Olivier Awards: Andrew Scott, Nicole Scherzinger and Sarah Jessica Parker among nominees

The nominees for the 2024 Olivier Awards have been unveiled, with a range of A-list stars up for honours at Britain’s theatre awards.

Announced on Tuesday (12 March), the list of nominated works and talent includes performers such as Nicole Scherzinger, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Gatiss, Andrew Scott and David Tennant up for awards. Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Snook, Joseph Fiennes and James Norton have all received their first nominations.

Former Pussycat Dolls star Scherzinger is up for Best Actress in a Musical, following her four-star performance in Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre.

Also competing in the category is current Celebrity Big Brother contestant Marisha Wallace (Guys and Dolls), Caissie Levy (Next to Normal) , and Natasha Hodgson for Operation Mincemeat.

The Best Actress in a Play race is fierce, as Succession star Sarah Snook (The Picture of Dorian Gray) goes up against Sex and the City icon Sarah Jessica Parker (Plaza Suite), Sheridan Smith (Shirley Valentine), Laura Donnelly (The Hills Of California), and Sophie Okonedo (Medea).

Similarly, the Best Actor category sees a battle between Joseph Fiennes (Dear England), Mark Gatiss (The Motive And The Cue), James Norton (A Little Life), Andrew Scott (Vanya), and David Tennant (Macbeth).

The Olivier Awards will take place on Sunday 14 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Hannah Waddingham, with highlights shown on ITV1 later that evening.

You can find the full list of nominated shows and talent below:

Noël Coward Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play

Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo & Franca Rame, adapted by Tom Basden

Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Stranger Things: The First Shadow by Kate Trefry

Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, adapted by Liv Hennessy

Andrew Scott, Nicole Scherzinger and Sarah Jessica Parker are nominated for their first Oliviers (Getty)
Andrew Scott, Nicole Scherzinger and Sarah Jessica Parker are nominated for their first Oliviers (Getty)

Best Family Show

Bluey’s Big Play by Joe Brumm

Dinosaur World Live by Derek Bond

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

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

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

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

Sarah Snook and Sophie Okonedo are both up for Best Actress at the 2024 Olivier Awards (Getty)
Sarah Snook and Sophie Okonedo are both up for Best Actress at the 2024 Olivier Awards (Getty)

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

James Norton and David Tennant are both up for Best Actor (Getty)
James Norton and David Tennant are both up for Best Actor (Getty)

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

‘Operation Mincemeat’ (Avalon Productions)
‘Operation Mincemeat’ (Avalon Productions)

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

Joseph Fiennes (Gareth Southgate) and Dear England cast at the National Theatre (Marc Brenner)
Joseph Fiennes (Gareth Southgate) and Dear England cast at the National Theatre (Marc Brenner)

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

Nicole Scherzinger in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (Marc Brenner)
Nicole Scherzinger in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ (Marc Brenner)

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-focused 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

‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ (Manuel Harlan)
‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ (Manuel Harlan)

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

David Tennant in ‘Macbeth’ (Marc Brenner)
David Tennant in ‘Macbeth’ (Marc Brenner)

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

The Olivier Awards will take place on Sunday 14 April.