News: The Stage Debut Awards

The Stage Debut Awards, the only awards devoted solely to recognising the breakthrough theatre talent both on and off stage, today announced that submissions for 2024 are now open.

The live ceremony will be held on Sunday 29^th September 2024 and promises to be an unforgettable night celebrating the outstanding achievements of upcoming performers and creatives who have made their professional debuts on stages across the UK over the past 12 months.

Newly rebranded ATG Entertainment returns as the headline sponsor. Trafalgar Entertainment reaffirms its sponsorship for the Best West End Creative category, Crossroads Live for Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer and Sonia Friedman Products for Best Writer. This year, The Stage welcomes the Noël Coward Foundation and Michael Harrison Entertainment to The Stage Debut Award’s esteemed sponsors with their support for the Best West End Debut Performer and Best Performer in a Musical.

The eight eligible categories championing performers, directors, designers, writers, composers and lyricists are Best Performer in a Play; Best Performer in a Musical; Best Director; Best Writer; Best Designer; Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer and Best West End Creative Debut.

The winner of the Best West End Debut Performer is the only category to be determined by a public vote. Last year, theatre audiences picked former Strictly Come Dancing’s breakout star Rose Ayling-Ellis as the winner for her standout debut performance in As You Like It at @sohoplace. The star has recently announced landing a major upcoming BBC television role.

Anyone who has made their professional debut between July 18, 2023 and July 17, 2024 will be eligible. Submissions can be made HERE and entries will close on the June 30. The shortlist of nominees will be announced in August.

The Stage Debut Awards launched in 2017 and has proven to be a career defining launchpad with recipients of these prestigious awards enjoying continued success across stage and screen.

Last year’s winners included Rob Madge for My Son’s a Queer, (But What Can You Do?) at Garrick Theatre and Ambassadors Theatre, Isobel Thom for their leading role in I, Joan at Shakespeare’s Globe, Michael R Jackson for composing A Strange Loop at the Barbican Theatre and Tingying Dong for her sound design on The Crucible, Gielgud and National Theatre.