
Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai presents the 2025 Wellington Theatre Awards
Sunday 7th December | 7:30pm | The Hannah
Hosted by Aimée Sullivan & Bronwyn Turei
Performances by He Ingoa
Mihi Whakatau by Adrian Wagner
Mayoral Award Presented by His Worship, the Mayor Andrew Little and Stephen Blackburn
2025 Wellington Theatre Award Winners
Mayoral Awards of Significant Contribution to Theatre
Allan McShane
Most Promising Newcomer Award in honour of George Webby
Jackson Burling – Over and Out
Most Promising Newcomer Award in honour of Willem Wassenaar
Te Ani Solomon – Papa, The Handlers
Lighting Designer of the Year sponsored by Grouse Lighting
Natasha James – The Sound Inside
Sound Designer of the Year (sponsored by HardKase Audio)
Thomas Arbor – The Sound Inside
Outstanding Composer of Music in Honour of Constance Scott Kirkaldie
William Duignan and Andy Manning – Antonio!
Set Designer of the Year in honour of Raymond Boyce
Meg Rollandi – The Sound Inside
Costume Designer of the Year in honour of Paul Jenden
Jthan Morgan – The Handlers
New Playwright of the Year in honour of Peter Harcourt
Poata Alvie McKree – The Handlers
New Aotearoa Play of the Year in honour of Renée
The Handlers by Poata Alvie McKree
Most Original Production of the Year
ROADKILL: The Uber-Cool Musical
Actor of the Year in honour of Grant Tilly
Kali Kopae – The Handlers
Actor of the Year in honour of Dorothy McKegg
Jackson Burling – Over and Out
Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Ray Henwood
Dulcie Smart – The Sound Inside
Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Michele Amas
Toatepi Rosalind Tui – The Handlers
Director of the Year in honour of Richard Campion
Stella Reid – The Sound Inside
Excellence Award – Movement
Running into the Sun
Excellence Award for Ensemble
The Handlers
Production of the Year in honour of Bill Sheat
The Handlers
The Backstage Production Award, presented by Grouse Lighting
Michael Lyell-O’Reilly
Community Awards
Carol Fifield – Bright and Curly Positively Supportive Award
Anita Hunziker – Dancers’ Delight Award
Campbell Wright – Legendary Technical Wrangler Award
Shifting Centre – Rose Kirkup Community Rage Award
2025 Wellington Theatre Awards Nominees
Most Promising Newcomer Award
in honour of George Webby
in honour of Willem Wassenaar
Lily Tyler Moore - Give Way - The Musical
Simon Leary - Over and Out
Tom Smith - Entry: Encounter, Over and Out, Buck Scourge: Living Nightmare, Run Coyote Run
Grace O’Brien - The Aotearoans
Raureti Ormond - He Ingoa
Jackson Burling - Over and Out
Peggie Barnes - Death, Ray.
Te Ani Solomon - Papa, The Handlers
Lighting Designer of the Year sponsored by Grouse Lighting
Will Smith - The Handlers
Jacob Banks - Over and Out
Natasha James - The Sound Inside
Izzi Lao - Aiga (with Rowan Pierce), The Circle
Sound Designer of the Year
Oliver Devlin - Over and Out
Thomas Arbor - The Sound Inside
Benny Jennings - Modern God
Oliva ‘Spewer’ Luki - DARK!DARK!DARK!, No Pity
Outstanding Composer of Music in Honour of Constance Scott Kirkaldie
Steven Page - Give Way - The Musical
William Duignan and Andy Manning - Antonio!
Raureti Ormond - He Ingoa
Lila (LJ) Crichton - A Master of None: Brown Fala
Set Designer of the Year in honour of Raymond Boyce
Meg Rollandi - The Sound Inside
Chris Reddington - 2:22 A Ghost Story
Lucas Neal - The Handlers
Ian Harman - Monument
Costume Designer of the Year in honour of Paul Jenden
Tony De Goldi - Give Way - The Musical
Lindah Lepou - Aiga
Steven Junil Park 박준일 - DARK!DARK!DARK!
Jthan Morgan - The Handlers
New Playwright of the Year in honour of Peter Harcourt
Jackson Burling - Over and Out
Zachary Klein - Death, Ray.
Poata Alvie McKree - The Handlers
Tamati Moriarty & Hariata Moriarty - Waenga
New Aotearoa Play of the Year in honour of Renée
The Handlers by Poata Alvie McKree
AIGA by Lusi Faiva
Over and Out by Jackson Burling
A Short History of Asian New Zealand Theatre by Nathan Joe
Most Original Production of the Year
ROADKILL: The Uber-Cool Musical
Running into the Sun
AIGA
A Short History of Asian New Zealand Theatre
Acting nominations for the following:
Actor of the Year in honour of Grant Tilly
Actor of the Year in honour of Dorothy McKegg
Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Ray Henwood
Accolade for Outstanding Performance in honour of Michele Amas
Kali Kopae - The Handlers
Jackson Burling - Over and Out
Carrie Green - Give Way - The Musical
Hariata Moriarty - Waenga
Dulcie Smart - The Sound Inside
Regan Taylor - Re-Engineered
Kieran Charnock - The Sound Inside
Toatepi Rosalind Tui - The Handlers
Sela Faletolu-Fasi - Love; Mum
Liv Tennet - For You to Know and Me to Find Out
Ngahiriwa Rauhina - ration the Queen’s veges
ooshcon - DARK!DARK!DARK!
Director of the Year in honour of Richard Campion
Stella Reid - The Sound Inside
Simon Leary - Over and Out
Sepelini Mua’au and Carrie Green - The Handlers
Moana Ete - Aiga
Production of the Year in honour of Bill Sheat
The Handlers
Aiga
The Sound Inside
Over and Out
Excellence Award for Ensemble
Antonio!
Running into the Sun
The Handlers
The Aotearoans
Excellence Award - Movement
Running into the Sun
The Circle
DARK!DARK!DARK!
Ka Mua Ka Muri
Backstage Production Award, presented by Grouse Lighting (Nominated by the sector)
Michael Lyell-O’Reilly
Pete Davison
Emma Maguire
Eilidh Hamilton
Alexander Dickson
