# 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards

The WhatsOnStage Awards, founded in 2001 as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are a fan-driven set of awards organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com, based on a popular vote recognising performers and productions of English theatre, with an emphasis on London's West End theatre.
The 2016 Whatsonstage Award winners and nominees were:
| Best New Play | Best New Musical |
| Photograph 51 Farinelli and the King Hangmen Oppenheimer People, Places and Things | Kinky Boots Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Bend It Like Beckham Elf In the Heights |
| Best Play Revival | Best Musical Revival |
| Hamlet Death of a Salesman Oresteia The Importance of Being Earnest The Ruling Class | Gypsy American Idiot Cats High Society Mack and Mabel |
| Best Actor in a Play | Best Actress in a Play |
| Benedict Cumberbatch for Hamlet Bradley Cooper for The Elephant Man Alex Hassell for Henry V James McAvoy for The Ruling Class Mark Rylance for Farinelli and the King | Nicole Kidman for Photograph 51 Rosalie Craig for As You Like It Denise Gough for People, Places and Things Harriet Walter for Death of a Salesman Lia Williams for Oresteia |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Best Actress in a Musical |
| Matt Henry for Kinky Boots Michael Ball for Mack and Mabel Killian Donnelly for Kinky Boots Ben Forster for Elf Sam Mackay for In the Heights | Imelda Staunton for Gypsy Katie Brayben for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Lily Frazer for In the Heights Beverley Knight for Cats Kimberley Walsh for Elf |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Play | Best Supporting Actress in a Play |
| Mark Gatiss for Three Days in the Country Bertie Carvel for Bakkhai Johnny Flynn for Hangmen Ciarán Hinds for Hamlet Kobna Holdbrook-Smith for Hamlet | Judi Dench for The Winter's Tale Sian Brooke for Hamlet Imogen Doel for The Importance of Being Earnest Patsy Ferran for As You Like It Anastasia Hille for Hamlet |
| Best Supporting Actor in a Musical | Best Supporting Actress in a Musical |
| David Bedella for In the Heights Peter Davison for Gypsy Jack Edwards for Mack and Mabel Alexis Gerred for American Idiot Lucas Rush for American Idiot | Lara Pulver for Gypsy Jennie Dale for Elf Victoria Hamilton-Barritt for In the Heights Amy Lennox for Kinky Boots Lauren Samuels for Bend It Like Beckham |
| Best Direction | Best Choreography |
| Jonathan Kent for Gypsy Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots Racky Plews for American Idiot Luke Sheppard for In the Heights Lyndsey Turner for Hamlet | Jerry Mitchell for Kinky Boots Drew McOnie for In the Heights Stephen Mear for Gypsy Racky Plews for American Idiot Nathan M Wright for High Society |
| Best Set Design | Best Lighting Design |
| Es Devlin for Hamlet Sara Perks for American Idiot David Rockwell for Kinky Boots Takis for In the Heights Anthony Ward for Gypsy | Jane Cox for Hamlet Tim Deiling for American Idiot Mark Henderson for Gypsy Howard Hudson for In the Heights Kenneth Posner for Kinky Boots |
| Best Off-West End Production | Best Regional Production |
| Carrie Assassins Grand Hotel Shock Treatment You Won't Succeed on Broadway If You Don't Have Any Jews | Mary Poppins Anything Goes Hairspray Henry V Mack and Mabel |
| Best West End Show ||
| Les Misérables Kinky Boots Matilda Miss Saigon Wicked ||
| Equity Award for Services to Theatre Society Special Award ||
| Kenneth Branagh ||