Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai presents the 32nd Annual Wellington Theatre Awards of 2023
Sunday 10th December | 7:30pm | Hannah Playhouse
Hosted by Jthan Morgan and Natasha McAllister
Guest Presenters included Jacob Rajan and Jo Randerson
Mihi Whakatau by Toni Huata and Tanemahuta Gray
Mayoral Award Presented by Her Worship Mayor of Wellington, Tory Whanau and Dr. Kerryn Palmer
2023 Wellington Theatre Awards Winners
The Willem Wassenar Most Promising Newcomer
Finley Hughes - The Haka Party Incident
The George Webby Most Promising Newcomer
Tessa Redman - LOVE/LOVE/LOVE/LOVE/LOVE
Lighting Designer of the Year
Isadora Lao - The Coven on Grey Street, O Le Pepelo, Le Gaio Ma Le Pala'ai, ARAWHATA
Sound Designer of the Year
Oliver Devlin - Whole New Woman
Outstanding Composer of Music
Freya Daly Sadgrove, Oliver Devlin, Samuel Austin, Ingrid Saker and Thomas Friggens - Whole New Woman
Set Designer of the Year
Dan Williams - Public Service Announcements: Election 2023
Paul Jenden Costume Designer of the Year
Meg Rollandi - The Importance of Being Earnest
The Peter Harcourt New Playwright
Freya Daly Sadgrove - Whole New Woman
New Aotearoa Play
Katie Wolfe - The Haka Party Incident
The Absolutely Most Original Production
One Night Band
Excellence Award for Ensemble
ARAWHATA
The Dorothy McKegg Actor of the Year
Julie Edwards - The Sun and the Wind
The Grant Tilly Performer of the Year
Erina Daniels - ONO
The Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Nī Dekkers-Reihana - The Haka Party Incident
The Michele Amas Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Isobel MacKinnon - The Importance of Being Earnest
Director of the Year
Katie Wolfe - The Haka Party Incident
Production of the Year
The Haka Party Incident
Mayoral Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre
Professor David O'Donnell
Community Award Winners
The Kate Sheppard Grindset Award
Maeve O'Connell
The Guardians of the Future
Save VUW Theatre - Kerryn Palmer, James Wenley, Sarah Thomasson, Lucas Neal, David O'Donnell, Paul Tozer, Rebekah De Roo and Katie Hill
A Leading Light of Accessible Theatre
Jo Marsh
Rangatahi Award for the Next Generation of Excellence
Wellington Young Actors Group
The Theatre Style Icon Award
Colleen McColl
2023 Wellington Theatre Awards Nominees
The George Webby Most Promising Newcomer + The Willem Wassenar Most Promising Newcomer (Two awards)
Finley Hughes - The Haka Party Incident
Wellington Ballroom - ARAWHATA
Megan Connolly - Ginge and Minge present: Fame or Die, Ungarteted Territory, Naturally Curious, Jez & Jace
Jackson Burling - CAUTION WET FLOOR, Into the Woods
Anna Barker - The Importance of Being Earnest, Into the Woods, ratKing, One Night Band, Long Ride Home
Kaisa Fa'atui - ONO
Grace Newton - Whole New Woman
Tessa Redman - LOVE/LOVE/LOVE/LOVE/LOVE
Lighting Designer of the Year
Isadora Lao - The Coven on Grey Street, O Le Pepelo, Le Gaio Ma Le Pala'ai, ARAWHATA
Rachel Marlow - Dakota of the White Flats
Grace Newton - Whole New Woman
Rebekah de Roo - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder
Sound Designer of the Year
Oliver Devlin - Whole New Woman
Eden Mulholland - Dakota of the White Flats
Emma Katene - 3 Steps Back
Kingsley Spargo - The Haka Party Incident
Outstanding Composer of Music
Freya Daly Sadgrove, Oliver Devlin, Samuel Austin, Ingrid Saker and Thomas Friggens - Whole New Woman
Ben Kelly - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder
Liam Kelly, Pippa Drakeford, Lennox Grootjans, Peter Hamilton, Tessa Dillon and Ben Kelly - One Night Band
John Gibson and Paige Pomana - Kōpū
Set Designer of the Year
John Verryt - The Haka Party Incident, Dirty Work, Dakota of the White Flats
Dan Williams - Public Service Announcements: Election 2023
Lucas Neal - The Coven on Grey Street
Josh Tucker and Scott Maxim - Into the Woods
Paul Jenden Costume Designer of the Year
Meg Rollandi - The Importance of Being Earnest
Elizabeth Whiting and Denise Hailes - I Want To Be Happy
Victoria Gridley - Naturally Curious, Land of the Long Long Drive
Ana van Schie de Pont - Dakota of the White Flats
The Peter Harcourt New Playwright
Katie Wolfe - The Haka Party Incident
Reon Bell and Sean Rivera - Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill, Auckland
Tuakoi Ohia - Kōpū by Tuakoi Ohia
Freya Daly Sadgrove - Whole New Woman
New Aotearoa Play
Tainui Tukiwaho - The Sun and the Wind
Katie Wolfe - The Haka Party Incident
Freya Daly Sadgrove - Whole New Woman
Natano Keni and Sarita So - O le Pepelo, Le Gaoi Ma Le Pala’ai
The Absolutely Most Original Production
One Night Band
The King of Taking
ARAWHATA
Acting Nominations for the following:
The Grant Tilly Actor of the Year, The Dorothy McKegg Actor of the Year, The Campion Accolade for Outstanding Performance and The Michele Amas Accolade for Outstanding Performance (Four Awards)
Julie Edwards - The Sun and the Wind
Daniel Nodder - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder
Isobel MacKinnon - The Importance of Being Earnest
Erina Daniels - ONO
Batanai Mashingaidze - Dakota of the White Flats
Áine Gallagher - Into The Woods
Tainui Tukiwaho - The Sun and the Wind
Nī Dekkers-Reihana - The Haka Party Incident
Joe Dekkers-Reihana - The Sun and the Wind
Mel Dodge - Prima Facie
Helen Moulder - The Bicycle and the Butcher's Daughter
Lauren Gibson - The Haka Party Incident
Director of the Year
Katie Wolfe - The Haka Party Incident
Edward Peni - The Sun and the Wind
Ella Becroft - Dakota of the White Flats
Amber Curreen - Kōpū
Production of the Year
The Haka Party Incident
The Sun and the Wind - Taurima Vibes
Whole New Woman
ARAWHATA
Excellence Award for Ensemble
ARAWHATA
The Haka Party Incident
Kōpū
Dakota of the White Flats