Best New Comedy
Winner: Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick by Terry Johnson at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Alarms And Excursions by Michael Frayn at the Gielgud
- Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick by Terry Johnson at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Love Upon The Throne by Patrick Barlow with additional material by Martin Duncan and John Ramm at the Comedy
- Things We Do For Love by Alan Ayckbourn at the Gielgud and the Duchess
Best Entertainment
Winner: The Right Size in Do You Come Here Often?, written and devised by Sean Foley, Hamish McColl and Josef Houben at the Vaudeville
Nominees:
- Jackie Mason – Much Ado About Everything at the Playhouse
- The Right Size in Do You Come Here Often?, written and devised by Sean Foley, Hamish McColl and Josef Houben at the Vaudeville
- Steve Coogan is The Man Who Thinks He’s It by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal at the Lyceum
- Shakespeare’s Villains: A Masterclass In Evil conceived by Steven Berkoff at the Haymarket
Best Actress
Winner: Eileen Atkins for The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
Nominees:
- Eileen Atkins for The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
- Sinead Cusack for Our Lady Of Sligo at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Judi Dench for Filumena at the Piccadilly
- Nicole Kidman for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse
- Diana Rigg for Britannicus and Phedre, Almeida at the Albery
Best Actor
Winner: Kevin Spacey for The Iceman Cometh, Almeida at the Old Vic
Nominees:
- Michael Gambon for The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
- Iain Glen for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse
- Jim Norton for The Weir at the Royal Court
- Kevin Spacey for The Iceman Cometh, Almeida at the Old Vic
- David Suchet for Amadeus at the Old Vic
Best Director
Winner: Howard Davies for The Iceman Cometh, Almeida at the Old Vic
Nominees:
- Howard Davies for The Iceman Cometh, Almeida at the Old Vic
- Sam Mendes for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse
- Trevor Nunn for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Ian Rickson for The Weir at the Royal Court
Best Set Designer
Winner: Anthony Ward for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
Nominees:
- Anthony Ward for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Maria Bjornson for Britannicus and Phedre, Almeida at the Albery
- William Dudley for Amadeus at the Old Vic and Cleo, Camping, Emanuelle And Dick at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Richard Hoover for Not About Nightingales at the National Theatre Cottesloe
- Mark Thompson for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse and The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
Best Lighting Designer
Winner: Hugh Vanstone for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse and The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
Nominees:
- Paule Constable for Amadeus at the Old Vic and Uncle Vanya, RSC at the Young Vic
- Mark Henderson for Britannicus and Phedre, Almeida at the Albery
- David Hersey for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Hugh Vanstone for The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse and The Unexpected Man, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
Best Costume Designer
Winner: William Dudley for Amadeus at the Old Vic and The London Cuckolds at the National Theatre Lyttelton
Nominees:
- Maria Bjornson for Britannicus and Phedre, Almeida at the Albery
- Bunny Christie for As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe
- William Dudley for Amadeus at the Old Vic and The London Cuckolds at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Robert Jones for Henry VIII, RSC at the Young Vic
Best Theatre Choreographer
Winner: Susan Stroman for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
Nominees:
- Loukmaan Adams and Jody Abrahams for Kat And The Kings at the Vaudeville
- Peter Gennaro for Annie at the Victoria Palace
- Arlene Philips for Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium
- Susan Stroman for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
Best New Opera Production
Winner: Welsh National Opera’s La Clemenza Di Tito at the Shaftesbury
Nominees:
- English National Opera’s Boris Godunov at the London Coliseum
- Welsh National Opera’s La Clemenza Di Tito at the Shaftesbury
- The Barbican’s presentation of Theatre Royal de la Monnaie’s production L’Orfeo during its BITE:98 season at the Barbican
- English National Opera’s Il Trittico at the London Coliseum
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Winner: The orchestra of the Royal Opera House for consistently outstanding musicianship in the Royal Opera’s Le Nozze Di Figaro at the Shaftesbury, The Barberal Bride and the Goldn Cockerel at Sadler’s Wells
Nominees:
- Sandra Ford for her outstanding company debut as a principal artist in English National Opera’s The Tales Of Hoffman and Mary Stuart at the London Coliseum
- Rene Jacobs for his musical direction of L’Orfeo, the Barbican Centre’s presentation of Theatre Royal de la Monnaie’s production during its BITE:98 season
- The orchestra of the Royal Opera House for consistently outstanding musicianship in the Royal Opera’s Le Nozze Di Figaro at the Shaftesbury, The Barberal Bride and the Golden Cockerel at Sadler’s Wells
- Andrew Shore for his outstanding character performances in English National Opera’s Gianni Schicchi and The Elixir of Love at the London Coliseum
Best New Dance Production
Winner: Ballet Frankfurt’s Enemy In The Figure at Sadler’s Wells
Nominees:
- Ballet Frankfurt’s Enemy In The Figure at Sadler’s Wells
- City of London Ballet’s The Man With A Moustache and the Royal Ballet’s Room Of Cooks, Sadler’s Wells at the Peacock
- Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company’s We Set Out Early…Visibility Was Poor, Sadler’s Wells at the Peacock
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Winner: William Forsythe and his company Ballet Frankfurt for their season at Sadler’s Wells
Nominees:
- Trisha Brown for L’Orfeo, the Barbican’s presentation of Theatre Royal de la Monnaie’s production during its BITE:98 season
- William Forsythe and his company Ballet Frankfurt for their season at Sadler’s Wells
- Bill T Jones and his company for We Set Out Early…Visibility Was Poor, Sadler’s Wells at the Peacock
- Twyla Tharp and her company for their season during BITE:98 at the Barbican
Best Supporting Performance
Winner: Brendan Coyle for The Weir at the Royal Court
Nominees:
- Brendan Coyle for The Weir at the Royal Court
- Emma Fielding for The School For Scandal, RSC at the Barbican
- Adam Godley for Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle And Dick at the National Theatre Lyttelton
- Michael Sheen for Amadeus at the Old Vic
Best Actor in a Musical
Winner: The cast of Kat And The Kings at the Vaudeville
Nominees:
- The cast of Kat And The Kings at the Vaudeville
- Adam Garcia for Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium
- Hugh Jackman for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Clarke Peters for Chicago at the Adelphi
Best Actress in a Musical
Winner: Sophie Thompson for Into The Woods at the Donmar Warehouse
Nominees:
- Krysten Cummings for Rent at the Shaftesbury
- Maria Friedman for Chicago at the Adelphi
- Josefina Gabrielle for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Sophie Thompson for Into The Woods at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical
Winner: Shuler Hensley for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier
Nominees:
- Shuler Hensley for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier
- Wilson Jermaine Heredia for Rent at the Shaftesbury
- Jimmy Johnston for Oklahoma! at the National Theatre Olivier
- Andrew Kennedy for Annie at the Victoria Palace
The American Express Award for Best New Musical
Winner: Kat And The Kings by David Kramer and Taliep Peterson at the Vaudeville
Nominees:
- Kat And The Kings by David Kramer and Taliep Peterson at the Vaudeville
- Rent by Jonathan Larson at the Shaftesbury
- Saturday Night Fever, based on the Paramont/RSO Picture, based on a story by Nik Cohn, screenplay by Norman Wexler, stage adaptation by Nan Knighton in collaboration with Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas and Robert Stigwood, featuring songs by The Bee Gees, at the London Palladium
- Whistle Down The Wind by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Jim Steinman, based on the original novel by Mary Hayley Bell and the film produced by Richard Attenborough and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, with book by Patricia Knop, Gale Edwards and Andrew Lloyd Webber, at the Aldwych
Outstanding Musical Production
Winner: Oklahoma!, music by Richard Rogers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
Nominees:
- Annie, book by Thomas Meehane, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, at the Victoria Palace
- Into The Woods, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, at the Donmar Warehouse
- Oklahoma!, music by Richard Rogers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, at the National Theatre Olivier and the Lyceum
- Show Boat, music by Jerome Kern, books and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on the novel “Show Boat” by Edna Ferber, at the Prince Edward
BBC Award for the Play of the Year
Winner: The Weir by Conor McPherson at the Royal Court
Nominees:
- The Blue Room by David Hare freely adapted from Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde, at the Donmar Warehouse
- Copenhagen by Michael Frayn at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Duchess
- The Unexpected Man by Yasmina Reza, RSC at the Barbican Pit and the Duchess
- The Weir by Conor McPherson at the Royal Court
The Society’s Special Award
Sir Peter Hall