Awards were presented in thirty categories at a ceremony for the sixth Black British Theatre Awards at London's Lyceum Theatre on Monday 4 November 2024.
The awards were founded in 2018 to increase diversity in UK theatre and recognise black creative artists for their achievements.
Awards co-founders Solange Urdang OBE and Omar F Okai, said, "we are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional achievements of black artists in the UK theatre industry. The BBTAs are committed to amplifying diverse voices and recognising the invaluable contributions of black professionals to the theatre landscape."
With reference to this year's Act for Action report, they added, "findings from the report revealed that 71% of respondents reported experiencing racial bias, while over 70% expressed concerns about authentic representation. Employment instability remains a significant challenge faced by many black theatre professionals, with many individuals entering the industry feeling the effect of tokenism and its impact on mental health."
The ceremony featured performances from MJ the Musical, Ray Shell in an excerpt from Iced, The Path of Courage by Akomaasa Arts Academy, Talawa Theatre's Mood Indigo and Disney's The Lion King.
The winners were:
- Best Producer - Landé Belo, Ain't I A Woman?, The Tower Theatre
- Best Director - Nancy Medina, Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
- Best Musical Director - Sean Green, MJ The Musical, Prince Edward Theatre
- Best Choreographer or Movement Director - Mthuthuzeli November, The Waiting Game, Ballet Black
- Best Dance Production or Performer - Ebony Thomas, The Waiting Game, Ballet Black
- Best Lighting Design - Ryan Day
- Best Sound Design - Xana
- Theatre Design - Jessica Cabassa
- Book And Lyrics - Lady Lykez
- Best Playwright - Siana Bangura
- Best Casting Director - Selma Nicholls
- Best Male Lead Actor in a Play - Terique Jarrett, Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
- Best Female Lead Actor in a Play - Tiwa Lade, My Father's Fable, The Bush Theatre
- Best Supporting Male Actor in a Play - Joshua-Alexander Williams, Romeo & Juliet, The Duke of York's Theatre
- Best Supporting Female Actor in a Play - Freema Agyeman, Romeo & Juliet, The Duke of York's Theatre
- Best Production - Play - Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic
- Best Male Lead Actor in a Musical - Ivano Turco, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, tour
- Best Female Lead Actor in a Musical - Karis Anderson, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, The Aldwych Theatre
- Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical - Marley Fenton, The Wizard of Oz, UK tour
- Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical - Elèna Gyasi, Mean Girls, Savoy Theatre
- Best Musical Production - MJ The Musical, Prince Edward Theatre
- Best Child Performer (Under 16) - Janai Bartlett, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, The Aldwych Theatre
- Best Non-Binary Performer - Claudia Kariuki
- LGBTQIA+ Champion - Layton Williams
- Disability Champion - Linseigh Green
- Best Teacher - Dannika Dudfield, Soar Performance Academy
- Best Graduate - Kwamé Kandekore, MJ The Musical, Emil Dale Academy
- Lord Michael Hastings of Scarisbrick Award - Shanay Holmes And Chris Steward, West End Musical Productions
- Founders Choice Award - Danny Sapani, King Lear, Almeida Theatre
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Namron Obe