The 4th 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 9 August 2004 at the Lyric Theatre. 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
Inheritance – Melbourne Theatre Company Frozen – Melbourne Theatre Company Myth, Propaganda, and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America - A Drama in 30 Scenes – Playbox Theatre in collaboration with State Theatre Company of South Australia The Servant of Two Masters – The Bell Shakespeare CompanySimon Phillips – Inheritance Neil Armfield – The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Company B Belvoir) John Bell – The Servant of Two Masters Julian Meyrick – Frozen
Best Female Actor in a PlayBest Male Actor in a Play
Maggie Smith – Talking Heads - Bed Among the Lentils (International Concert Attractions & Duncan C Weldon, Paul Elliott, Robert Fox) Carol Burns – A Conversation (Queensland Theatre Company) Judy Davis – Victory (Sydney Theatre Company) Helen Morse – FrozenDarren Gilshenan – The Servant of Two Masters Paul Blackwell – Night Letters (State Theatre Company of South Australia in association with Playbox and Adelaide Festival) Frank Gallacher – Frozen David Gulpilil – Gulpilil (Company B Belvoir, Adelaide Festival of Arts and Brisbane Festival)
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a PlayBest Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
Belinda McClory – Frozen Rebecca Massey – The Underpants (Company B Belvoir) Amber McMahon – The Snow Queen (Windmill Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company) Deidre Rubenstein – Night LettersDavid Field – Victory Steve Bisley – Inheritance Wayne Blair – Inheritance Tom Budge – The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Musicals

Best Musical
The Lion King – Disney Theatrical Productions (Aust) The Full Monty – David Atkins Enterprises and IMG in association with International Concert Attractions and the Arts Centre Oh! What a Night – Jon Nicholls, Michael Brereton and Stuart Littlewood We Will Rock You – Michael Coppel, Queen Theatrical Productions, Phil McIntyre and Tribeca Theatrical Productions in association with EMI, Michael Watt, Paul Roberts, Bob and Kate Gare
Best Direction of a MusicalBest Choreography in a Musical
Julie Taymor – The Lion King Dean Bryant – The Last Five Years (Echelon Productions) Ben Elton – We Will Rock You Jack O'Brien (originating director) recreated by Matt August – The Full MontyGarth Fagan – The Lion King Kim Gavin – Oh! What a Night Jerry Mitchell – The Full Monty Arlene Phillips – We Will Rock You
Best Female Actor in a MusicalBest Male Actor in a Musical
Kate Hoolihan – We Will Rock You Maryanne McCormack – The Full Monty Ursula Yovich – The Threepenny Opera (Company B Belvoir) Buyisile Zama – The Lion KingMatt Hetherington – The Full Monty Peter Carroll – The Republic of Myopia (Sydney Theatre Company) Michael Falzon – We Will Rock You Tony Harvey – The Lion King
Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a MusicalBest Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Amanda Harrison – We Will Rock You Paula Arundell – The Threepenny Opera Cherine Peck – The Lion King Prinnie Stevens– Oh! What a NightRobert Grubb – We Will Rock You Terry Bader – The Lion King Mitchell Butel – The Republic of Myopia Rodney Dobson – The Full Monty

Opera and Classical Music

Best OperaBest Direction of an Opera
Dead Man Walking – State Opera of South Australia Otello – Opera AustraliaBrad Dalton – Dead Man Walking Nigel Jamieson – Brundibar (Windmill Performing Arts in association with State Opera of South Australia, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra & Come Out) Harry Kupfer – Otello Simon Phillips – Lulu (Opera Australia)
Best Female Performer in an OperaBest Male Performer in an Opera
Emma Matthews – Lulu Kirsti Harms – Dead Man Walking Nicole Youl – Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci (West Australian Opera) Shu Cheen Yu – The Possessed (Chamber Made Opera)Teddy Tahu Rhodes – Dead Man Walking Dennis O'Neill – Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci Jonathan Summers – Otello
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an OperaBest Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
Elizabeth Campbell – Dead Man Walking Catherine Carby – LuluJohn Pringle – Lulu Douglas McNicol – Dead Man Walking Gary Rowley – The Possessed
Best Classical Concert PresentationBest Performance in a Classical Concert
Gala: Verdi Requiem – Sydney Symphony Orchestra Antarctica – Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra The Grainger Special 2003 – Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Requiem – Adelaide Symphony OrchestraEdo de Waart – Wagner Concert (Sydney Symphony Orchestra) Gianluigi Gelmetti – Verdi Messa da Requiem (Sydney Symphony Orchestra) Michael Kieran Harvey – Emerson Piano Concerto (Adelaide Symphony Orchestra) Markus Stenz – Varese Ameriques (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra)

Dance and Physical Theatre

Best Ballet or Dance WorkBest Visual or Physical Theatre Production
Bush – Bangarra Dance Theatre George Piper Dances – Sydney Festival in association with Sydney Opera House Held – Australian Dance Theatre in association with Adelaide Festival of Arts and Anchorage Concert Association (Alaska) Underland – Sydney Dance Companyacrobat – Melbourne International Arts Festival Eora Crossing – Sydney Festival, Legs On The Wall, Museum of Sydney H2O - a fantastical voyage – Spare Parts Puppet Theatre
Best Choreography in a Ballet or Dance Work
Garry Stewart and the ADT Dancers – Held Russell Maliphant – George Piper Dances - Torsion Stephen Page – Bush Stephen Petronio – Underland
Best Female Dancer in a Ballet or Dance WorkBest Male Dancer in a Ballet or Dance Work
Larissa McGowan – Held Lucinda Dunn – The Four Temperaments (The Australian Ballet) Madeleine Eastoe – Romeo & Juliet (The Australian Ballet) Katherine Griffiths – UnderlandRoss McCormack – Held Marc Cassidy – Romeo & Juliet Bradley Chatfield – Underland Nathan Coppen – La Bohème - The Ballet (West Australian Ballet)

Contemporary Music

Best Contemporary Concert Presentation Arena
Rolling Stones Licks World Tour 2003 at Sydney SuperDome Australian Idol Live David Bowie 'A Reality Tour' at Sydney Entertainment Centre P!NK "Try This Tour 2004"
Best Contemporary Concert Presentation StadiumBest Contemporary Concert Presentation Theatre
Big Day Out Melbourne International Music & Blues Festival Robbie WilliamsRolling Stones Licks World Tour 2003 at Enmore Theatre Sarah McLachlan Afterglow 2004 Taraf de Haïdouks Tony Bennett & k.d. lang: The Wonderful World Tour at Sydney Opera House

Other

Best Special Event or PerformanceBest Presentation for Children
Dancing in the Streets – Melbourne International Arts Festival Gulpilil His Majesty's Theatre Honours... – His Majesty's Theatre The Journeys of William Yang: A Performance Retrospective – Company B BelvoirThe Happy Prince – Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image H2O - A Fantastical Voyage – Spare Parts Puppet Theatre Hidden Dragons – Barking Gecko Theatre Company Santa's Kingdom – David Atkins Enterprises, Garry Van Egmond Enterprises and International Concert Attractions

Industry

Best New Australian Work
Inheritance Held Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America - A Drama in 30 Scenes Phobia
Best Original ScoreBest Music Direction
Elena Kats-Chernin – Wild Swans Gerry Brophy & Ensemble – Phobia Tim Rice, Elton John, Lebo M, Hans Zimmer, Julie Taymor, Mark Mancina & Jay Rifkin – We Will Rock You David Page – Unaipon (Clan Act I)Mike Dixon, Brian May & Roger Taylor – We Will Rock You John DeMain – Dead Man Walking Phillip Scott – The Republic of Myopia Simone Young – Lulu
Best Costume DesignBest Scenic Design
Julie Taymor – The Lion King Anna French – Molto Vivace (The Australian Ballet) Jennifer Irwin – Bush Tess Schofield – VictoryPeter England – Unaipon (Clan Act II) Stephen Curtis – Lulu Shaun Gurton – Inheritance Dan Potra – Brundibar
Best Lighting DesignBest Sound Design
Nick Schlieper – Bush Donald Holder – The Lion King Andrew Lake – H2O - a fantastical voyage Nick Schlieper – InheritanceBobby Aitken – We Will Rock You Paul Healy & Tony Cohen – Underland Steve Kennedy – The Lion King Darren Steffan – Phobia

Lifetime Achievement

JC Williamson Award
John Farnham John Sumner

External links