamlet Judi Dench for The Winter's Tale Sian Brooke for Hamlet Imogen Doel for The Importance of Being Earnest Patsy Ferran for As You Like It Anastasia Hille for HamletBest Supporting Actor in a MusicalBest Supporting Actress in a Musical David Bedella for In the Heights Peter Davison for Gypsy Jack Edwards for Mack and Mabel Alexis Gerred for American Idiot Lucas Rush for American Idiot Lara Pulver for Gypsy Jennie Dale for Elf Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for In the Heights Amy Lennox for Kinky Boots Lauren Samuels for Bend It Like BeckhamBest DirectionBest Choreography Jonathan Kent for Gypsy Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots Racky Plews for American Idiot Luke Sheppard for In the Heights Lyndsey Turner for Hamlet Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots Drew McOnie for In the Heights Stephen Mear for Gypsy Racky Plews for American Idiot Nathan M Wright for High SocietyBest Set DesignBest Lighting Design Es Devlin for Hamlet Sara Perks for American Idiot David Rockwell for Kinky Boots Takis for In the Heights Anthony Ward for Gypsy Jane Cox for Hamlet Tim Deiling for American Idiot Mark Henderson for Gypsy Howard Hudson for In the Heights Kenneth Posner for Kinky BootsBest Off-West End ProductionBest Regional Production Carrie Assassins Grand Hotel Shock Treatment You Won't Succeed on Broadway If You Don't Have Any Jews Mary Poppins Anything Goes Hairspray Henry V Mack and MabelBest West End Show Les Misérables Kinky Boots Matilda Miss Saigon WickedEquity Award for Services to Theatre Society Special Award Kenneth Branagh
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