Nominations were announced this evening for the 13th annual Helpmann Awards. The Awards will be presented at the Sydney Opera House on Monday 29 July, in a ceremony that will be telecast live on Foxtel station Arena. Read on for all the nominations, plus a look at surprises, snubs and possible winners.

Nominations were announced simultaneously in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth. The Melbourne announcement event was hosted by Christie Whelan Browne, who will also host the awards show with Eddie Perfect. The pair were seen on stage together just last week in Melbourne in the killer comedy Shane Warne the Musical.

King Kong star Chris Ryan (below) performed “Perfect”, and also read some nominations.

Evelyn Richardson (below) announced the recipients of 2013 Bestowed Awards:

*White Night Melbourne – Best Special Event, Victorian Major Events Company.

*The design, creation and operation of King Kong – the creature, Sonny Tilders and team.

Sue Nattrass AO (left, below) announced Carolyn Watson (right, below) as the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award 2013. Nattrass mentioned that this award would continue until 2016. At that time, a documentary about the life, work and musical impact of Stacey is planned. Watson spoke passionately in praise of the work of musicians with children in terms of creating the musicians of tomorrow and also in fostering interest so as to create the audiences of tomorrow.

On hand to assist with the announcement of nominations were Legally Blonde’s Rob Mills…

…and Erika Heynatz;

Chess star Silvie Paladino;

Casey Donovan from Flowerchildren;

and The Addams Family matriarch Chloe Dallimore.

The Helpmann Awards, which are organized by Live Performance Australia, are unique in that they cover a range of theatrical fields. Musical theatre and opera, ballet and dance, cabaret and concerts, children’s theatre and plays are all eligible for awards, upon submission, by producers, of entries for consideration as nominations. Where else in the world would Legally Blonde, Carmen, Swan Lake, Death of a Salesman and Bruce Springsteen all be given nominations as part of the same awards show!

Expected inclusions, with a high chance of winning, include Emma Matthews as the mad title character in Lucia di Lammermoor, Colin Friels as the noble Willy Loman in Belvoir’s Death of a Salesman, Silvie Paladino as the passionate Florence in Chess, Geoffrey Rush as the hysterical Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Amber Scott in divine form as Odette in Swan Lake (Stephen Baynes) and Gale Edwards for directing Opera Australia’s blood drenched new staging of Salome.

Nominees that could be described as very pleasant surprises include Nicole Car as the sweet, innocent Micaela Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: Carmen, Russell Dykstra as the charming Fester in The Addams Family, David Harris as the adorkable Emmett in Legally Blonde, Daniel Gaudiello in Don Quixote and Jennifer Vuletic as the deliciously vicious Baroness in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Notable snubs from the nominations include Lisa McCune, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Kate Ceberano and Eddie Perfect from South Pacific. The absence of Chess from the Best Musial and Best Director of A Musical (Gale Edwards) nominees is a shock. The Production Company should be proud,, however, to note that not only do they have Chess’ Paladino nominated for Best Actress in A Musical, but also her three competitors have all been leading ladies at TPC: Lucy Durack (42^nd St and many, many more), Chloe Dallimore (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Esther Hannaford (The Boyfriend).

No surprise, however, was the absence from the nominees of MTC misfires Queen Lear and Other Desert Cities. TPC presentation Promises, Promises was also not on par with the incredible hat trick of smash hits they scored with Grey Gardens, Chess and The Producers. No one will be surprised, or perhaps notice, the absence of 2012 Cat Stevens musical Moonshadow. Opera Australia disappointed fans with the bizarre aspects of staging of their new co-production of A Masked Ball so its nominations were a surprise inclusion.

The full list of nominations is below. Tickets for the general public go on sale Tuesday 25 June 2013. More information is available at the Helpmann Awards website.

Best Costume Design:

Hugh Colman – Swan Lake (Baynes), The Australian Ballet

Julian Crouch & Phelim McDermott – The Addams Family, 
Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

Roger Kirk – King Kong, Global Creatures

Tess Schofield – The Secret River
, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

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Best Scenic Design:

Stephen Curtis – The Secret River, 
Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Peter England – King Kong, Global Creatures

Jonathon Oxlade – School Dance, Windmill Theatre

Amon Tobin – Amon Tobin ISAM: Live
, Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House Presents

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Best Lighting Design:

Mark Howett – The Secret River
, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Peter Mumford – King Kong, Global Creatures

Paul Normandale – Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto Tour, Chugg Entertainment

John Rayment – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Carmen, Opera Australia

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Best Sound Design:

Tony David Cray – Die Tote Stadt, Opera Australia

Tony David Cray – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Carmen, Opera Australia

Peter Hylenski – King Kong, Global Creatures

Luke Smiles –School Dance, Windmill Theatre

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Best Original Score:

Gordon Kerry & Louis Nowra – Midnight Son, Victorian Opera

David Page – TERRAIN
, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Original Music Composed by Marius de Vries featuring Songs and Original Compositions by 3D from Massive Attack, Guy Garvey, Sarah McLachlan, Justice and The Avalanches with additional lyrics by Michael Mitnick and Richard Thomas
 – King Kong
, Global Creatures

Iain Grandage – The Secret River, 
Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

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Best Individual Classical Music Performance:

Ana Vidovic – Ana Vidovic in Recital, 
Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide International Guitar Festival

Jordi Savall – Jordi Savall & Andrew Lawrence King,  Melbourne Recital Centre

Simone Young Conducting The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra – Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner (concert performance) & Symphony No. 2 in C Minor Resurrection by Gustav Mahler, Soloists from the Hamburg State Opera with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra Queensland Performing Arts Centre & Events Queensland

Stuart Skelton – Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades: An Opera in Concert, Sydney Symphony

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Best Music Direction:

Christian Badea – Die Tote Stadt, Opera Australia

Iain Grandage – The Secret River
, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

James Morrison – Boundary Street
, Black Swan State Theatre Company & Brisbane Festival

Tristen Parr – Duck, Death and the Tulip, 
Barking Gecko Theatre Company presented by Perth International Arts Festival

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Chamber & / or Instrumental Ensemble Concert:  

Jordi Savall & Andrew Lawrence King – Melbourne Recital Centre

Takacs Quartet – Musica Viva Australia

Phillip Glass Complete Piano Etudes – Perth International Arts Festival

Steve Reich – A Celebration – Sydney Opera House Presents

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Symphony Orchestra Concert:

Beethoven 9, Australian Chamber Orchestra

Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner (concert performance), The Hamburg State Opera with The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Performing Arts Centre & Events Queensland

Symphony No.2 in C Minor, Resurrection by Gustave Mahler, Soloists from The Hamburg State Opera with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Performing Arts Centre & Events Queensland

Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades: An Opera in Concert, Sydney Symphony

_________________________________________________________________________

Best International Contemporary Concert:

Tedeschi Trucks Band & Trombone Shorty, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Trombone Shorty & Bluesfest Touring

Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto Tour, Coldplay & Chugg Entertainment

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Wrecking Ball 2013, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band & Frontier Touring Company in association with Jacobsen International

Barry Gibb – Mythology Tour,Barry Gibb & Live Nation Australasia

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Best Contemporary Music Festival:

The 24th Annual Bluesfest Byron Bay, Bluesfest Touring

The Falls Music & Arts Festival, The Falls Music & Arts Festival

Laneway Festival 2013, Lunatic Entertainment & Chugg Entertainment

Vivid LIVE 2012, Sydney Opera House Presents

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Best Australian Contemporary Concert:

Gotye, Gotye & Chugg Entertainment in Association with Lunatic Entertainment & Eleven Music

Into the Bloodstream: Archie Roach, Archie Roach, Jill Shelton, Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival & Adelaide Festival

Neil Finn & Paul Kelly, Neil Finn, Paul Kelly & Live Nation Australasia by arrangement with Artist Voice

Keith Urban – The Story So Far, Keith Urban, Chugg Entertainment & Nine Live

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Best Regional Touring Production:

Of earth & sky, Bangarra Dance Theatre

CIRCA, Toured by Performing Lines for Road Work

The Land of Yes & The Land of No, Sydney Dance Company

The Disappearances Project, Version 1.0

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Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production:

Antony Hamilton – Black Project 1 & 2, Arts House & Antony Hamilton Projects

Antony Hamilton – Keep Everything, Chunky Move

Stephanie Lake – Dual, Arts House & Stephanie Lake

Frances Rings – TERRAIN, Bangarra Dance Theatre

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Best Choreography in a Musical:

Tony Bartuccio – Chess, The Production Company

Christopher Gattelli – South Pacific, Opera Australia in association with John Frost

Jerry Mitchell – Legally Blonde The Musical, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Sergio Trujillo – The Addams Family, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Direction of a Musical:

Jerry Mitchell – Legally Blonde The Musical, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Simon Phillips – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, John Frost

Bartlett Sher – South Pacific, Opera Australia in association with John Frost

Jerry Zaks – The Addams Family, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Direction of an Opera:

Gale Edwards – Salome, Opera Australia

Ludger Engels – Semele Walk, Kunstfestspiele Herrenhausen, Presented by Sydney Festival

Rodula Gaitanou – L’isola Disabitata, Hobart Baroque & Royal Opera House

Alex Ollé – Un Ballo in Maschera, Opera Australia

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Direction of a Play:

Neil Armfield – The Secret River, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Lee Lewis – The School For Wives, Bell Shakespeare

Rosemary Myers – School Dance, Windmill Theatre

Anne-Louise Sarks – Medea
, Belvoir in association with Australian Theatre For Young People

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical:

Russell Dykstra – The Addams Family, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

Chris Ryan – King Kong, Global Creatures

Hugh Sheridan – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, John Frost

Mike Snell – Legally Blonde The Musical, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical:

Helen Dallimore – Legally Blonde The Musical, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Erika Heynatz – Legally Blonde The Musical, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Katrina Retallick – The Addams Family, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

Jennifer Vuletic – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Tim Lawson

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play:

Patrick Brammall – Death of a Salesman, Belvoir

Colin Moody – The Secret River, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Rory Potter – Medea, Belvoir in association with Australian Theatre For Young People

Hayden Spencer – End of the Rainbow, Queensland Performing Arts Centre & Queensland Theatre Company

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Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play:

Valerie Bader – Australia Day, Sydney Theatre Company & Melbourne Theatre Company

Lynette Curran – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Belvoir

Amber McMahon – School Dance, Windmill Theatre

Miranda Tapsell – The Secret River, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

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Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera:

José Carbó – Die Tote Stadt, Opera Australia

Samuel Dundas – La Bohème, Opera Australia

Wolf Matthais Fredrich – L’Orfeo, Brisbane Festival & Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

Douglas McNicol – Fidelio, The State Opera of South Australia

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Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera:

Nicole Car – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Carmen, Opera Australia

Jacqueline Dark – Salome, Opera Australia

Jessica Dean – Fidelio, The State Opera of South Australia

Taryn Fiebig – La Bohème, Opera Australia

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Best New Australian Work:

Anh Do – The Happiest Refugee, A List Entertainment

Book by Craig Lucas, Original music composed by Marius de Vries, Featuring Songs and Original Compositions by 3D from Massive Attack, Guy Garvey, Sarah McLachlan, Justice and The Avalanches, with additional lyrics by Michael Mitnick and Richard Thomas
 – King Kong, Global Creatures

Gordon Kerry & Louis Nowra – Midnight Son, Victorian Opera

Kate Mulvaney & Anne-Louise Sarks  – Medea. 
Belvoir in association with Australian Theatre For Young People

Kate Grenville, adapted for the stage by Andrew Bovell – The Secret River
, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Matthew Whittet – School Dance, Windmill Theatre

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Best Comedy Performer:

Wil Anderson – Wil Anderson – GoodWil, Token Events

Hannah Gadsby – Hannah Gadsby – Happiness is a Bedside Table, Token Events

Kitty Flanagan – Hello Kitty Flanagan, A List Entertainment

Julia Morris – Julia Morris – No Judgement, Fox in the Snow

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Best Cabaret Performer:

Robyn Archer AO, Robyn Archer in Concert: QUE RESTE-T-IL? at the Famous Spiegel Garden and Toulouse-Lautrec, Cabaret and Curator Dinner at The National Gallery of Australia, 
Robyn Archer, Michael Morley (Piano), George Butrumlis (Accordian)

Tommy Bradson,The Men My Mother Loved, Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

Christopher Green (as TINA C), TINA C: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word, A Malthouse Theatre, Christopher Green, Julia Holt & Melbourne International Comedy Festival Presentation

Mark Nadler, I’m a Stranger Here Myself, Adelaide Festival Centre’s Adelaide Cabaret Festival

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Best Presentation for Children:

Cautionary Tales for Children based on the verse by Hilaire Belloc, Arena Theatre Company

The Yard, CAPTIVATE and Shaun Parker & Company

How High the Sky, Polyglot Theatre

School Dance, Windmill Theatre

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production:

Concrete & Bones Sessions, Branch Nebula, Performing Lines & Sydney Festival

It’s Dark Outside by Tim Watts, Arielle Gray & Chris Isaacs, Perth Theatre Company

Murder, Earth Visual & Physical Inc, Produced by Intimate Spectacle, Presented by Adelaide Festival, Sydney Festival & Ten Days on the Island

S, Circa

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Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production:

James O’Hara – Faun – In the Spirit of Diaghilev, STRUT Dance & Eastman (Belgium)

Daniel Gaudiello – Don Quixote, 
The Australian Ballet

Alisdair Macindoe – Dual
, Arts House & Stephanie Lake

Alisdair Macindoe – Keep Everything, Chunky Move

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production:

Deborah Brown – TERRAIN
, Bangarra Dance Theatre

Victoria Hunt – Copper Promises, Performance Space

Lauren Langlois – Keep Everything, Chunky Move

Amber Scott – Swan Lake (Baynes), The Australian Ballet

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Best Male Performer in an Opera:

Giorgio Caoduro – Lucia Di Lammermoor, Opera Australia

Dmytro Popov – Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Carmen, Opera Australia

Byron Watson – Midnight Son, Victorian Opera

John Wegner – Salome
, Opera Australia

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Female Performer in an Opera:

Cheryl Barker – Salome
, Opera Australia

Tamar Iveri – Un Ballo in Maschera, Opera Australia

Sarah MacLiver – L’Orfeo
, Brisbane Festival & Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

Emma Matthews – Lucia Di Lammermoor, Opera Australia

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Male Actor in a Musical:

David Harris – Legally Blonde The Musical
, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Geoffrey Rush – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, John Frost

Wayne Scott Kermond – The Producers
, The Production Company

John Waters – The Addams Family
, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Female Actor in a Musical:

Chloe Dallimore – The Addams Family
, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

Lucy Durack – Legally Blonde The Musical
, Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

Esther Hannaford – King Kong, Global Creatures

Silvie Paladino – Chess
, The Production Company

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Male Actor in a Play:

John Bell – Henry 4
, Bell Shakespeare

Nathaniel Dean – The Secret River
, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

Colin Friels – Death of a Salesman, Belvoir

Colin Moody – Forget Me Not, Belvoir

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Female Actor in a Play:

Alison Bell – Constellations
, Melbourne Theatre Company

Alison Bell – Hedda Gabler
, State Theatre Company of South Australia

Christen O’Leary – End of the Rainbow
, Queensland Performing Arts Centre & Queensland Theatre Company

Helen Thomson – Mrs Warren’s Profession, Sydney Theatre Company

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Best Ballet or Dance Work:

Black Project 1 & 2, Arts House & Antony Hamilton Projects

Cacti, Sydney Dance Company

Keep Everything, Chunky Move

TERRAIN, Bangarra Dance Theatre

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Opera:

Die Tote Stadt, Opera Australia

L’isola Disabitata, Hobart Baroque & Royal Opera House

Salome, Opera Australia

Un Ballo in Maschera, Opera Australia

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Play:

Death of a Salesman, Belvoir

Hedda Gabler, State Theatre Company of South Australia

Medea, Belvoir in association with Australian Theatre For Young People

The Secret River, Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival

_________________________________________________________________________

Best Musical:

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, John Frost

Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group & John Frost for Gordon Frost Organisation

South Pacific, Opera Australia in association with John Frost

The Addams Family, Rodney Rigby together with Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt & Five Cent Productions by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical

Photos: Simon Parris