Nicole Scherzinger's 'Sunset Boulevard' leads Olivier Award nominations

The nominations for the 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards have been revealed. The annual prize show recognises the best theatre performed in London’s West End and is one of the most highly esteemed awards in Europe’s theatre industry.

This year’s nominees list celebrates the impact of stars from Hollywood and other industries on the UK’s prime theatre district. Leading the nominations is the musical revival ‘Sunset Boulevard’ that starred ex-Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.

‘Sunset Boulevard’ received 11 nominations, including ones for Scherzinger and Tom Francis as Best Actress and Best Actor in a Musical; Jamie Lloyd for Best Director; Best Musical Revival; and Best Choreography.

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Lloyd is known for his star-studded and unconventional takes on classical works, recently including a stripped-back version of ‘The Seagull’ with Emilia Clarke and a James McCavoy-starring take on ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’. His version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical ‘Sunset Boulevard’ was met with huge acclaim, resulting in multiple theatre etiquette thinkpieces when audiences gave a standing ovation following every song Scherzinger sung on the opening night.

Following behind in the nominations is ‘Dear England’. Political playwright James Graham’s examination of the impact manager Gareth Southgate had on the nation’s men’s football team during the 2020 European Champion final was lauded for Joseph Fiennes portrayal and Rupert Goold’s direction. It received nine nominations including ones for Fiennes, Goold, and Best New Play.

Alongside Scherzinger, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Snook, James Norton and Andrew Scott all received acting nominations.

Parker was nominated for her leading performance in the revival of Neil Simon’s 1968 play ‘Plaza Suite’. Both Snook and Scott starred in one-performer versions of classic works. The ‘Succession’ actor in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and the All of Us Strangers lead in ‘Vanya’.

Norton was nominated for his leading role in ‘A Little Life’. The highly-anticipated adaptation of Hanya Yanagihara's hit novel may have not been a critical darling but the ‘Happy Valley’ actor’s commitment to the marathon play was obvious.

Marina Abramović was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for her surprising new career turn in '7 Deaths Of Maria Callas'.

In the top categories, Best New Play and Best New Musical, there were also recognitions for Jack Thorne’s astonishing drama of the making of Richard Burton’s legendary Broadway ‘Hamlet’ run in ‘The Motive and the Cue’; the return of Britain’s finest playwright with Jez Butterworth’s ‘The Hills of California’; unexpectedly joyful WWII musical ‘Operation Mincemeat’ and the astoundingly interesting US-transfer ‘A Strange Loop’.

Here are the full nominees:

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

• Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden at the Lyric Hammersmith & Theatre Royal Haymarket

• Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim at the Gielgud Theatre

• Stranger Things: The First Shadow by Kate Trefry at the Phoenix Theatre

• Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, adapted by Liv Hennessy at the Ambassadors Theatre

Best Family Show

• Bluey’s Big Play by Joe Brumm at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall

• Dinosaur World Live by Derek Bond at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

• The House With Chicken Legs, book by Sophie Anderson, adapted by Oliver Lansley at

• Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall

• The Smeds And The Smoos, book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, adapted by Tall

• Stories at the Lyric Theatre

Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer

• Fabian Aloise for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Ellen Kane & Hannes Langolf for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Arlene Phillips with James Cousins for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Mark Smith for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace

• Susan Stroman for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre

Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design

• Bunny Christie & Deborah Andrews for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Ryan Dawson Laight for La Cage Aux Folles at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

• Hugh Durrant for Peter Pan at The London Palladium

• Marg Horwell for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Cunard Best Revival

• The Effect by Lucy Prebble at the National Theatre – Lyttelton

• Macbeth by William Shakespeare at the Donmar Warehouse

• Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

• Vanya by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Simon Stephens at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

Best Musical Revival

• Groundhog Day, music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Danny Rubin at The Old Vic

• Guys & Dolls, music & lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows at the Bridge Theatre

• Hadestown, music, lyrics & book by Anaïs Mitchell at the Lyric Theatre

• Sunset Boulevard, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics & book by Don Black & Christopher Hampton at the Savoy Theatre

d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design

• Paul Arditti for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

• Dan Balfour & Tom Gibbons for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Adam Fisher for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Gareth Fry for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse

Outstanding Musical Contribution

• Tom Brady for Musical Supervision & Arrangements and Charlie Rosen for Orchestrations for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Matt Brind for Musical Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations for Just For One Day at The Old Vic

• Steve Sidwell for Orchestrations & Joe Bunker for Musical Direction for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

• Alan Williams for Musical Supervision & Musical Direction for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• Will Close for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Paul Hilton for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

• Giles Terera for Clyde’s at the Donmar Warehouse

• Luke Thompson for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre

• Zubin Varla for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Lorraine Ashbourne for Till The Stars Come Down at the National Theatre – Dorfman

• Priyanga Burford for An Enemy Of The People at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

• Haydn Gwynne for When Winston Went To War With The Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse

• Gina McKee for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier

• Tanya Reynolds for A Mirror at the Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design

• Miriam Buether for Set Design & 59 Productions for Video Design for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

• Bunny Christie for Set Design for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Es Devlin for Set Design & Ash J Woodward for Video Design for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Soutra Gilmour for Set Design and Nathan Amzi & Joe Ransom for Video Design for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

• Jon Clark for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Jon Clark for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

• Paule Constable for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Jack Knowles for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role In a Musical

• Grace Hodgett Young for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Zoë Roberts for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

• Amy Trigg for The Little Big Things at @sohoplace

• Eleanor Worthington-Cox for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse

Best Actor in a Supporting Role In a Musical

• Jak Malone for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

• Cedric Neal for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• David Thaxton for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Jack Wolfe for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse

TAIT Award for Best New Opera Production

• Blue by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum

• Innocence by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House

• Picture A Day Like This by the Royal Opera at the Royal Opera House – Linbury Theatre

• The Rhinegold by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

• Antonio Pappano for his role as Musical Director of the Royal Opera House

• Belarus Free Theatre Company for King Stakh’s Wild Hunt at the Barbican Theatre

• Marina Abramović for her concept and design of 7 Deaths Of Maria Callas at the London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Musical

• David Cumming for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

• Tom Francis for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Daniel Mays for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

• Charlie Stemp for Crazy For You at the Gillian Lynne Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical

• Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre

• Caissie Levy for Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse

• Nicole Scherzinger for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Marisha Wallace for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre

Best New Dance Production

• Broken Chord by Gregory Maqoma & Thuthuka Sibisi at Sadler’s Wells

• The Rite Of Spring by Seeta Patel at Sadler’s Wells

• La Ruta by Gabriela Carrizo, part of Nederlands Dans Theater – NDT 1 at Sadler’s Wells

• Time Spell by Michelle Dorrance, Jillian Meyers & Tiler Peck, part of Turn It Out With Tiler Peck & Friends at Sadler’s Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

• Isabela Coracy for her performance in NINA: By Whatever Means, part of Ballet Black: Pioneers at the Barbican Theatre

• Jonzi D for his artistic direction of Breakin’ Convention 2023 International Festival Of Hip Hop Dance Theatre at Sadler’s Wells

• Rhiannon Faith for her community focussed conception of Lay Down Your Burdens at The Pit at Barbican

Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre

• Blue Mist by Mohamed-Zain Dada at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre

• A Playlist For The Revolution by AJ Yi at the Bush Theatre

• Sleepova by Matilda Feyişayo at the Bush Theatre

• The Swell by Isley Lynn at the Orange Tree Theatre

• The Time Machine: A Comedy by Steven Canny and John Nicholson at the Park Theatre

Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director

• Stephen Daldry & Justin Martin for Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

• Rupert Goold for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Jamie Lloyd for Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre

• Sam Mendes for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre

Best Actress

• Laura Donnelly for The Hills Of California at the Harold Pinter Theatre

• Sophie Okonedo for Medea at @sohoplace

• Sarah Jessica Parker for Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre

• Sheridan Smith for Shirley Valentine at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

• Sarah Snook for The Picture Of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Best Actor

• Joseph Fiennes for Dear England at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• Mark Gatiss for The Motive And The Cue at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre

• James Norton for A Little Life at the Harold Pinter Theatre & Savoy Theatre

• Andrew Scott for Vanya at the Duke Of York’s Theatre

• David Tennant for Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse

The Londoner Award for Best New Play

• Dear England by James Graham at the National Theatre – Olivier & Prince Edward Theatre

• The Hills Of California by Jez Butterworth at the Harold Pinter Theatre

• The Motive And The Cue by Jack Thorne at the National Theatre – Lyttelton & Noël Coward Theatre

• Till The Stars Come Down by Beth Steel at the National Theatre – Dorfman

Mastercard Best New Musical

• The Little Big Things, music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher & Tom Ling, book by Joe White at @sohoplace

• Next To Normal, music by Tom Kitt, book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey at the Donmar Warehouse

• Operation Mincemeat, music, lyrics & book by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson & Zoë Roberts at the Fortune Theatre

• A Strange Loop, music, lyrics & book by Michael R. Jackson at the Barbican Theatre