The Olivier Awards is a particularly star-studded occasion this year, after a number of Hollywood veterans received nominations.
Hosted by Beverley Knight and Billy Porter at the Royal Albert Hall on April 6, the 2025 Oliviers will celebrate the best of London’s West End.
And the compeтιтion is of the highest calibre, with American actors Adrien Brody, John Lithgow and Billy Crudup set to battle it out in the Best Actor category against English stars Paapa Essiedu and Mark Strong.
The Best Actress categories are equally as star-studded, with Imelda Staunton receiving a nod for her leading role in the musical Hello, Dolly! while Lesley Manville has been nominated for an ‘explosive’ thriller retelling of Oedipus – in which she starred opposite Strong last year.
Meanwhile Mission Impossible star Indira Varma also received a Best Actress nod for her leading role in a classic adaptation of the Greek tragedy which opened in January – however her co-star Rami Malek was snubbed.
Impressively, Atonement actress Romola Garai has been nominated twice in the same category for two separate plays; Giant and The Years.
The Olivier Awards is a particularly star-studded occasion this year, after a number of Hollywood veterans received nominations, including Oscar winner Adrien Brody
The Best Actress categories are equally as star-studded, with Imelda Staunton receiving a nod for her leading role in the musical Hello, Dolly!
Other British stars up for stage gongs include Strictly’s Layton Williams, comedian Meera Syal and three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke.
Meanwhile the revival of Joseph Stein’s musical Fiddler On The Roof has garnered the most nods with 13 total nominations.
New productions Giant and The Years have tied for most nominated play with five nods each.
Manville and Strong have both been nominated for the top gongs for their roles in a retelling of the father-killing, mother-loving king of Thebes, Oedipus.
Conclave star Lithgow received his nod for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views.
The play examines the fallout from revolting anti-Semitic insinuations he made in 1983 in a review of a book – God Cried – by Tony Clifton and Catherine Leroy, about the bombing of Lebanon the previous year.
Meanwhile Brody’s nomination is for his role in The Fear Of 13, which ran at the Donmar Warehouse last year and is based on Nick Yarrow’s memoir about being incarcerated on death row in America for 22 years.
And it’s a good week for Brody, whose nod comes just two days after he bagged his second Best Actor Oscar for The Brutalist.
Meanwhile Lesley Manville has been nominated for an ‘explosive’ thriller retelling of Oedipus – in which she starred opposite Strong last year
Conclave star Lithgow received his nod for his portrayal of Roald Dahl in Giant, a play which puts the author in the dock for his uncomfortable views
Meanwhile Mission Impossible star Indira Varma also received a Best Actress nod for her leading role in a classic adaptation of the Greek tragedy which opened in January – however her co-star Rami Malek was snubbed
The actor, 51, was emotional as his name was called out, beating nominees Timothee Chalamet, Colman Domingo, Sebastian Stan and Ralph Fiennes.
He said: ‘Winning an award like this signifies a destination and something my character references in the film.
‘But to me, it also, beyond the pinnacle of a career, it is a chance to begin again and the opportunity to hopefully be fortunate enough so that the next 20 years of my life, I can prove that I am worthy of such meaningful, important and relevant roles.
He thanked his girlfriend Georgina Chapman and the two children she shares with jailed Harvey Weinstein, saying: ‘I know it’s been a rollercoaster. Thank you for accepting me into your life’.
He also revealed the two youngsters call him ‘Popsie.’
Paapa Essiedu has been nominated for Death Of England: Delroy while Billy Crudup’s nod was for Harry Clarke
Impressively, Atonement actress Romola Garai has been nominated twice in the same category for two separate plays; Giant and The Years (pictured)
Strictly Come Dancing star Layton Williams has received a Best Supporting Actor nod for тιтanique
As the star was walking up the steps to the stage he turned around, took his gum out of his mouth and threw it to girlfriend Chapman.
Chapman was seen running up to her partner and diligently trying to catch the gum before he made his speech.
Despite repulsing audiences with the move, Adrien has since defended his actions as he spoke on Live With Kelly and Mark moments after his win.
‘I could’ve swallowed it, but I didn’t think about that,’ he said. ‘I had to get rid of it somehow.’
Olivier awards 2025: Full nominations list
Best Actress
Heather Agyepong – Shifters
Lesley Manville for Oedipus
Rosie Sheehy for Machinal
Meera Syal for A Tupperware Of Ashes
Indira Varma for Oedipus
Best Actress in a Musical
Chumisa Dornford-May for Natasha, Pierre & The great Comet Of 1812
Lauren Drew for тιтanique
Clare Foster for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon
Lara Pulver for Fiddler On The Roof
Imelda Staunton for Hello, Dolly!
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sharon D. Clarke for The Importance Of Being Earnest
Romola Garai for Giant
Romola Garai for The Years
Gina McKee for The Years
Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Liv Andrusier for Fiddler On The Roof
Amy Di Bartolomeo for The Devil Wears Prada
Beverley Klein for Fiddler On The Roof
Maimuna Memon for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Best New Musical
The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon
MJ The Musical
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Why Am I So Single?
Best Revival
The Importance of Being Earnest
Machinal
Oedipus
Waiting For Godot
Sir Peter Hall Award For Best Director
Eline Arbo for The Years
Jordan Fein for Fiddler On The Roof
Nicholas Hytner for Giant
Robert Icke for Oedipus
Best Lighting Design
Paule Constable & Ben Jacobs for Oliver!
Howard Hudson for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Howard Hudson for Starlight Express
Aideen Malone for Fiddler On The Roof
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Aigul Akhmetshina for her performance in Carmen
Allan Clayton for his performance in Festen
Jung Young-doo for his direction of Lear
Best New Production in Affiliate Theatre
Animal Farm at Theatre Royal Stratford East by George Orwell, adapted by Tatty Hennessy
Boys On The Verge Of Tears by Sam Grabiner at Soho Theatre
English by Sanaz Toossi at Kiln Theatre
Now, I See by Lanre Malaolu at Theatre Royal Stratford East
What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander at Marylebone Theatre
Oustanding Achievement In Dance
Sarah Chun for her performance in Three Short Ballets
Tom Visser for his lighting design of Angels’ Atlas as part of Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner
Eva Yerbabuena for her performance in Yerbagüena
Best Costume Design
Hugh Durrant for Robin Hood
Sachiko Nakahara for Spirited Away
Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof
Gabriella Slade for Starlight Express
Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play
Ballet Shoes adapted by Kendall Feaver
Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright by Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith
Spirited Away adapted by John Caird & co-adapted by Maoko Imai
тιтanique by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle & Constantine Rousouli
Best Actor
Adrien Brody for The Fear Of 13
Billy Crudup for Harry Clarke
Paapa Essiedu for Death Of England: Delroy
John Lithgow for Giant
Mark Strong for Oedipus
Best Actor in a Musical
John Dagleish for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon
Adam Dannheisser for Fiddler On The Roof
Myles Frost for MJ The Musical
Simon Lipkin for Oliver!
Jamie Muscato for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jorge Bosch for Kyoto
Tom Edden for Waiting For Godot
Elliot Levey for Giant
Ben Whishaw for Bluets
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Andy Nyman for Holly, Dolly!
Raphael Papo for Fiddler On The Roof
Layton Williams for тιтanique
Tom Xander for Mean Girls
Best New Play
The Fear Of 13
Giant
Kyoto
Shifters
The Years
Best Musical Revival
Fiddler On The Roof
Hello, Dolly!
Oliver!
Starlight Express
Best Set Design
Jon Bausor for Set, Toby Olié & Daisy Beattie for Puppetry and Satoshi Kuriyama for Projection for Spirited Away at London Coliseum
Frankie Bradshaw for Ballet Shoes at National Theatre – Olivier
Es Devlin for Coriolanus at National Theatre – Olivier
Tom Scutt for Fiddler On The Roof at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Best New Opera Production
Duke Bluebeard’s Castle by English National Opera
Festen by The Royal Opera
L’Olimpiade by Irish National Opera & The Royal Opera
The Tales Of Hoffmann by The Royal Opera
Best Family Show
Brainiac Live
Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas
The Nutcracker
Rough Magic
Best New Dance Production
ᴀssembly Hall by Kidd Pivot, Crystal Pite & Jonathon Young
Frontiers: Choreographers Of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner by The National Ballet Of Canada
Theatre Of Dreams by Hofesh Shechter Company
An Unтιтled Love by A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Best Theatre Choreographer
Matthew Bourne for Oliver!
Julia Cheng for Fiddler On The Roof
Hofesh Shechter for Oedipus
Christopher Wheeldon for MJ The Musical
Best Sound Design
Nick Lidster for Fiddler On The Roof
Christopher Shutt for Oedipus
Thijs van Vuure for The Years
Koichi Yamamoto for Spirited Away
Outstanding Musical Contribution
Mark Aspinall for Musical Supervision & Additional Orchestrations for Fiddler On The Roof
Darren Clark for Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements and Mark Aspinall for Musical Direction, Music Supervision, Orchestrations & Arrangements for The Curious Case Of Benjamin ʙuттon
Dave Malloy for Orchestrations and Nicholas Skilbeck for Musical Supervision for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet Of 1812
Asaf Zohar for Compositions and Gavin Sutherland for Dance Arrangements & Orchestration for Ballet Shoes
