# 10th Helpmann Awards

The 10th Annual Helpmann Awards for live performance in Australia were held on 6 September 2010 at the Sydney Opera House.

## Winners and nominees

In the following tables, winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface. The nominees are those which are listed below the winner and not in boldface.

### Theatre

| Best Play | Best Direction of a Play |
| Richard III – Melbourne Theatre Company August: Osage County – Melbourne Theatre Company The Book of Everything – Company B Belvoir & Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image Happy Days – Malthouse Theatre | Simon Phillips – Richard III Neil Armfield – The Book of Everything Michael Kantor – Happy Days Thomas Ostermeier – Hamlet (Schaubuhne Berlin presented by Sydney Festival) |
| Best Female Actor in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Play |
| Julie Forsyth – Happy Days Kathryn Hunter – Kafka's Monkey (Arts Projects Australia in association with Sydney Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre) Jane Menelaus – August: Osage County Robyn Nevin – August: Osage County | Ewen Leslie – Richard III Paul Blackwell – The Hypochondriac (Brink Productions) Robert Menzies – The End (Company B Belvoir) Toby Schmitz – Ruben Guthrie (Company B Belvoir) |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play |
| Alison Whyte – Richard III Jennifer Hagan – Richard III Deborah Kennedy – The Book of Everything Yael Stone – The Book of Everything | Humphrey Bower – Richard III Charlie Garber – Gethsemane (Company B Belvoir) Arky Michael – Love Me Tender (Company B Belvoir) Dennis Olsen – King Lear (State Theatre Company of South Australia) |

### Musicals

Best Musical :
| Jersey Boys – Dodger Theatricals, Rodney Rigby, Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, Joseph J Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group & Michael Watt in association with Latitude Link & Rick Steiner Avenue Q – Arts Asia Pacific and Power Arts The Drowsy Chaperone – Melbourne Theatre Company The Wizard of Oz – Windmill Theatre ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Best Choreography in a Musical |
| Jonathan Biggins – Avenue Q Des McAnuff – Jersey Boys Rosemary Myers – The Wizard of Oz Simon Phillips – The Drowsy Chaperone | Kelley Abbey – Fame the Musical (John Frost) Andrew Hallsworth – The Drowsy Chaperone Sergio Trujillo – Jersey Boys Nathan M. Wright – Avenue Q |
| Best Female Actor in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Musical |
| Michala Banas – Avenue Q Delia Hannah – Cats (The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific in association with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises) Christie Whelan – The Drowsy Chaperone Ursula Yovich – The Wizard of Oz | Mitchell Butel – Avenue Q Michael Cormick – Mamma Mia! (Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal and Michael Coppel with Louise Withers & Associates) Bobby Fox – Jersey Boys Geoffrey Rush – The Drowsy Chaperone |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical |
| Christina O'Neil – Avenue Q Lisa Adam – Jersey Boys Jaz Flowers – Fame the Musical Jude Henshall – The Wizard of Oz | Luke Joslin – Avenue Q Adam Murphy – The Drowsy Chaperone Scott Johnson – Jersey Boys Geoff Revell – The Wizard of Oz |

### Opera and classical music

| Best Opera | Best Direction of an Opera |
| Peter Grimes – Opera Australia Bliss – Opera Australia Le Grand Macabre – Adelaide Festival in association with State Opera of South Australia King Lear – Ten Days on the Island | Neil Armfield – Peter Grimes Neil Armfield – Bliss Chris Drummond – The Flying Dutchman (State Opera of South Australia) Alex Olle and Valentina Carrasco – Le Grand Macabre |
| Best Female Performer in an Opera | Best Male Performer in an Opera |
| Emma Matthews – La sonnambula (Opera Australia) Takesha Meshé Kizart – Tosca (Opera Australia) Lorina Gore – Bliss Susan Gritton – Peter Grimes | Stuart Skelton – Peter Grimes Peter Coleman-Wright – Bliss John Wegner – The Flying Dutchman John Wegner – Tosca |
| Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera | Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera |
| Taryn Fiebig – Bliss Catherine Carby – Peter Grimes Taryn Fiebig – La sonnambula Tiffany Speight – Così fan tutte (Opera Australia) | Andrew Foote – Peter Grimes (West Australian Opera and Perth International Arts Festival in association with the Australian Youth Orchestra) Paul Biencourt – Rembrandt's Wife (Victorian Opera) Barry Ryan – Bliss Stuart Skelton – The Flying Dutchman |
| Best Symphony Orchestra Concert | Best Chamber and Instrumental Ensemble Concert |
| Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms – Sydney Festival with the Sydney Symphony and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs La Serenissima – Ten Days on the Island Sydney Symphony Power and Panache – Sydney Symphony Tchaikovsky's Symphony Pathetique – West Australian Symphony Orchestra | Imogen Cooper in recital as part of the Sydney Symphony International Pianist in Recital Series – Sydney Symphony Great Romantics Tour – Australian Chamber Orchestra Les Voix Humaines – Melbourne Recital Centre London Sinfonietta – Programs 1 & 2 – Adelaide Festival |
| Best Individual Classical Performance ||
| Imogen Cooper – Imogen Cooper – Recital (Melbourne Recital Centre) Calvin Bowman – Bach Marathon (Melbourne International Arts Festival and City of Melbourne) Alexander Gavrylyuk – Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3 with the Sydney Symphony (Sydney Symphony Prokofiev Festival) (Sydney Symphony) Philippe Jaroussky – Vivaldi Olympia (Australian Brandenburg Orchestra) ||

### Dance and physical theatre

| Best Ballet or Dance Work | Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production |
| FIRE – Bangarra Dance Theatre Dyad 1929 – The Australian Ballet Harakiri – a rite – STRUT dance Körper – Melbourne International Arts Festival and Sasha Waltz | |
| Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work | Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work |
| Danielle Rowe – Dyad 1929 Deborah Brown – FIRE Lucinda Dunn – The Silver Rose (The Australian Ballet) Tara Soh – Be Your Self (Australian Dance Theatre in association with the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Festival Centre) | Richard Cilli – We Unfold (Sydney Dance Company) Daniel Gaudiello – The Silver Rose Matthew Morris – Harakiri – a rite Kimball Wong – Be Your Self |
| Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production ||
| Stephen Page – FIRE Phillip Adams – Miracle (BalletLab) Didier Theron – Harakiri – a rite Wayne McGregor – Dyad 1929 ||

### Contemporary music

| Best Australian Contemporary Concert | Best Contemporary Music Festival |
| The Man in Black: The Johnny Cash Story – Sydney Opera House in association with Folsom Prison Productions Dirty Three & Laughing Clowns – Sydney Festival by arrangement with ATP and Feel Presents a Don't Look Back concert John Farnham – Live by Demand – Glenn Wheatley – Talentworks The RocKwiz National Tour 2010 – Renegade Films and RocKwiz Touring | Big Day Out 2010 – Vivian Lees and Ken West Homebake Music & Arts Festival 2009 – The 15th Anniversary – Domestic Music Concepts 2010 Melbourne International Jazz Festival – Melbourne International Jazz Festival WOMADelaide – WOMADelaide Foundation |
| Best International Contemporary Music Concert ||
| Pink – Funhouse Tour – Michael Coppel Presents AC/DC Black Ice Tour – Garry Van Egmond & Chugg Entertainment Beyonce – Michael Coppel Presents George Michael – Live – Dainty Consolidated Entertainment ||

### Other

| Best Cabaret Performer | Best Comedy Performer |
| iOTA – Smoke & Mirrors (Sydney Festival) Paul Capsis, Martin Martini, Le Gateau Chocolat, Lady Carol, Christine Johnson, Simone Page Jones – A Company of Strangers (Strut n Fret) Moira Finucane – The Burlesque Hour (Finucane & Smith with fortyfivedownstairs, Auspicious Arts Projects and The Street Theatre) Meow Meow – Meow to the World: Crisis is Born (Again) (Sydney Opera House presents) | Wil Anderson – Wilful Misconduct Kitty Flanagan – Charming and Alarming Fiona O'Loughlin – On a Wing and A Prayer Hannah Gadsby – The Cliff Young Shuffle |
| Best Presentation for Children | Best Regional Touring Production |
| Sonya Hartnett's Thursday's Child – Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People The Book of Everything – Company B Belvoir & Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image Shape of a Girl – Sydney Opera House presents The Wizard of Oz – Windmill Theatre | True Stories – Bangarra Dance Theatre The Age I'm In – Force Majeure and Performing Lines The Kursk – Critical Stages and Matrix Theatre Letter's End – Spoon Tree Productions |
| Best Special Event ||
| Festival First Night – Sydney Festival A R Rahman – Sydney Festival Dirtsong – Arts House and Melbourne International Arts Festival La Fura dels Baus – Lotterywest Opening Celebration – Perth International Arts Festival ||

### Industry

Best New Australian Work :
| Craig Ilott & iOTA – Smoke & Mirrors (Sydney Festival and Spiegeltent International) The Black Arm Band with Steven Richardson and Alexis Wright – Dirtsong (Arts House and Melbourne International Arts Festival) BalletLab and Phillip Adams – Miracle (BalletLab) Brett Dean and Amanda Holden – Bliss ||
| Best Original Score | Best Music Direction |
| iOTA with Tina Harris, Joe Accaria, Chris Ball and Martin Hailey – Smoke & Mirrors Brett Dean – Bliss Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez – Avenue Q Taikoz – Pericles (Bell Shakespeare in association with Taikoz) | Ron Melrose & Luke Hunter – Jersey Boys Mark Wigglesworth – Peter Grimes (Opera Australia) Nicolette Fraillon – Dyad 1929 (Steve Reich) (The Australian Ballet) Iain Grandage – Wunderschon (Perth International Arts Festival in association with the National Academy of Music) |
| Best Scenic Design | Best Costume Design |
| Dale Ferguson – August: Osage County Roger Kirk – The Silver Rose (The Australian Ballet) Brian Thomson – Bliss Klara Zieglerova & Michael Clark – Jersey Boys | Gabriela Tylesova – Così fan tutte Dale Ferguson – The Drowsy Chaperone Roger Kirk – The Silver Rose Tess Schofield – Peter Grimes |
| Best Lighting Design | Best Sound Design |
| Nigel Levings – Bliss Nick Schlieper – Richard III Howell Binkley – Jersey Boys Geoff Cobham – The Flying Dutchman | Paul Charlier – A Streetcar Named Desire (Sydney Theatre Company) BalletLab and David Chisholm / Myles Mumford – Miracle Steve Canyon Kennedy – Jersey Boys Bob Scott – Bliss |

### Special awards

| JC Williamson Award | Sue Nattrass Award |
| Tony Gould AN D UNIV Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD | |