Laurence Olivier Awards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award statue, designed by Harry Franchetti. It shows Laurence Olivier as Henry V in 1937.
Presented by	Society of London Theatre
Country	United Kingdom
First awarded	1976; 49 years ago (1976)

The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are important prizes given out every year by the Society of London Theatre. They celebrate amazing work in professional theatre in London. The awards were first called the Society of West End Theatre Awards. In 1984, they were renamed to honour the famous British actor Laurence Olivier.

These awards are given each year to people involved in West End shows and other top London theatres. They cover many types of performances, including plays, musicals, dance, and opera. There's also a special non-competitive award given out each year. The Olivier Awards are known around the world as the highest honour in British theatre. They are like the BAFTA Awards for movies and TV, or the BRIT Awards for music. Many people compare them to Broadway's Tony Awards in the United States.

Since they began, the awards ceremonies have been held at different places in London. From 2012 to 2016, they were at the Royal Opera House. Then, in 2017, they moved to the Royal Albert Hall. You can watch the awards on ITV1 and listen on Magic Radio.

Most recent Olivier Award winners

← 2023 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards 2025 →

Award Best Actor Best Actress Winner Mark Gatiss (The Motive and the Cue) Sarah Snook (The Picture of Dorian Gray)   Award Best Actor in a Musical Best Actress in the Musical Winner Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard) Nicole Scherzinger (Sunset Boulevard) Award Best Director Winner Jamie Lloyd (Sunset Boulevard)

Previous Best Musical Standing at the Sky's Edge Previous Best Play Prima Facie Best Musical Operation Mincemeat Best Play Dear England

History of the Awards

The Society of London Theatre created these awards in 1976. They were first called the Society of West End Theatre Awards. Artist Tom Merrifield designed the first awards. The very first ceremony happened in December 1976 at the Café Royal. In 1984, the famous British actor Laurence Olivier agreed to have the awards named after him. That's when they became the Laurence Olivier Awards.

How Winners Are Chosen

Each year, special groups of judges are formed by the Society of London Theatre. These groups judge shows in theatre, opera, dance, and other related performances.

For opera, dance, and other shows, each judging group has two types of people. Some are professionals like journalists or casting directors. Others are members of the public who really love London theatre. These groups first pick the shows they think deserve an Olivier Award nomination. Then, they vote for the winner at the end of the judging time.

For the main theatre awards, a long list of possible nominees is made by public judges. This list is then given to members of the Society of London Theatre to vote on. Their votes, along with the judges' votes, create the final list of nominees. After that, both the members and judges vote again to choose the winners.

The Awards Ceremony

Who Hosts the Show?

Many famous people have hosted the Olivier Awards ceremony. Some past hosts include Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Clive Anderson, Gemma Arterton, Stephen Mangan, Hugh Bonneville, Sheridan Smith, Lenny Henry, Catherine Tate, Jason Manford, and Hannah Waddingham.

Where the Awards Take Place

The Grosvenor House Hotel is a place often linked with the awards. It has hosted the after-show party nine times and the whole event four times. The awards have also been held at many famous London theatres. These include the Albery Theatre (now Noël Coward), Dominion Theatre, London Palladium, Lyceum Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Royal National Theatre Olivier, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

From 2012 to 2016, the ceremony was held at the Royal Opera House. In 2017, it moved to the Royal Albert Hall.

Watching the Awards

The first Olivier Awards shown on TV was the 1981 ceremony, on BBC1. This continued until 1992, then moved to BBC2 until 2003. After that, the awards were only on radio until 2011. In 2011, the BBC offered live online coverage, and Paul Gambaccini hosted a radio show on BBC Radio 2. This continued in 2012. Then, in 2013, ITV started broadcasting the awards, bringing them back to mainstream TV. This has continued in recent years, and the ceremony is also broadcast on Magic Radio.

Award Categories

Award Milestones and Records

Here are some interesting facts and records about the Olivier Awards:

Productions with Many Wins

• The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child won the most Olivier Awards ever in 2017, with nine awards. This included Best New Play.
• The record for most Olivier Awards for a musical is seven. This record is shared by Sunset Boulevard (2024), Cabaret (2022), Hamilton (2018), and Matilda (2012).
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2013) won seven Olivier Awards.
• Nicholas Nickleby (1980) and My Neighbour Totoro (2023) each won six awards.

Individuals with Many Wins

Judi Dench has won seven competitive Olivier Awards. She also received a Special Olivier Award in 2004.

• William Dudley (a designer), Judi Dench (an actress), and Matthew Bourne (a choreographer) all share the record for most competitive wins by an individual, with seven awards each. Judi Dench also won a Special Olivier Award in 2004.
• Andrew Lloyd Webber (a composer and producer) has won six competitive awards and a Special Olivier Award in 2008.
• Ian McKellen, Alan Bennett, Richard Eyre, and Stephen Sondheim have each won five competitive awards, plus a Special Olivier Award.
• Performers who have won Olivier Awards for both plays and musicals include Judi Dench, Simon Russell Beale, Imelda Staunton, and Eddie Redmayne.
  • In 1996, Judi Dench was the only performer to win both a play and a musical acting Olivier in the same year.
• In 1991, Karla Burns became the first black performer to win an Olivier Award. She won for her role in Show Boat.
• Philip Quast has won the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical three times. Imelda Staunton has won Best Actress in a Musical three times.
• In 1985, Patti LuPone famously tied with herself for an Olivier Award. She won for her roles in Les Misérables and The Cradle Will Rock.
• In 1984, Tim Flavin was the first American actor to win an Olivier Award. In 1985, Patti LuPone was the first American actress to win.
• In 2022, all seven actors who shared the role of the Tiger in Life of Pi won the Olivier for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
• In 2012, all four actresses who shared the role of Matilda in Matilda the Musical won the Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical.
• In 2006, all three actors who shared the role of Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical won the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical.
• On April 15, 2012, Eleanor Worthington Cox became the youngest winner ever. At 10 years old, she won Best Actress in a Musical for Matilda the Musical.
• In 2018, Billie Piper became the first actor to win all six major UK Theatre Best Actress awards for a single performance. This was for her role in Yerma.

See also

In Spanish: Premio Laurence Olivier para niños

• Ian Charleson Awards
• Evening Standard Theatre Awards
• Tony Awards
• Drama Desk Award
• List of Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning musicals