The nominees for The Stage Debut Awards 2025 have been officially announced, with the ceremony set to take place on Sunday, September 28 at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London.
Celebrating breakthrough talent in UK theatre, The Stage Debut Awards—in association with Netflix—honour emerging performers and creatives across eight categories. This year’s shortlist is the most geographically diverse to date, with nominees from productions staged in all four nations of the UK.
Among the nominees for Best West End Debut Performer are Evita co-stars Rachel Zegler and Diego Andres Rodriguez, alongside Tosin Cole and Heather Agyepong from Shifters, which also sees Benedict Lombe nominated for Best Creative West End Debut.
Other nominees include Georgie Buckland for The Devil Wears Prada, Emma Flynn for Clueless the Musical, Kat Ronney for Titanique, and Samuel Brewer for Oedipus.
The Best Performer in a Musical category features an all-female line-up: Leesa Tulley (Why Am I So Single?), Dora Gee (The Mad Ones), Megan Ellis (Muriel’s Wedding The Musical), and Eve Shanu-Wilson (The Phantom of the Opera).
Nominees for Best Composer, Lyricist or Book Writer include Martin Batchelar, James Cooper, and Bryn Christopher for Lovestuck; Yve Blake for Fangirls; and Nicola and Rosie Dempsey for One Man Musical by Flo & Joan.
In the Best Performer in a Play category, nominees include Hilson Agbangbe (Wonder Boy), Paula Clarke (The Tragedy of Richard III), Lucy Karczewski (Stereophonic), and Daisy Sequerra (Ballet Shoes), among others.
Directorial talent is also recognised, with Amit Sharma (Retrograde), Adam Karim (Guards at the Taj), and Aditya Chopra (Come Fall In Love) among the nominees.
Comedy legend Julian Clary will host this year’s ceremony. He said:
“It is a true pleasure to host this annual celebration of emerging talent in the theatre industry where we will honour the artistry, creativity and dedication of the newest voices shaping the future of the stage. I look forward to celebrating the extraordinary promise of these rising stars.”
The Stage editor Alistair Smith added:
“Judging The Stage Debut Awards was as thrilling as it was challenging. The sheer breadth and brilliance of emerging talent across the UK made narrowing down our longlist of more than 200 eligible theatremakers no easy task.
For the first time, our shortlists include nominees from productions staged in all four nations of the UK — a real testament to the geographical spread and vibrancy of theatremaking today. We’re also proud to recognise artists working at every scale: from performers and creatives in blockbuster West End musicals to those making their mark in some of the UK’s most intimate fringe spaces. This year’s nominees truly embody the future of British theatre, and I can’t wait to celebrate their achievements.”
Public voting for Best West End Debut Performer opens on August 21 and closes on September 14. Votes can be cast here.
More information can be found here.
