The 2020 Performing Arts WA Awards – the Western Australian theatre and dance industry’s peak professional awards – were presented on Saturday 2 May in an online ceremony.
This once-a-year celebration presented by Artist Relief Fund WA recognised outstanding achievements by actors, directors, theatre- and dance-makers, designers and production companies, with 21 awards presented out of 98 nominations.
Winners in theatre included On Our Beach by Spare Parts Puppet Theatre for Best Mainstage Production and See You Next Tuesday by The Blue Room Theatre & Static Drive Co. for Best Independent Production. Charlotte Otton was awarded Best Actor (Female) and Humphrey Bower won Best Actor (Male).
Winners in dance included Alice (in wonderland) by West Australian Ballet for Best Production, while Scott Elstermann won Best Performer (Male) and Chihiro Nomura won Best Performer (Female). Rachel Arianne Ogle was awarded Best Choreographer for her work precipice.
The Artist Relief Fund’s secretary Nick Maclaine congratulated all of the nominees and winners, as well as everyone who contributed to making live theatre or dance last year. “These are extraordinary times for our sector,” he said. “We felt it was more necessary than ever for WA’s arts workers to be acknowledged, rewarded and celebrated. It was a joy to come together online and celebrate the people who enrich our state.”
Winners of the affectionately known PAWA Awards received cash prizes on the night thanks to the generous sponsorship of the North Perth Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank; Harlequin Floors; the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA); and Moore Creative Artists (MCA).
The Artist Relief Fund’s Student Endowments – supported by Minderoo Foundation were presented to five students studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) including: Angelica Lockyer (Acting); Sam Moloney (Musical Theatre); Lila McGuire (Aboriginal Theatre); Indiana Mulherin (Dance); and Jacob Sgouros (Performing Arts). The endowments reward high achieving students to help support them in their studies.
For more information, visit: www.performingartswa.org.au for details.
Image: Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s On Our Beach – photo by Jessica Wyld
Winners of the 2020 Performing Arts WA Awards are:
THEATRE AWARDS:
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
On Our Beach – Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
See You Next Tuesday – The Blue Room Theatre & Static Drive Co.
BEST NEW WORK
Sam Nerida – See You Next Tuesday
BEST NEWCOMER
Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa – Fully Sikh, Barking Gecko Theatre & Black Swan State Theatre Company
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (MALE)
St John Cowcher – Playthings, The Blue Room Theatre & Second Chance Theatre
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (FEMALE)
Amberly Cull – Tony Galati: The Musical, Aarnav Productions
BEST ACTOR (MALE)
Humphrey Bower – The Apparatus, The Blue Room Theatre & Humphrey Bower
BEST ACTOR (FEMALE)
Charlotte Otton – Feminah, The Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights & Charlotte Otton
BEST DIRECTOR OF A MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Matt Edgerton – Fully Sikh, Barking Gecko Theatre & Black Swan State Theatre Company
BEST DIRECTOR OF AN INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Emily McLean – The Wolves, The Blue Room Theatre & Red Ryder Productions
DANCE AWARDS
BEST PRODUCTION
Alice (in wonderland) – West Australian Ballet
BEST NEW WORK
Scott Elstermann – Act 2, Scenes 1-4 as part of BANG! BANG!
BEST NEWCOMER
Lilly King – Radar, Fremantle Biennale & Brooke Leeder and Dancers & BANG! BANG!, The Blue Room Theatre & Scott Elstermann & Shona Erskine
BEST PERFORMER (MALE)
Scott Elstermann – BANG! BANG!, The Blue Room Theatre & Scott Elstermann & Shona Erskine
BEST PERFORMER (FEMALE)
Chihiro Nomura – Alice (in wonderland), West Australian Ballet
BEST DIRECTOR OR CHOREOGRAPHER
Rachel Arianne Ogle – precipice, State Theatre Centre of WA & Rachel Arianne Ogle
THEATRE & DANCE: PRODUCTION AWARDS
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Joe Lui – BANG! BANG!, The Blue Room Theatre & Scott Elstermann & Shona Erskine
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Chris Donnelly – Gui Shu (Belong), Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts & Performing Lines WA
BEST STAGE DESIGN
Tyler Hill & Ashley de Prazer – Gui Shu (Belong), Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts & Performing Lines WA
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Caitri Jones – Lé Nør [the rain], The Last Great Hunt
BEST COMPOSITION OR ARRANGING
Pavan Kumar Hari – Fully Sikh, Barking Gecko Theatre & Black Swan State Theatre Company