8th Helpmann Awards

8th Helpmann Awards
Date	28 July 2008
Location	Lyric Theatre, Sydney
Host	Jonathan Biggins and Julia Zemiro
Television/Radio coverage
Network	Bio.

The 2008 Helpmann Awards were presented on 28 July 2008 at the Lyric Theatre, Sydney. The ceremony was hosted by Jonathan Biggins and Julia Zemiro^[1] and was broadcast live on Bio. (Foxtel's biography channel).^[2]

Nominees

(winners are bolded)^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}

Theatre

Best Play	Best Direction of a Play
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?– Company B Black Watch – National Theatre of Scotland presented by Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival When the Rain Stops Falling – Brink Productions Toy Symphony – Company B	Neil Armfield – Toy Symphony (Company B) Benedict Andrews – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Company B) Barrie Kosky – The Tell-Tale Heart (Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne International Arts Festival) John Tiffany – Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland presented by Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival)
Best Female Actor in a Play	Best Male Actor in a Play
Leah Purcell – The Story of the Miracles at Cookie's Table (Griffin Theatre Company and HotHouse Theatre) Catherine McClements – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Company B) Kate Dickie – Aalst (National Theatre of Scotland, presented by Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival and Brisbane Powerhouse) Genevieve Picot – Rock 'n' Roll (Melbourne Theatre Company)	Richard Roxburgh – Toy Symphony (Company B) Marton Csokas – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Company B) Martin Niedermair – The Tell-Tale Heart (Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne International Arts Festival) Geoffrey Rush – Exit the King (Company B and Malthouse Theatre)
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play	Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
Julie Forsyth – Exit the King (Company B and Malthouse Theatre) Monica Maughan – Toy Symphony (Company B) Susan Prior – Riflemind (Sydney Theatre Company) Alison Whyte – Don's Party (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company)	Russell Dykstra – Toy Symphony (Company B) Travis McMahon – Don's Party (Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company) James Stewart – The Glass Menagerie (Queensland Theatre Company) David Woods – Exit the King (Company B and Malthouse Theatre)

Musicals

Best Musical	Best Direction of a Musical
Universal Pictures, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions – Billy Elliot the Musical Ambassador Theatre Group, Shows Inc, Marriner Theatres and Tulchin/Bartner Productions – Guys and Dolls Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company – Company The Really Useful Group Asia Pacific Pty Ltd and The Gordon/Frost Organisation – The Phantom of the Opera	Stephen Daldry in association with Julian Webber – Billy Elliot the Musical Gale Edwards – Company Michael Grandage & Jamie Lloyd – Guys and Dolls Roger Hodgman – Little Me
Best Female Actor in a Musical	Best Male Actor in a Musical
Genevieve Lemon – Billy Elliot the Musical Marina Prior – Guys and Dolls Ana Marina – The Phantom of the Opera Sharon Millerchip – Sweet Charity	Lochlan Denholm, Nick Twiney, Rarmian Newton and Rhys Kosakowski – Billy Elliot the Musical iOTA – Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show Mitchell Butel – Little Me Anthony Warlow – The Phantom of the Opera
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical	Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Sharon Millerchip – Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show Lola Nixon – Billy Elliot the Musical Colette Mann – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Jackie Rees – The Phantom of the Opera	Shane Jacobson – Guys and Dolls Linal Haft – Billy Elliot the Musical Bill Hunter – Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical John Paul Young – Shout! The Legend of The Wild One
Best Choreography in a Musical
Peter Darling – Billy Elliot the Musical Rob Ashford – Guys and Dolls Ross Coleman – Sweet Charity Ross Coleman – 'Shout! The Legend of The Wild One

Opera and Classical Music

Best Opera	Best Direction of an Opera
Opera Australia – Arabella Opera Australia – Les Contes d'Hoffmann Andrew McManus Presents and Alexander Productions – Dead Man Walking State Opera of South Australia/State Theatre Company of SA – Little Women	John Cox – Arabella Bruce Beresford – A Streetcar Named Desire Nigel Jamieson – Dead Man Walking Adam Cook – Little Women
Best Female Performer in an Opera	Best Male Performer in an Opera
Cheryl Barker – Arabella Emma Matthews – Les Contes d'Hoffmann Kirsti Harms – Dead Man Walking Elvira Fatykhova – Rigoletto	Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Dead Man Walking John Wegner – Les Contes d'Hoffmann Peter Coleman-Wright – Arabella Jonathan Summers – Il trittico
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera	Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
Emma Matthews – Arabella Antoinette Halloran – A Streetcar Named Desire Hye Seoung Kwon – Carmen Anke Hoppner – The Love of the Nightingale	James Egglestone – Little Women Luke Gabbedy – La bohème Kanen Breen – Les Contes d'Hoffmann Stuart Skelton – A Streetcar Named Desire
Best Classical Concert Presentation	Best Performance in a Classical Concert
West Australian Opera – Opera in the Park – Madama Butterfly Australian Brandenburg Orchestra with L'Arpeggiata – Baroque Beat Sydney Symphony – Sir Charles Mackerras concerts Adelaide Symphony Orchestra – Sibelius Festival	Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Classical Connections – Sir Charles Returns Simone Young – Turangalîla-Symphonie Michael Kieran Harvey – Messiaen's Catalogue d'oiseaux Aivale Cole – Opera in the Park – Madama Butterfly

Dance and Physical Theatre

Best Ballet or Dance Work	Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production
Chunky Move & Melbourne International Arts Festival – Glow The Australian Ballet – The Nutcracker Akram Khan Co. Present By Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2008, Sydney Opera House, Brisbane Powerhouse – Sacred Monsters Brisbane Powerhouse and Dancenorth choreographed by Splintergroup – Roadkill	Chunky Move presented by Sydney Festival – Mortal Engine Presented by Sydney Festival – Au Revoir Parapluie Branch Nebula, produced by Performing Lines – Paradise City Cirque Ici, Presented by Sydney Festival – Secret
Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production	Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production
Sara Black – Glow Sarah-Jayne Howard – Roadkill Larissa McGowan – G Lucinda Dunn – Don Quixote	Paul White – Construct Akram Khan – Sacred Monsters Steven Heathcote – After the Rain Gavin Webber – Roadkill
Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work
Tanja Liedtke – Construct Christopher Wheeldon – After the Rain Gideon Obarzanek – Glow Lloyd Newson – To Be Straight With You

Contemporary Music

Best Australian Contemporary Concert	Best Contemporary Music Festival
The Frontier Touring Company – Crowded House Maiden Australia and QPAC – Broad Andrew McManus Presents – Kate Ceberano – Nine Lime Avenue Tour Sydney Symphony – The Whitlams with the Sydney Symphony	Womadelaide Foundation – Womadelaide Chugg Entertainment & Rockin Roll Circus – St Jeromes Laneway Festival Chugg Entertainment & Peter Noble Presents – 19th Annual East Coast Blues and Roots Festival Vivian Lees & Ken West – Big Day Out Festival 2008
Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert	Best International Contemporary Concert
David Campbell – The Swing Sessions 2 Guy Sebastian – The Memphis Tour Kate Ceberano – Nine Lime Avenue Tour Tina Arena in concert	Sydney Festival – Björk on the Steps of the Sydney Opera House The Frontier Touring Company – Justin Timberlake Dainty Consolidated Entertainment – Bon Jovi – Lost Highway Tour Chugg Entertainment and Perth International Arts Festival – Rufus Wainwright

Other

Best Presentation for Children	Best Regional Touring Production
Patch Theatre Company – Mr McGee and the Biting Flea Gooligulch Productions in Association with Garry Ginivan Attractions – My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch Real T.V – Hoods Windmill Performing Arts – Cat	Company B – Keating! Patch Theatre Company – Mr McGee and the Biting Flea Bangarra Dance Theatre – True Stories Queensland Theatre Company – Heroes
Best Comedy Performer
David Collins & Shane Dundas – The Umbilical Brothers: Don't Explain Frank Woodley – Possessed Julia Morris – Julia Morris in Shoosh Please! Ross Noble

Industry Awards

Best New Australian Work
Michael Gow – Toy Symphony (Company B) Andrew Bovell – When the Rain Stops Falling (Brink Productions co-presented by State Theatre Company of South Australia and Adelaide Festival of Arts) Gideon Obarzanek – Glow (Chunky Move presented by Melbourne International Arts Festival) Alana Valentine – Parramatta Girls (Company B)
Best Original Score	Best Music Direction
Barrie Kosky – The Tell-Tale Heart Richard Mills – Songlines for the Heart's Desire Andree Greenwell – Venus & Adonis Ben Frost – Mortal Engine	Stephen Amos – Billy Elliot the Musical Peter Farnan – Sleeping Beauty Lionel Friend – Arabella Peter Casey – Company
Best Scenic Design	Best Costume Design
Dan Potra – Dead Man Walking Peter McKintosh – The 39 Steps John F Macfarlane – The Nutcracker Ian MacNeil – Billy Elliot the Musical	Julie Lynch – Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show Robert Perdziola – Arabella Stephen Curtis – The Government Inspector John F Macfarlane – The Nutcracker
Best Lighting Design	Best Sound Design
Rick Fisher – Billy Elliot the Musical Paul Jackson – Moving Target Trudy Dalgleish – Dead Man Walking Niklas Pajanti – When the Rain Stops Falling	Gareth Fry – Black Watch Chris Full, John Scandrett & Nick Reich – Guys & Dolls Paul Arditti – Billy Elliot the Musical Mic Pool – The 39 Steps
Best Special Event
Sydney Opera House and Australian Broadcasting Corporation – The Choir of Hard Knocks Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company – An Audience With Stephen Sondheim Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts 2008 & The Electric Canvas – Ignition! and Northern Lights Queensland Music Festival and Brisbane City Council – Pig City

References

1. Georgiou, Andrew: Helpmann Awards 2008, Time Out Sydney, 29 July 2008.
2. Know, David: Airdate: 2008 Helpmann Awards, TV Tonight, 30 June 2008.
3. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Theatre". Helpmann Awards. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
4. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Musicals". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
5. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Opera and Classical Music". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
6. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Dance and Physical Theatre". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
7. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Contemporary Music". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
8. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Comedy". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
9. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Industry Awards". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
10. "Helpmann Awards – 2008 Nominees – Regional Touring Award". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
11. "2008 Helpmann Awards – Winners". Helpmann Awards. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2008.

External links

• Helpmann Awards official site