The 3rd Helpmann Awards ceremony was presented by the Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA) (currently known by its trade name, Live Performance Australia (LPA)), for achievements in disciplines of Australia's live performance sectors. The ceremony took place on 19 May 2003 at the Star City Show Room. During the ceremony, the AEIA handed out awards in 35 categories for achievements in theatre, musicals, opera, ballet, dance and concerts.

Winners and nominees

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

Theatre

Best PlayBest Direction of a Play
Copenhagen – Sydney Theatre Company The Comedy of Errors – The Bell Shakespeare Company Soft – Back to Back and Melbourne Festival Waiting for Godot – Company B Belvoir and Sydney FestivalMichael Blakemore – Copenhagen Neil Armfield – Waiting for Godot Simon Phillips – The Blue Room (Melbourne Theatre Company) Simon Phillips – Great Expectations (Melbourne Theatre Company)
Best Female Actor in a PlayBest Male Actor in a Play
Rachel Griffiths – Proof (Melbourne Theatre Company) Deborah Mailman – Seven Stages of Grieving (Sydney Theatre Company) Miranda Otto – A Doll's House (Sydney Theatre Company) Sigrid Thornton – The Blue RoomColin Friels – Copenhagen Max Cullen – Waiting for Godot Marcus Graham – The Blue Room Benjamin Winspear – Great Expectations
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayBest Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
Jane Harders – Copenhagen Julie Forsyth – Great Expectations Deborah Kennedy – Soulmates (Sydney Theatre Company) Angela Punch McGregor – Great ExpectationsPeter Carroll – Endgame (Sydney Theatre Company) Paul English – Rapture (Playbox Theatre) Christopher Gabardi – Cloud Nine (Melbourne Theatre Company) Jean-Marc Russ – The Messiah (Queensland Theatre Company)

Musicals

Best Musical
Cabaret – IMG and Barry & Fran Weissler Man of La Mancha – SEL & GFO Oliver! – Cameron Mackintosh and IMG The Witches of Eastwick– Jacobsen Entertainment
Best Direction of a MusicalBest Choreography in a Musical
B.T McNicholl, Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall – Cabaret Graham Gill and Sam Mendes – Oliver! James Powell – The Witches of Eastwick Nadia Tass – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Malcolm C. Cooke & Associates)Cynthia Onrubia and Rob Marshall – Cabaret Kelly Abbey – Footloose (SEL & GFO) Geoff Garratt and Matthew Bourne – Oliver! Stephen Mear and Bob Avian – The Witches of Eastwick
Best Female Actor in a MusicalBest Male Actor in a Musical
Tamsin Carroll – Oliver! Lisa McCune – Cabaret Caroline O'Connor – Man of La Mancha Marina Prior – The Witches of EastwickToby Allen – Cabaret Paul McDermott – The Witches of Eastwick Anthony Warlow – Man of La Mancha John Waters – Oliver!
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalBest Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Nadine Garner – Cabaret Judi Connelli – Cabaret Geraldine Turner – The Witches of Eastwick Queenie van de Zandt – Oliver!Henri Szeps – Cabaret Philip Dodd – Oliver! Simon Gleeson – Mamma Mia! (Judy Craymer, Richard East and Bjorn Ulvaeus in association with Universal and Dainty Consolidated Entertainment) Tony Sheldon – The Witches of Eastwick

Opera

Best OperaBest Direction of an Opera
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk – Opera Australia Il Trovatore – West Australian Opera, State Opera of South Australia & Opera Queensland Love in the Age of Therapy – OZOpera, Victorian Arts Centre Trust, Melbourne Festival & Sydney Festival The Marriage of Figaro – Opera AustraliaNeil Armfield – The Marriage of Figaro Elke Niedhardt – Il Trovatore Patrick Nolan – Love in the Age of Therapy Francesca Zambello – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Best Female Performer in an OperaBest Male Performer in an Opera
Elizabeth Whitehouse – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Elizabeth Campbell – Il Trovatore Joanna Cole – Lindy (Opera Australia) Elizabeth Connell – Ariadne auf Naxos (Opera Australia)Peter Rose – Der Rosenkavalier (Opera Australia) Julian Gavin – Andrea Chenier (Opera Queensland and The Opera Conference) Michael Lewis – Il Trovatore Glen Winsdale – Lohengrin (Opera Australia)
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an OperaBest Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
Lisa Harper-Brown – The Marriage of Figaro Natalie Jones – Ariadne auf Naxos Helen Noonan – Motherland (Chamber Made and Melbourne Festival) Elisa Wilson – La Boheme (West Australian Opera)Jonathan Summers – Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (Opera Australia) Jan-Hendrik Rootering – Der Frieschutz (Opera Australia) Andrew Schroeder – La Boheme

Dance and Physical Theatre

Best Ballet or Dance WorkBest Visual or Physical Theatre Production
Swan Lake – The Australian Ballet The Age of Unbeauty – Australian Dance Theatre Ellipse – Sydney Dance Company Walkabout – Bangarra Dance TheatreTwinkle Twinkle Little Fish – Windmill Performing Arts Circus Oz 2003 Season – Circus Oz Still Angela – Playbox Theatre Macbeth: As Told by the Weird Sisters – Zen Zen Zo
Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work
Graeme Murphy – Swan Lake Stephen Page and Steven McTaggart – Walkabout - 'Rush' Garry Stewart – The Age of Unbeauty Frances Rings – Walkabout - 'Rations'
Best Female Dancer in a Ballet or Dance WorkBest Male Dancer in a Ballet or Dance Work
Simone Goldsmith – Swan Lake Wakako Asano – Ellipse Jayne Cooper – Black Cake From United! (West Australian Ballet) Kimberley Davis – The Big 3 (Queensland Ballet)Russell Page – Walkabout Bradley Chatfield – Ellipse Steven Heathcote – Swan Lake Steven Heathcote – Totem (The Australian Ballet)

Other

Best Classical Concert PresentationBest Contemporary Music Presentation
The Soldier's Tale – Australian Chamber Orchestra and The Bell Shakespeare Company The Kancheli Festival – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra La Pasion Segun San Marcos– Sydney Festival Turangalila - Symphonie – Melbourne Festival and Melbourne SymphonySoweto Gospel Choir – International Concert Attractions and Hocking & Vigo Fiddler's Bid – Melbourne Festival and national partners George and Special Guest Jon Lord with the Sydney Symphony – Sydney Festival and Sydney Opera House in association with Sydney Symphony Women in Voice 11 – Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Folk Federation & Annie Peterson
Best Presentation for ChildrenBest Special Event or Performance
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Fish – Windmill Performing Arts Aesop and His Fables – Barking Gecko Theatre Company The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Malcolm C. Cooke & Associates Out of the Blue – Spare Parts Puppet TheatreCelebrating Samuel Beckett – Sydney Festival Long Way to the Top – Michael Chugg Entertainment, Jacobsen Entertainment and Jack Utsick The Man From Snowy River – Jacobsen Entertainment and David Atkins Enterprises My Life, My Love – State Theatre Company of South Australia and Tutti Ensemble in association with the Adelaide Festival

Industry

Best New Australian Work
Walkabout – Bangarra Dance Theatre Bill and Mary – Queensland Theatre Company Love in the Age of Therapy Oboe Concerto for Diana Doherty – Sydney Symphony
Best Original ScoreBest Musical Direction
Steve Francis – Walkabout Paul Grabowsky and Joanna Murray-Smith – Love in the Age of Therapy Andree Greenwell – Volpone (Sydney Theatre Company) Ian McDonald – Great ExpectationsRichard Hickox – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Julia de Plater – Love in the Age of Therapy Richard Gill – Lindy Michael Tyack and Julain Bigg – The Witches of Eastwick
Best Costume DesignBest Scenic Design
Julie Lynch – The Way of the World (Sydney Theatre Company) Bob Crowley – The Witches of Eastwick Dale Ferguson – Great Expectations Kristian Fredrikson – Man of La ManchaKristian Fredrikson – Swan Lake Stephen Curtis – The Blue Room Dan Potra – Love in the Age of Therapy Tony Tripp – A Doll's House
Best Lighting DesignBest Sound Design
Matt Scott – The Blue Room David Hersey and Jenny Kagan – Oliver! Nigel Levings – Copenhagen Nick Schlieper – Great ExpectationsJohn Scandrett and Julian Spink – Cabaret Paul Charlier – Buried Child (Company B Belvoir) Peter Grubb – The Witches of Eastwick Peter Grubb and Shelley Lee – Oliver!

Lifetime Achievement

JC Williamson Award
Wendy Blacklock AM John Robertson OAM

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