# 12th Helpmann Awards

The 12th Annual Helpmann Awards was held on 24 September 2012 at the Sydney Opera House, in Sydney, New South Wales. Administered by Live Performance Australia (LPA), accolades were presented for achievements in disciplines of Australia's live performance sectors, for productions during the season between 1 March 2011 – 31 May 2012.
Awards were handed out in forty-two categories for achievements in theatre, musicals, opera, ballet, dance and concerts.
With the 2012 edition, LPA established the Helpmann Awards Travel Fund which seeks to provide a greater opportunity for productions outside of Melbourne and Sydney to become Nominated for an Award. The Fund provides travel assistance to members of the voting panel, allowing them to attend productions outside of their home states.

## Schedule

* Source:
| Date | Deadline |
| Monday, 13 August 2012 | Helpmann Awards nomination announcement and media launch |
| Monday, 24 September 2012 | 12th Annual Helpmann Awards ceremony at the Sydney Opera House |

## Winners and nominees

In the following tables, winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

### Theatre

| Best Play | Best Direction of a Play |
| Ganesh Versus the Third Reich – Back to Back Theatre, Malthouse Theatre and Melbourne Festival Neighbourhood Watch – Belvoir The Boys – Griffin Theatre Company in association with Sydney Festival The Importance of Being Earnest – Melbourne Theatre Company | Benedict Andrews – Gross und Klein (Big and Small) (Sydney Theatre Company) Rachael Maza Long – Jack Charles V The Crown (ILBIJERRI Theatre Company) Simon Phillips – Songs For Nobodies (Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Duet) Sam Strong – The Boys |
| Best Female Actor in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Play |
| Cate Blanchett – Gross und Klein (Big and Small) Robyn Nevin – Neighbourhood Watch Bernadette Robinson – Songs For Nobodies Helen Thomson – Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (Belvoir) | Paul Capsis – Angela's Kitchen (Griffin Theatre Company) Bille Brown – The Histrionic (Malthouse Theatre & Sydney Theatre Company) Jack Charles – Jack Charles V The Crown Colin Friels – Red (Melbourne Theatre Company) |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play |
| Robyn Nevin – Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Justine Clarke – Les liaisons dangereuses (Sydney Theatre Company) Kris McQuade – Neighbourhood Watch Miranda Otto – The White Guard (Sydney Theatre Company) | Bob Hornery – The Importance of Being Earnest (Melbourne Theatre Company) Patrick Brammall – Clybourne Park (Melbourne Theatre Company) Alex Menglet – Julius Caesar (Bell Shakespeare) Trevor Stuart – As You Like It (La Boite Theatre Company) |

### Musicals

Best Musical :
| A Chorus Line – Tim Lawson in association with the Adelaide Festival Centre An Officer and a Gentleman – Sharleen Cooper Cohen & John Frost Rock of Ages – Rodney Rigby Grey Gardens – The Production Company ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Best Choreography in a Musical |
| Roger Hodgman – Grey Gardens Michael Bennett – A Chorus Line Kristin Hanggi – Rock of Ages Simon Phillips – An Officer and a Gentleman | Kelly Devine – Rock of Ages Kelly Aykers – Annie (John Frost, Power Arts, QPAC and Two Left Feet Productions) Michael Bennett – A Chorus Line Andrew Hallsworth – An Officer and a Gentleman |
| Best Female Actor in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Musical |
| Pamela Rabe – Grey Gardens Anita Louise Combe – A Chorus Line Amanda Harrison – An Officer and a Gentleman Amy Lehpamer – Rock of Ages | Mitchell Butel – The Mikado (Opera Australia) Trevor Ashley – Fat Swan (Showqueen Productions) Justin Burford – Rock of Ages Anthony Warlow – Annie |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical |
| Nancye Hayes – Grey Gardens Francine Cain – Rock of Ages Debora Krizak – A Chorus Line Tara Morice – Fat Swan | Bert LaBonte – An Officer and a Gentleman Euan Doidge – A Chorus Line Brent Hill – Rock of Ages Todd McKenney – Annie |

### Opera

| Best Opera | Best Direction of an Opera |
| Moby-Dick – State Opera of South Australia The Barbarians – MONA FOMA and IHOS Opera The Rake's Progress – Victorian Opera Elektra – West Australian Opera, ThinIce, Perth International Arts Festival and Opera Australia | Leonard Foglia – Moby-Dick Bruce Beresford – Of Mice and Men (Opera Australia) Matthew Lutton – Elektra Francesca Zambello – La Traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia) |
| Best Female Performer in an Opera | Best Male Performer in an Opera |
| Emma Matthews – La Traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Rachelle Durkin – The Tales of Hoffmann (West Australian Opera) Susan Foster – Turandot (Opera Australia) Eva Johansson – Elektra | Anthony Dean Griffey – Of Mice and Men Jay Hunter Morris – Moby-Dick Rosario La Spina – Turandot Gianluca Terranova – La Traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour |
| Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera | Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera |
| Orla Boylan – Elektra Lorina Gore – Moby-Dick Suzanne Johnston – Albert Herring (Victorian Opera) Dominica Matthews – The Marriage of Figaro (Opera Australia) | Grant Doyle – Moby-Dick James Clayton – The Tales of Hoffmann Conal Coad – The Marriage of Figaro Douglas McNicol – The Girl of the Golden West (Opera Queensland) |

### Dance and Physical Theatre

| Best Ballet or Dance Work | Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production |
| Can We Talk About This? – DV8 Theatre and Sydney Opera House, co-produced by Theatre de la Ville and Festival d'Automne Paris, National Theatre of Great Britain and Dansens Hus Stockholm Aviary: A Suite for the Bird – Phillip Adams BalletLab in Melbourne Festival Mass – Dancenorth Anatomy of an Afternoon – Martin del Amo, Performing Lines and Sydney Festival | Circa – Circa Raoul – La Compagnie du Hanneton presented by Perth International Arts Festival The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer by Tim Watts – Perth Theatre Company presents a Weeping Spoon production The Man the Sea Saw by Wolfe Bowart – SpoonTree Productions |
| Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work ||
| Stephen Page – ID from Belong (Bangarra Dance Theatre) Phillip Adams – Aviary: A Suite for the Bird Danielle Micich – Driving into Walls Lloyd Newson – Can We Talk About This? ||
| Best Male Dancer in a Ballet or Dance Work | Best Female Dancer in a Ballet or Dance Work |
| Paul White – Anatomy of an Afternoon Waangenga Blanco – Belong (Bangarra Dance Theatre) Daryl Brandwood – HELIX (The HELIX Project) Chen Wen – 2 One Another (Sydney Dance Company) | Charmene Yap – 2 One Another (Sydney Dance Company) Kirstie McCracken – Double Think (Force Majeure and Arts House in association with Melbourne Festival) Tara Soh – Proximity (Australian Dance Theatre) Brooke Stamp – Aviary: A Suite for the Bird |

### Classical music

| Best Symphony Orchestra Concert | Best Chamber and Instrumental Ensemble Concert |
| Evgeny Kissin Plays Chopin – Sydney Symphony Orchestra Master 3, Fire Music – Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Schubert's Great C Major: Signature Sound – Sydney Symphony Orchestra Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony – Australian Chamber Orchestra | Tafelmusik - 'The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres' – Musica Viva Australia KURSK: An Oratorio Requiem – Melbourne Festival and Melbourne Recital Centre Syzygy Ensemble – Black Angels – Melbourne Recital Centre & Syzygy Ensemble Evgeny Kissin – Sydney Symphony & Brisbane Festival |
| Best Individual Classical Performance ||
| Evgeny Kissin (Sydney Symphony and Brisbane Festival) Matthias Goerne – Die Winterreise (Melbourne Recital Centre) Susan Graham – The Tempest (Melbourne Recital Centre and Sydney Opera House) Anne-Sophie Mutter – Beethoven with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (Sydney Symphony) ||

### Contemporary Music

| Best International Contemporary Concert | Best Australian Contemporary Concert |
| Prince – Prince Welcome 2 Australia Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters with special guests Tenacious D Stadium Tour 2011 Roger Waters – Roger Waters' The Wall Live Sade – Sade Live | Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour Cold Chisel – Light the Nitro Tour Keith Urban – Get Closer 2011 World Tour Kylie Minogue – Anti Tour |
| Best Contemporary Music Festival ||
| MONA FOMA Future Music Festival (Australian tour) The 23rd Annual Bluesfest Byron Bay Vivid Live 2011 curated by Stephen Pavlovic ||

### Other

| Best Presentation for Children | Best Regional Touring Production |
| Boats – Terrapin Puppet Theatre White – Arts Centre Melbourne, Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival Centre, Windmill Theatre Company and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre The Red Tree – Barking Gecko Theatre Company and Perth International Arts Festival Statespeare – shake & stir theatre co | Namatjira – Big hART Julius Caesar – Bell Shakespeare Africa – My Darling Patricia, Marguerite Pepper Productions, Performing Lines Rainbow's End – Riverside Productions |
| Best Cabaret Performer | Best Comedy Performer |
| Meow Meow – Little Match Girl (Malthouse Theatre in association with Meow Meow Revolution) Trevor Ashley – Diamonds are for Trevor (Showqueen Productions, Luckiest Productions and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras) Moira Finucane, with Rhonda Burchmore, Deborah Conway, Die Roten Punkte, Pamela Rabe, Phillip Adams' BalletLab, Meow Meow, Vika and Linda Bull, Kamahi Djordon King as Constantina Bush & The Bushettes, Sosina Wogayehu and Burlesque Hour artistes Maude Davey, Holly Durant and Harriet Ritchie – Finucane & Smith's Burlesque Hour LOVES Melbourne (Finucane & Smith, fortyfivedownstairs, Auspicious Arts) Caroline Nin – Caroline Nin - Hymne A Piaf (Melbourne Recital Centre) | Tim Minchin – Tim Minchin vs The Orchestras Round II (Fox in the Snow) Wil Anderson – Wilarious (Token Events) Judith Lucy – Nothing Fancy (Token Events) Sam Simmons – About The Weather (Token Events) |
| Best Special Event ||
| La traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour – Opera Australia Place Des Anges by Les Studios De Cirque – Perth International Arts Festival ||

### Industry

Best New Australian Work :
| Paul Capsis, Julian Meyrick & Hilary Bell – Angela's Kitchen David Chisholm – Kursk: An Oratorio Requiem Mark Deans, Marcia Ferguson, Bruce Gladwin, Nicki Holland, Simon Laherty, Sarah Mainwaring, Scott Price, Kate Sulan, Brian Tilley & David Woods – Ganesh Versus the Third Reich Elena Kats-Chernin – Symphonia Eluvium Joanna Murray-Smith – Songs For Nobodies ||
| Best Original Score | Best Musical Direction |
| David Page and Steve Francis – Belong (Bangarra Dance Theatre) Clint Bracknell, David Salvaire and Dylan Hooper – The Red Tree Jake Heggie – Moby-Dick Alan John – The White Guard | Iain Grandage – Little Match Girl Ian McDonald – Songs For Nobodies Richard Mills – Elektra Timothy Sexton – Moby-Dick |
| Best Costume Design | Best Scenic Design |
| Toni Matičevski and Richard Nylon – Aviary: A Suite for the Bird Laurel Frank – Steampowered (Circus Oz) Akira Isogawa – Romeo and Juliet (The Australian Ballet) Tony Tripp and Tracy Grant Lord – The Importance of Being Earnest | Brian Thomson – La traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Robert Brill – Moby-Dick Gypsy Taylor – The Red Tree Tony Tripp and Richard Roberts – The Importance of Being Earnest |
| Best Lighting Design | Best Sound Design |
| Paul Jackson – Little Match Girl Paul Jackson – Elektra Matthew Marshall – The Red Tree Nick Schlieper – Gross und Klein (Big and Small) | Tony David Cray – La traviata - Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour Gareth Fry – Kevin Spacey: Richard III (THE BRIDGE PROJECT, produced by The Old Vic, BAM & Neal Street, Australian Season presented by Andrew Kay & Liza McLean) Peter Hylenski – Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular (DreamWorks Animation and Global Creatures) Bryan Worthen – Foo Fighters with special guests Tenacious D Stadium Tour 2011 (Foo Fighters and The Frontier Touring Company) |

## Special awards

The JC Williamson Award, a lifetime achievement award, was awarded to the late Indigenous Australian musician Jimmy Little (1 March 1937 – 2 April 2012) and Katharine Brisbane, a theatre journalist and publisher. The Brian Stacey Award, for emerging conductors of live theatre, opera and ballet, was given to Daniel Carter.