2023 Black British Theatre Awards

The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA) were launched in 2019 and recognise excellence among black performers and creatives in the UK.

In 2023 the Best Director and Best Producer Awards were sponsored by Disney Theatrical.

The 2023 Black British Theatre Awards winners and nominees were:{{Cite web |last=Winter |first=Pete |date=2024-05-24 |title=Our 2023 Shortlisted Nominees |url=https://blackbritishtheatreawards.com/our-2023-shortlisted-nominees/ |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=Black British Theatre Awards |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Raymond |first=Natasha |date=2023-10-30 |title=The Winners of the Black British Theatre Awards 2023 |url=https://www.spotlight.com/news-and-advice/the-industry/black-british-theatre-awards-2023-winners/ |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=Spotlight |language=en-GB}}

class="wikitable" !Best Play !Best Musical
* Going For Gold (UK Tour) Tambo and Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East) The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour) \| Sylvia at The Old Vic The Color Purple (UK Tour) Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
Best Male Actor in a Play !Best Male Actor in a Musical
* Jazz Lintott for Going for Gold (UK Tour) David Alade for Sunny Side Up at the Theatre Peckham Gamba Cole for Housemates Returns: Chicken Burger N Chips at Brixton House \| *Michael Ahomka-Lindsay for Newsies* at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre** Caleb Roberts for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre Owen Chaponda for The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre
Best Female Actor in a Play !Best Female Actor in a Musical
* *Toyin Ayedun-Alase for The Clinic* at the Almeida Theatre** Aminita Francis for Family Tree (UK Tour) Kibong Tanji for Recognition (Talawa Theatre Company) \| *Elesha Paul Moses for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical* at the Aldwych Theatre** Heidi Williams for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre Nicole-Lily Baisden for 42nd Street at the Sadler's Wells
Best Supporting Male Actor in a Play !Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical
* *Christian Alifoe for Sucker Punch* (UK Tour)** Khai Shaw for Alice in Wonderland at Brixton House Fode Simbo for Under the Kundè Tree at Southwark Playhouse \| *Kyrelle Lammy for Nativity! The Musical* at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre** Jay Perry for Sylvia at The Old Vic Kylan Denis for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre
Best Supporting Female Actor in a Play !Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical
* *Toyin Ayedun-Alase for Alice in Wonderland* at the Brixton House** Bola Akeju for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith Sasha Frost for Noises Off (UK Tour) \| *Billie-Kay Payne for Annie* (UK Tour)** Charis Alexandra for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre Irene Myrtle Forrester for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
Best Non Binary Performer in a Play !Best Non Binary Performer in a Musical
* *Phoebe Campbell for The Importance of Being Earnest* (UK Tour)** Sam Crerar for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe Travis Alabanza for Burgerz at the Southbank Centre \| *Claudia Kariuki for Six* at the Vaudeville Theatre** Alex Thomas-Smith for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre

class="wikitable"

!Best Play

!Best Musical

* Going For Gold (UK Tour)

Tambo and Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East)
The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour)

Sylvia at The Old Vic
The Color Purple (UK Tour)
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre

Best Male Actor in a Play

!Best Male Actor in a Musical

* Jazz Lintott for Going for Gold (UK Tour)

David Alade for Sunny Side Up at the Theatre Peckham
Gamba Cole for Housemates Returns: Chicken Burger N Chips at Brixton House

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay for Newsies at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre
Caleb Roberts for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
Owen Chaponda for The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre

Best Female Actor in a Play

!Best Female Actor in a Musical

* Toyin Ayedun-Alase for The Clinic at the Almeida Theatre

Aminita Francis for Family Tree (UK Tour)
Kibong Tanji for Recognition (Talawa Theatre Company)

Elesha Paul Moses for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
Heidi Williams for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre
Nicole-Lily Baisden for 42nd Street at the Sadler's Wells

Best Supporting Male Actor in a Play

!Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical

* Christian Alifoe for Sucker Punch (UK Tour)

Khai Shaw for Alice in Wonderland at Brixton House
Fode Simbo for Under the Kundè Tree at Southwark Playhouse

Kyrelle Lammy for Nativity! The Musical at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Jay Perry for Sylvia at The Old Vic
Kylan Denis for Matilda the Musical at the Cambridge Theatre

Best Supporting Female Actor in a Play

!Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical

* Toyin Ayedun-Alase for Alice in Wonderland at the Brixton House

Bola Akeju for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith
Sasha Frost for Noises Off (UK Tour)

Billie-Kay Payne for Annie (UK Tour)
Charis Alexandra for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre
Irene Myrtle Forrester for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre

Best Non Binary Performer in a Play

!Best Non Binary Performer in a Musical

* Phoebe Campbell for The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour)

Sam Crerar for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare's Globe
Travis Alabanza for Burgerz at the Southbank Centre

Claudia Kariuki for Six at the Vaudeville Theatre
Alex Thomas-Smith for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre

class="wikitable" ! colspan="2" \|Creatives Awards
Best Director for a Play or Musical !Best Producer
* *Mya Onwugbonu for Hear Me Now* at the Southwark Playhouse** Denzel Westley-Sanderson for The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour) Matthew Xia for Tambo and Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East) \| *Jazz Lintott and Frank Skully for Going for Gold* (UK Tour)** Ben Quashie for Alice in Wonderland at Brixton House Shereener Browne for PlayFight at the Pleasance Theatre and Seven Dials Playhouse
Best Choreographer or Movement Director !Best Dance Production or Performance
* *Mthuthuzeli November for Nina: By Whatever Means* (UK Tour)** Kloe Dean for Tambo & Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East) Tinovimbanashe Sibanda for The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour) \| *Isabela Coracy for Nina: By Whatever Means* (UK Tour)** Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black for Nina: By Whatever Means (UK Tour) Tonyé Scott-Obené for I Am Here (UK Tour)
Best Opera Production or Performance \|
* *Nadine Benjamin for Blue* (English National Opera)** April Koyejo-Audiger for The Magic Flute (UK Tour) English National Opera for Blue (English National Opera)

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Creatives Awards

Best Director for a Play or Musical

!Best Producer

* Mya Onwugbonu for Hear Me Now at the Southwark Playhouse

Denzel Westley-Sanderson for The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour)
Matthew Xia for Tambo and Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East)

Jazz Lintott and Frank Skully for Going for Gold (UK Tour)
Ben Quashie for Alice in Wonderland at Brixton House
Shereener Browne for PlayFight at the Pleasance Theatre and Seven Dials Playhouse

Best Choreographer or Movement Director

!Best Dance Production or Performance

* Mthuthuzeli November for Nina: By Whatever Means (UK Tour)

Kloe Dean for Tambo & Bones (Actors Touring Company and Theatre Royal Stratford East)
Tinovimbanashe Sibanda for The Importance of Being Earnest (UK Tour)

Isabela Coracy for Nina: By Whatever Means (UK Tour)
Cassa Pancho's Ballet Black for Nina: By Whatever Means (UK Tour)
Tonyé Scott-Obené for I Am Here (UK Tour)

Best Opera Production or Performance

* Nadine Benjamin for Blue (English National Opera)

April Koyejo-Audiger for The Magic Flute (UK Tour)
English National Opera for Blue (English National Opera)

class="wikitable" ! colspan="2" \|Recognition Awards
Lighting Design Recognition Award !Sound Design Recognition Award
* Joshie Harriette Simeon Miller Simisola Majekodunmi \| Xana Rasaq Kukoyi Tony Gayle
Theatre Design Recognition Award !Playwright Recognition Award
* Debbie Duru Fay Fullerton Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey \| Adenike Ojo David Alade Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini
Book and Lyrics Recognition Award !Musical Director Recognition Award
* Gerel Falconer \| *Sean Green for Sylvia* at The Old Vic** Ian Oakley for The Color Purple (UK Tour) Sean Mayes for Mandela at the Young Vic

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Recognition Awards

Lighting Design Recognition Award

!Sound Design Recognition Award

* Joshie Harriette

Simeon Miller
Simisola Majekodunmi

Xana
Rasaq Kukoyi
Tony Gayle

Theatre Design Recognition Award

!Playwright Recognition Award

* Debbie Duru

Fay Fullerton
Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey

Adenike Ojo
David Alade
Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini

Book and Lyrics Recognition Award

!Musical Director Recognition Award

* Gerel Falconer

Sean Green for Sylvia at The Old Vic
Ian Oakley for The Color Purple (UK Tour)
Sean Mayes for Mandela at the Young Vic

class="wikitable" ! colspan="2" \|Achievement Awards
LGBTQ+ Champion Award !Disability Champion Award
* Myles Hart Claudia Kariuki Daniel Jacob \| Kyrelle Lammy
Best Teacher Award !Best Recent Graduate Award
* Erina Lewis from Platinum Academy Billy Luke Nevers from the Helen Hawkins Dance Company Nadine Kennedy Wood from NDC College \| Leah Vassell from ArtsEd Charis Alexandra from ArtsEd Jenna Bonner from ArtsEd
Lifetime Achievement !The Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick Award
Yvonne Jones Brewster OBE \|Cedric Neal

class="wikitable"

! colspan="2" |Achievement Awards

LGBTQ+ Champion Award

!Disability Champion Award

* Myles Hart

Claudia Kariuki
Daniel Jacob

Kyrelle Lammy

Best Teacher Award

!Best Recent Graduate Award

* Erina Lewis from Platinum Academy

Billy Luke Nevers from the Helen Hawkins Dance Company
Nadine Kennedy Wood from NDC College

Leah Vassell from ArtsEd
Charis Alexandra from ArtsEd
Jenna Bonner from ArtsEd

Lifetime Achievement

!The Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick Award

Yvonne Jones Brewster OBE

|Cedric Neal

2023 Black British Theatre Awards

References

See also