Critics' Circle Theatre Award
British theatrical award
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, known as the Drama Theatre Awards until 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements.[1] The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, are selected via vote by the professional theatre critics of The Critics' Circle.[2][3][4][5][6]
Awarded forExcellence in theatre-making
VenueNational Theatre
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byThe Critics' Circle
| Critics' Circle Theatre Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Excellence in theatre-making |
| Venue | National Theatre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | The Critics' Circle |
| Hosted by | Mark Lawson (2025) |
| First award | 1982 |
| Website | criticscircle |
The 2025 ceremony was held at the National Theatre | |
| Related | International Association of Theatre Critics |
History
The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards were established by the drama section of The Critics' Circle. The Circle were initially against the idea of giving out awards due to the belief that criticisms are a matter of personal opinions, and that minority views would not be represented in a collective pronouncement in the form of an award. A referendum in 1956, voted by roughly 20% of the Circle's members, rejected the idea of the body giving out awards. This was, however, reversed in another referendum in 1980.[7]
The first Critics' Circle Theatre Awards ceremony was held in 1989. A special anniversary ceremony was held for its 25th anniversary in 2014.[8]
Current categories
As of 2025, the Critics' Circle Theatre awards include the following categories:[9]
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Director
- Most Promising Playwright
- Best Designer
- The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer: Named after critic Jack Tinker, known for his work at the Daily Mail[10][11].
- The Michael Billington Award for Best New Play: Named after Michael Billington, known for his 50-year tenure as the Guardian's chief critic[10][11]
- The Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance: Formerly the John and Wendy Trewin Award, after the husband and wife who were seen as leading critics in the UK; later renamed The Trewin Award to honour their son, Ion Trewin, after his passing.[10][11][12]
- The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical: Named after Peter Hepple, former editor of the Stage and former Honorary General Secretary of the Critics’ Circle.[10][11]
- The Empty Space... Peter Brook Award for Innovative Venue: Named after director Peter Brook and his book, The Empty Space[13], often seen as "the seminal text of modern theatre"[14].
Recipients
Best Actor
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Bob Hoskins | Guys and Dolls | [15] |
| 1983 | Derek Jacobi | Cyrano de Bergerac and Much Ado About Nothing | [16] |
| 1984 | Brian Cox | Rat in the Skull and Strange Interlude | [17] |
| Antony Sher | Richard III | ||
| 1985 | Anthony Hopkins | Pravda | |
| Gary Oldman | The Pope's Wedding | ||
| 1986 | Bill Fraser | When We Are Married | |
| Hugh Quarshi | The Great White Hope | ||
| 1987 | Brian Cox | Fashion, Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus | |
| 1988 | Alex Jennings | Too Clever by Half | |
| Tom Wilkinson | An Enemy of the People | ||
| 1989 | Ian McKellen | Othello |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Michael Gambon | Man of the Moment | |
| 1991 | Nigel Hawthorne | The Madness of George III | |
| 1992 | Paul Eddington | No Man's Land | |
| 1993 | Ian Holm | Moonlight | |
| 1994 | Tom Courtenay | Moscow Stations | |
| 1995 | Daniel Massey | Taking Sides | |
| 1996 | David Suchet | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | |
| 1997 | Ian Holm | King Lear | [18] |
| 1998 | Kevin Spacey | The Iceman Cometh | |
| 1999 | Henry Goodman | The Merchant of Venice |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Michael Gambon | The Caretaker |
| 2001 | Ian McDiarmid | Faith Healer |
| 2002 | Simon Russell Beale | Uncle Vanya |
| 2003 | Michael Sheen | Caligula |
| 2004 | Richard Griffiths | The History Boys |
| 2005 | Simon Russell Beale | The Philanthropist |
| 2006 | Rufus Sewell | Rock 'n' Roll |
| 2007 | Charles Dance | Shadowlands |
| 2008 | Kenneth Branagh | Ivanov |
| 2009 | Mark Rylance | Jerusalem |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | David Suchet | All My Sons | [19] |
| 2011 | Benedict Cumberbatch | Frankenstein | [20] |
| 2012 | Adrian Lester | Red Velvet | [21] |
| 2013 | Lenny Henry | Fences | [22] |
| 2014 | Mark Strong | A View from the Bridge | [23] |
| 2015 | Kenneth Cranham | The Father | [24] |
| 2016 | Stephen Dillane | Faith Healer | [25] |
| 2017 | Bryan Cranston | Network | [26] |
| 2018 | Kyle Soller | The Inheritance | [27] |
| 2019 | Andrew Scott | Present Laughter | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ben Daniels | The Normal Heart | [28] |
| 2023 | Giles Terera | Blues for an Alabama Sky and Othello | [29] |
| 2024 | Andrew Scott | Vanya | [30] |
| 2025 | Mark Strong | Oedipus | [31] |
| 2026 | Brendan Gleeson | The Weir | [32] |
Best Actress
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Judi Dench | The Importance of Being Earnest and A Kind of Alaska | [15] |
| 1983 | Juliet Stevenson | Measure for Measure | [16] |
| 1984 | Glenda Jackson | Strange Interlude | [17] |
| 1985 | Vanessa Redgrave | The Seagull | |
| 1986 | Joan Plowright | The House of Bernarda Alba | |
| 1987 | Judi Dench | Antony and Cleopatra | |
| 1988 | Pauline Collins | Shirley Valentine | |
| 1989 | Fiona Shaw | Electra and The Good Person of Sichuan |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Josette Simon | After the Fall | |
| 1991 | Fiona Shaw | Hedda Gabler | |
| 1992 | Eileen Atkins | The Night of the Iguana | |
| 1993 | Penelope Wilton | The Deep Blue Sea | |
| 1994 | Clare Higgins | The Children's Hour and Sweet Bird of Youth | |
| 1995 | Claire Skinner | The Glass Menagerie | |
| 1996 | Janet McTeer | A Doll's House | |
| 1997 | Judi Dench | Amy's View | [18] |
| 1998 | Sinéad Cusack | Our Lady of Sligo | |
| 1999 | Janie Dee | Comic Potential |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Victoria Hamilton | As You Like It |
| 2001 | Lindsay Duncan | Mouth to Mouth and Private Lives |
| 2002 | Clare Higgins | Vincent in Brixton |
| 2003 | Eve Best | Mourning Becomes Electra |
| 2004 | Victoria Hamilton | Suddenly Last Summer |
| 2005 | Eve Best | Hedda Gabler |
| 2006 | Kathleen Turner | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? |
| 2007 | Anne-Marie Duff | Saint Joan |
| 2008 | Margaret Tyzack | The Chalk Garden |
| 2009 | Rachel Weisz | A Streetcar Named Desire |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Jenny Jules | Ruined | [19] |
| 2011 | Sheridan Smith | Flare Path | [20] |
| 2012 | Hattie Morahan | A Doll's House | [21] |
| 2013 | Lesley Manville | Ghosts | [22] |
| 2014 | Helen McCrory | Medea | [23] |
| 2015 | Denise Gough | People, Places and Things | [24] |
| 2016 | Billie Piper | Yerma | [25] |
| 2017 | Victoria Hamilton | Albion | [26] |
| 2018 | Patsy Ferran | Summer and Smoke | [27] |
| 2019 | Sharon D Clarke | Death of a Salesman | [5] |
| Juliet Stevenson | The Doctor |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jessie Buckley | Cabaret | [28] |
| 2023 | Patsy Ferran | A Streetcar Named Desire | [29] |
| 2024 | Sophie Okonedo | Medea | [30] |
| 2025 | Lesley Manville | Oedipus | [31] |
| 2026 | Rosamund Pike | Inter Alia | [32] |
Best Designer
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | John Gunter | The Beggar's Opera and Guys and Dolls | [15] |
| Grant Hicks | The Double Man and True West | ||
| 1983 | Voytek | Great and Small | [16] |
| 1984 | Alison Chitty | Venice Preserved | [17] |
| 1985 | William Dudley | The Critic, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Mutiny, The Mysteries and The Real Inspector Hound | |
| 1986 | Ezio Frigerio | The House of Bernarda Alba | |
| Maria Björnson | The Phantom of the Opera | ||
| 1987 | Follies | ||
| Michael Taylor | Attractions | ||
| 1988 | Richard Hudson | The Old Vic season | |
| 1989 | John Napier | Miss Saigon |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Mark Thompson | The Wind in the Willows | |
| 1991 | Bob Crowley | Murmuring Judges | |
| 1992 | Ian MacNeil | An Inspector Calls | |
| 1993 | Machinal | ||
| 1994 | Mark Thompson | The Kitchen | |
| 1995 | Robin Don | The Winter Guest | |
| 1996 | Robert Innes Hopkins | The Comedy of Errors and The Weavers | |
| 1997 | John Napier | Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up | [18] |
| 1998 | Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch and Graeme Gilmour | Shockheaded Peter | |
| Richard Hoover | Not About Nightingales | ||
| 1999 | Julie Taymor and Richard Hudson | The Lion King |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Paul Brown | Coriolanus, Richard II and The Tempest |
| 2001 | Platonov | |
| 2002 | William Dudley | The Coast of Utopia |
| 2003 | Bob Crowley | Mourning Becomes Electra |
| 2004 | Christopher Oram | Suddenly Last Summer |
| 2005 | Timothy Bird and David Farley | Sunday in the Park with George |
| 2006 | Punchdrunk Company | Faust |
| 2007 | Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company | War Horse |
| 2008 | Neil Murray | Brief Encounter |
| 2009 | Christopher Oram | Red |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Bunny Christie | The White Guard | [19] |
| 2011 | Mark Tildesley | Frankenstein | [20] |
| 2012 | Miriam Buether | Wild Swans | [21] |
| 2013 | Es Devlin | Chimerica | [22] |
| 2014 | The Nether | [23] | |
| 2015 | Anna Fleischle | Hangmen | [24] |
| 2016 | Christine Jones | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | [25] |
| 2017 | Vicki Mortimer | Follies | [26] |
| 2018 | Bunny Christie | Company | [27] |
| 2019 | Tom Scutt | A Very Expensive Poison | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tom Scutt | Cabaret | [28] |
| 2023 | Tom Pye | My Neighbour Totoro | [29] |
| 2024 | Miriam Buether and 59 Productions | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | [30] |
| 2025 | Frankie Bradshaw | Ballet Shoes and Dear Octopus | [31] |
| 2026 | Tom Scutt | Into the Woods | [32] |
Best Director
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | James Roose-Evans | 84, Charing Cross Road | [15] |
| 1983 | Terry Hands | Cyrano de Bergerac (classical) | [16] |
| Giles Havergal | Men Should Weep (modern) | ||
| 1984 | Peter Gill | Fool for Love and Venice Preserved | [17] |
| 1985 | Bill Bryden | The Mysteries | |
| 1986 | Mike Alfreds | The Cherry Orchard | |
| 1987 | Declan Donnellan | Twelfth Night | |
| 1988 | Peter Brook | The Mahabharata | |
| 1989 | Nicholas Hytner | Ghetto and Miss Saigon |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Peter Hall | The Wild Duck | |
| Robert Lepage | Tectonic Plates | ||
| 1991 | Trevor Nunn | Timon of Athens | |
| 1992 | Stephen Daldry | An Inspector Calls | |
| 1993 | Terry Hands | Tamburlaine the Great | |
| 1994 | Sean Mathias | Design for Living and Les Parents terribles | |
| 1995 | Sam Mendes | The Glass Menagerie | |
| 1996 | Richard Eyre | Guys and Dolls and John Gabriel Borkman | |
| 1997 | The Invention of Love and King Lear | [18] | |
| 1998 | Howard Davies | Flight and The Iceman Cometh | |
| 1999 | Trevor Nunn | The Merchant of Venice and Summerfolk |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Michael Grandage | As You Like It, Merrily We Roll Along and Passion Play |
| 2001 | Robert Lepage | The Far Side of the Moon |
| 2002 | Sam Mendes | Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya |
| 2003 | Howard Davies | Mourning Becomes Electra |
| 2004 | Rufus Norris | Festen |
| 2005 | Michael Grandage | The Wild Duck |
| 2006 | John Tiffany | Black Watch |
| 2007 | Rupert Goold | Macbeth |
| 2008 | Michael Grandage | The Chalk Garden and Ivanov |
| 2009 | Rupert Goold | Enron |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Michael Grandage | King Lear | [19] |
| Thea Sharrock | After the Dance | ||
| 2011 | Mike Leigh | Grief | [20] |
| 2012 | Benedict Andrews | Three Sisters | [21] |
| 2013 | Lyndsey Turner | Chimerica | [22] |
| 2014 | Ivo van Hove | A View from the Bridge | [23] |
| 2015 | Robert Icke | Oresteia | [24] |
| 2016 | John Tiffany | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | [25] |
| 2017 | Dominic Cooke | Follies | [26] |
| 2018 | Stephen Daldry | The Inheritance | [27] |
| 2019 | Jamie Lloyd | Betrayal, Cyrano de Bergerac and Evita | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Rebecca Frecknall | Cabaret | [28] |
| 2023 | Lynette Linton | Blues for an Alabama Sky | [29] |
| 2024 | Rupert Goold | Dear England | [30] |
| 2025 | Robert Icke | Oedipus | [31] |
| 2026 | Ivo van Hove | All My Sons | [32] |
Best Musical
Known as the 'Peter Hepple Award' from 2016 onwards.
|
1980s
|
1990s
|
|
2000s
|
2010s
|
2020s
| Year | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Spring Awakening | [28] |
| 2023 | Oklahoma! | [29] |
| 2024 | Guys and Dolls | [30] |
| 2025 | Fiddler on the Roof | [31] |
| 2026 | Paddington the Musical | [32] |
Best New Play
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Writer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | A Kind of Alaska | Harold Pinter | [15] |
| 1983 | no award | no award | [16] |
| 1984 | One for the Road | Harold Pinter | [17] |
| 1985 | A Chorus of Disapproval | Alan Ayckbourn | |
| 1986 | Road | Jim Cartwright | |
| 1987 | Curtains | Stephen Bill | |
| Fashion | Doug Lucie | ||
| 1988 | The Secret Rapture | David Hare | |
| 1989 | Ghetto | Joshua Sobol |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Writer |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Racing Demon | David Hare |
| 1991 | Three Birds Alighting on a Field | Timberlake Wertenbaker |
| 1992 | Angels in America | Tony Kushner |
| 1993 | Arcadia | Tom Stoppard |
| 1994 | Dead Funny | Terry Johnson |
| 1995 | The Steward of Christendom | Sebastian Barry |
| 1996 | Blinded by the Sun | Stephen Poliakoff |
| 1997 | Closer | Patrick Marber |
| 1998 | Copenhagen | Michael Frayn |
| 1999 | Mnemonic | Simon McBurney |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Writer |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Blue/Orange | Joe Penhall |
| 2001 | Humble Boy | Charlotte Jones |
| 2002 | The York Realist | Peter Gill |
| 2003 | Democracy | Michael Frayn |
| 2004 | The History Boys | Alan Bennett |
| 2005 | Harvest | Richard Bean |
| 2006 | Rock'n'Roll | Tom Stoppard |
| 2007 | A Disappearing Number | Simon McBurney and Complicite |
| 2008 | August: Osage County | Tracy Letts |
| 2009 | Jerusalem | Jez Butterworth |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Writer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Clybourne Park | Bruce Norris | [19] |
| 2011 | One Man, Two Guvnors | Richard Bean | [20] |
| 2012 | The Effect | Lucy Prebble | [21] |
| 2013 | Chimerica | Lucy Kirkwood | [22] |
| 2014 | King Charles III | Mike Bartlett | [23] |
| 2015 | Hangmen | Martin McDonagh | [24] |
| 2016 | The Flick | Annie Baker | [25] |
| 2017 | The Ferryman | Jez Butterworth | [26] |
| 2018 | The Inheritance | Matthew Lopez | [27] |
| 2019 | A Very Expensive Poison | Lucy Prebble | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Writer | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best of Enemies | James Graham | [28] |
| 2023 | Patriots | Peter Morgan | [29] |
| 2024 | The Motive and the Cue | Jack Thorne | [30] |
| 2025 | Giant | Mark Rosenblatt | [31] |
| 2026 | Punch | James Graham | [32] |
Best Shakespearean Performance
Known as the 'John and Wendy Trewin Award' from 2000 until 2015, and 'The Trewin Award' from 2016 onwards.
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Simon Russell Beale | Hamlet |
| 2001 | Samuel West | Hamlet |
| 2002 | Mark Rylance | Twelfth Night |
| 2003 | Greg Hicks | Coriolanus |
| 2004 | Paul Rhys | Measure for Measure |
| 2005 | Kevin Spacey | Richard II |
| 2006 | Tamsin Greig | Much Ado About Nothing |
| 2007 | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Othello |
| Patrick Stewart | Macbeth | |
| 2008 | Derek Jacobi | Twelfth Night |
| David Tennant | Hamlet | |
| 2009 | Jude Law | Hamlet |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Derek Jacobi | King Lear | [19] |
| 2011 | Eddie Redmayne | Richard II | [20] |
| 2012 | Simon Russell Beale | Timon of Athens | [21] |
| 2013 | Rory Kinnear | Othello | [22] |
| 2014 | Antony Sher | Henry IV | [23] |
| 2015 | Judi Dench | The Winter's Tale | [24] |
| 2016 | Glenda Jackson | King Lear | [25] |
| 2017 | Andrew Scott | Hamlet | [26] |
| 2018 | Sophie Okonedo | Antony and Cleopatra | [27] |
| 2019 | Hammed Animashaun | A Midsummer Night's Dream | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cush Jumbo | Hamlet | [28] |
| 2023 | Arthur Hughes | Richard III | [29] |
| 2024 | David Tennant | Macbeth | [30] |
| 2025 | Danny Sapani | King Lear | [31] |
| 2026 | Hayley Atwell | Much Ado About Nothing | [32] |
Most Promising Newcomer
Known as the 'Jack Tinker Award' from 1996 onwards.
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Sam Mendes | Artistic direction at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester |
| Julia Ormond | Faith, Hope and Charity |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Sara Crow | Private Lives |
| 1991 | Lia Williams | The Revengers' Comedies |
| 1992 | Rufus Sewell | Making It Better |
| 1993 | Emma Fielding | Arcadia and The School for Wives |
| 1994 | Rachel Weisz | Design for Living |
| 1995 | Victoria Hamilton | The Master Builder and Retreat |
| 1996 | James Callis | Old Wicked Songs |
| 1997 | Liza Walker | Closer |
| 1998 | Mick Gordon | Gate Theatre, London |
| 1999 | Eve Best | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Chiwetel Ejiofor | Blue/Orange |
| 2001 | Lyndsey Marshal | Boston Marriage and Redundant |
| 2002 | Alison Pargeter | Damsels in Distress |
| 2003 | Lisa Dillon | Iphigenia and The Master Builder |
| 2004 | Eddie Redmayne | The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? |
| 2005 | Mariah Gale | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore |
| 2006 | Andrew Garfield | Citizenship and The Overwhelming |
| 2007 | Leanne Jones | Hairspray |
| 2008 | Ella Smith | Fat Pig |
| 2009 | Tom Sturridge | Punk Rock |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Daniel Kaluuya | Sucker Punch | [19] |
| 2011 | Blanche McIntyre | Accolade and Foxfinder | [20] |
| 2012 | Denise Gough | Desire Under the Elms and Our New Girl | [21] |
| 2013 | Kate O'Flynn | Port | [22] |
| 2014 | Patsy Ferran | Blithe Spirit and Treasure Island | [23] |
| 2015 | David Moorst | Violence and Son | [24] |
| 2016 | Anthony Boyle | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | [25] |
| 2017 | Sheila Atim | Girl From the North Country | [26] |
| John McCrea | Everybody’s Talking About Jamie | ||
| 2018 | Chris Walley | The Lieutenant of Inishmore | [27] |
| 2019 | Sam Tutty | Dear Evan Hansen | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Samuel Creasy | The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage | [28] |
| Stuart Thompson | Spring Awakening | [28] | |
| 2023 | Lizzie Annis | The Glass Menagerie | [29] |
| 2024 | Louis McCartney | Stranger Things: The First Shadow | [30] |
| Jack Wolfe | Next to Normal | [30] | |
| 2025 | Francesca Amewudah-Rivers | Romeo and Juliet | [31] |
| 2026 | Ruby Ashbourne Serkis | Indian Ink | [32] |
Most Promising Playwright
1980s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Stephen Jeffreys | Valued Friends |
1990s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Clare McIntyre | My Heart's a Suitcase |
| 1991 | Rona Munro | Bold Girls |
| 1992 | Philip Ridley | The Fastest Clock in the Universe |
| 1993 | Simon Donald | Theatre of Stuff |
| 1994 | Kevin Elyot | My Night With Reg |
| 1995 | Jez Butterworth | Mojo |
| 1996 | Martin McDonagh | The Beauty Queen of Leenane |
| 1997 | Conor McPherson | The Weir |
| 1998 | Rebecca Prichard | Yard Gal |
| 1999 | Charlotte Jones | Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis |
2000s
| Year | Recipient | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Joanna Laurens | The Three Birds |
| 2001 | Gregory Burke | Gagarin Way |
| 2002 | Charlotte Eilenberg | The Lucky Ones |
| 2003 | Lucy Prebble | The Sugar Syndrome |
| 2004 | Rebecca Lenkiewicz | The Night Season |
| 2005 | Laura Wade | Breathing Corpses and Colder Than Here |
| 2006 | Nina Raine | Rabbit |
| 2007 | Polly Stenham | That Face |
| 2008 | Alexi Kaye Campbell | The Pride |
| 2009 | Alia Bano | Shades |
2010s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Anya Reiss | Spur of the Moment | [19] |
| 2011 | Tom Wells | The Kitchen Sink | [20] |
| 2012 | Lolita Chakrabarti | Red Velvet | [21] |
| 2013 | Rory Kinnear | The Herd | [22] |
| Phoebe Waller-Bridge | Fleabag | ||
| 2014 | Barney Norris | Visitors | [23] |
| 2015 | James Fritz | Four Minutes Twelve Seconds | [24] |
| 2016 | Charlene James | Cuttin’ It | [25] |
| 2017 | Branden Jacobs-Jenkins | Gloria and An Octoroon | [26] |
| 2018 | Natasha Gordon | Nine Night | [27] |
| 2019 | Jasmine Lee-Jones | Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner | [5] |
2020s
| Year | Recipient | Work | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Igor Memic | Old Bridge | [28] |
| Zadie Smith | The Wife of Willesden | [28] | |
| 2023 | Tyrell Williams | Red Pitch | [29] |
| 2024 | Marcelo Dos Santos | Backstairs Billy | [30] |
| Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini | Sleepova | [30] | |
| 2025 | Mark Rosenblatt | Giant | [31] |
| 2026 | Ava Pickett | 1536 | [32] |
Special awards
| Year | Recipient | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Robert David MacDonald and Citizens Theatre, Glasgow | [15] | |
| 1983 | Market Theatre (Johannesburg) for Woza Albert! | [16] | |
| 1984 | Graeae Theatre Company and The Theatre of Comedy Company | [17] | |
| 2017 | David Lan | Commendation for artistic direction at the Young Vic | [26] |
| 2018 | Neil McPherson | Commendation for artistic direction at the Finborough Theatre | [27] |
| 2019 | Paule Constable | Commendation for lighting design | [5] |
| 2022 | Jermyn Street Theatre | Commendations for exceptional theatre-making during lockdown | [28] |
| National Theatre | |||
| Nica Burns | |||
| The Old Vic | |||
| Original Theatre Company | |||
| 2023 | New Diorama Theatre | Recipient of the Peter Brook Award for an innovative venue | [29] |
| 2024 | Orange Tree Theatre | Recipient of the Peter Brook Award for an innovative venue | [30] |
| 2025 | The Yard Theatre | Recipient of the Peter Brook Award for an innovative venue | [31] |
| 2026 | Red Rose Chain Theatre Company | Recipient of the Peter Brook Award for an innovative venue | [32] |