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 PlayBest 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 TheatreSimon 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 PlayBest 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 CountyEwen 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 PlayBest 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 EverythingHumphrey 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 MusicalBest Choreography in a Musical
Jonathan Biggins – Avenue Q Des McAnuff – Jersey Boys Rosemary Myers – The Wizard of Oz Simon Phillips – The Drowsy ChaperoneKelley 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 MusicalBest 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 OzMitchell 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 MusicalBest 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 OzLuke Joslin – Avenue Q Adam Murphy – The Drowsy Chaperone Scott Johnson – Jersey Boys Geoff Revell – The Wizard of Oz

Opera and classical music

Best OperaBest 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 IslandNeil 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 OperaBest Male Performer in an Opera
Emma Matthews – La sonnambula (Opera Australia) Takesha Meshé Kizart – Tosca (Opera Australia) Lorina Gore – Bliss Susan Gritton – Peter GrimesStuart Skelton – Peter Grimes Peter Coleman-Wright – Bliss John Wegner – The Flying Dutchman John Wegner – Tosca
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an OperaBest 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 ConcertBest 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 OrchestraImogen 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 WorkBest 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 WorkBest 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 ConcertBest 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 TouringBig 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 PerformerBest 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 ChildrenBest 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 TheatreTrue 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 ScoreBest 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 DesignBest Costume Design
Dale Ferguson – August: Osage County Roger Kirk – The Silver Rose (The Australian Ballet) Brian Thomson – Bliss Klara Zieglerova & Michael Clark – Jersey BoysGabriela Tylesova – Così fan tutte Dale Ferguson – The Drowsy Chaperone Roger Kirk – The Silver Rose Tess Schofield – Peter Grimes
Best Lighting DesignBest Sound Design
Nigel Levings – Bliss Nick Schlieper – Richard III Howell Binkley – Jersey Boys Geoff Cobham – The Flying DutchmanPaul 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 AwardSue Nattrass Award
Tony Gould AN D UNIV Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD

External links