As Victoria celebrates Theatre Day, the Green Room Awards Association has announced that their 2024 Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday 8 April at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre. The Association have also confirmed the creation of two new panels: Music Theatre – Commercial/Funded and Music Theatre – Independent/Fringe.
“I’m thrilled to be confirming our partnership with Marriner Group’s Comedy Theatre for the 2024 Awards Ceremony,” said Association President, Anton Berezin. “The 2023 ceremony was a total sell-out, which is not something you can often say in showbusiness.
“The stunning Comedy Theatre has been a Melbourne institution since 1928 and is the perfect home for the Green Room Awards. I’m very grateful for the generosity and support of Marriner Group.”
Speaking about the Music Theatre categories, Mr Berezin stated “Melbourne has a thriving Independent Music Theatre community. Independent musicals have, in the past, been assessed against large scale, commercial productions which are often imported with international creative teams attached,” he said,
“The Green Room Awards seeks to recognise, promote and elevate local theatre makers and artists. Accordingly, we believe assessing Independent/Fringe Music Theatre separately creates more space for local talent.”
“The newly created Music Theatre – Commercial/Funded category will continue to acknowledge and celebrate the enormous contribution of commercial musicals to our lively arts scene and the Victorian economy,” said Mr Berezin.
VICTORIAN THEATRE DAY
In 1987, Green Room Awards founder, Blair Edgar, successfully approached the City of Melbourne with the idea of establishing an official Theatre Day.
Following a resolution by the Melbourne City Council on 15 December 1987, the then Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Cr. Winsome McCaughey, proclaimed that the third Tuesday in February of each year was declared Theatre Day when the City of Melbourne and the State of Victoria would “…honour all those who derive their living from the Theatre.”
From 1988 and for many years after, the Green Room Awards Ceremony was held on Theatre Day. More recently, the third Tuesday of February has become the traditional day for the announcement of the green Room Awards nominations.
THE GREEN ROOM AWARDS
Recognise, Celebrate and Promote. The Green Room Awards are Melbourne’s premier, peer-presented, performing arts industry awards.
Each year, the awards recognise outstanding achievements in Cabaret, Contemporary & Experimental Performance, Dance, Independent Theatre, Music Theatre Commercial/Funded, Music Theatre Independent/Fringe, Opera and Theatre Companies.
The awards acknowledge the contributions of the many, diverse artists and technicians who work on stage, backstage, in the grid and in the pit.
An entirely voluntary organisation, members give their time to recognise, celebrate and promote the work of industry peers and contribute to a stronger, more vibrant, inclusive, innovative, and prosperous industry for theatre makers and our audiences.
The Green Room Awards Association will announce nominations, sponsors and featured performances in coming weeks. For more information, visit: www.greenroom.org.au for details.
Image: Tash York and Fiona Choi at last year’s Green Room Awards – photo by Jim Lee