Artists honoured in 2012 Helpmann Awards

Robyn Nevin and Cate Blanchett, were among Australia's top performance artists honoured at last night's at the Helpmann Awards, Live Entertainment Australia's annuual celebration of live arts.

Held last night at the Sydney Opera House, Blanchett and Nevin won their categories but unusually no single production dominated the ceremony.

Nevin won for Belvoir St Theatre's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Blanchett for her internationally acclaimed role in the Sydney Theatre Company's Gross und Klein, the award for best play went to Ganesh Versus the Third Reich by the Geelong company for intellectually impaired performers Back to Back.

Paul Capsis took this year's best male actor award in the Griffin Theatre production Angela's Kitchen.

The most recognised productions was Opera Australia's spectacular open-air performance of La Traviata, which won four awards, including best female singer for Emma Matthews. Overall, Opera Australia won a total of seven awards, with Anthony Dean Griffey winning best male performer in Of Mice and

Men and Mitchell Butel winning best actor in a musical for The Mikado.

Kylie Minogue's 2011 Aphrodite tour won best Australian contemporary concert.

However, the night was somewhat impacted by an industry dispute over the use of foreign artists in live productions.

Earlier this year Live Performance Australia, the peak body for Australia's live entertainment and performing arts industry which represents producers, terminated an agreement limiting the use of foreign actors.

Capsis warned the move will threaten Australian actors' jobs, stating "it's very hard for Australians to make it here, to have a life, to work here.

"It's already difficult, so to compete with the world makes it ridiculous."

The full list of award winners was:

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Bert LaBonte, An Officer and a Gentleman (Sharleen Cooper Cohen, John Frost)

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical: Nancye Hayes, Grey Gardens (The Production Company)

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play: Bob Hornery, The Importance of Being Earnest (Melbourne Theatre Company)

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play: Robyn Nevin, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (Belvoir)

Best Costume Design: Toni Maticevski and Richard Nylon, Aviary: A Suite for the Bird (Phillip Adams BalletLab in Melbourne Festival 2011)

Best Scenic Design: Brian Thomson, La Traviata (Opera Australia - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour)

Best Lighting Design: Paul Jackson, Little Match Girl (Malthouse Theatre in association with Meow Meow Revolution)

Best Sound Design: Tony David Cray, La Traviata (Opera Australia - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour)

Best International Contemporary Concert: Prince Welcome 2 Australia, Prince, presented by Van Egmond Group and Chugg Entertainment

Best Contemporary Music Festival: MONA FOMA, Museum of Old and New Art

Best Australian Contemporary Concert: Kylie Aphrodite Les Folies Tour 2011 (Kylie Minogue and The Frontier Touring Company)

Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production: Stephen Page, ID from Belong (Bangarra Dance Theatre)

Best Choreography in a Musical: Kelly Devine, Rock of Ages (Rodney Rigby and the Rock of Ages Australia Management LLC)

Best Direction of a Musical: Roger Hodgman, Grey Gardens (The Production Company)

Best Direction of an Opera: Leonard Foglia, Moby Dick (State Opera of South Australia)

Best Direction of a Play: Benedict Andrews, Gross und Klein (Big and Small) [Sydney Theatre Company]

Best Special Event: La Traviata, Opera Australia – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour & Lotterywest Festival Celebration: Place Des Anges by Les Studios De Cirque, 2012 Perth International Arts Festival

Best Original Score: David Page and Steve Francis, Belong (Bangarra Dance Theatre)

Best Individual Classical Music Performance: Evgeny Kissin, Evgeny Kissin (Presented by Sydney Symphony and Brisbane Festival)

Best Chamber &/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert: Tafelmusik 'The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres' (Musica Viva Australia)

Best Symphony Orchestra Concert: Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin, Sydney Symphony

Best Music Direction: Iain Grandage, Little Match Girl (Malthouse Theatre in association with Meow Meow Revolution)

Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera: Grant Doyle, Moby Dick (State Opera of South Australia)

Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera: Orla Boylan, Elektra (A Co-Production of West Australian Opera, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival and Opera Australia)

Best New Australian Work: Paul Capsis, Julian Meyrick and Hilary Bell, Angela's Kitchen (Griffin Theatre Company)

Best Comedy Performer: Tim Minchin, Tim Minchin vs The Orchestras Round II (Fox in the Snow)

Best Cabaret Performer: Meow Meow, Little Match Girl (Malthouse Theatre in association with Meow Meow Revolution)

Best Regional Touring Production: Namatjira, Big hART, created with the Namatjira family

Best Presentation for Children: Boats, Terrapin Puppet Theatre

Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production: CIRCA (Circa)

Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production: Paul White, Anatomy of an Afternoon (Martin del Amo, Performing Lines and Sydney Festival)

Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production: Charmene Yap, 2 One Another (Sydney Dance Company)

Best Male Performer in an Opera: Anthony Dean Griffey, Of Mice & Men (Opera Australia)

Best Female Performer in an Opera: Emma Matthews, La Traviata (Opera Australia - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour)

Best Male Actor in a Musical: Mitchell Butel, The Mikado (Opera Australia)

Best Female Actor in a Musical: Pamela Rabe, Grey Gardens (The Production Company)

Best Male Actor in a Play: Paul Capsis, Angela's Kitchen (Griffin Theatre Company)

Best Female Actor in a Play: Cate Blanchett, Gross und Klein (Big and Small) [Sydney Theatre Company]

Best Ballet or Dance Work: Can We Talk About This?, Presented by DV8 Physical Theatre and Sydney Opera House. Co-produced with Théâtre de la Ville and Festival d'Automne, Paris, National Theatre of Great Britain and Dansens Hus Stockholm

Best Opera: Moby Dick, State Opera of South Australia

Best Play: Ganesh Versus the Third Reich, Presented by Back to Back Theatre, Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne Festival

Best Musical: A Chorus Line, Tim Lawson in association with the Adelaide Festival Centre

8th August 2012 - ESTABLISHED NAMES HEAD HELPMANN AWARD NOMINEES LIST