Performing Arts WA Awards 2025 Set for 20 April
The 2026 Performing Arts WA Awards Ceremony, held on Monday 20 April in the Heath Ledger Theatre, will celebrate achievement in Western Australian professional live performance in 2025, covering both mainstage and independent performances.
With support from DCITS and Arts & Culture Trust, the awards will once again take place in the Heath Ledger Theatre at State Theatre Centre. With over 20 years of recognising professional theatre, the Awards also include dance, musicals, opera and cabaret across WA.
Image Danica Zuks for Artist Relief Fund WA
The Awards celebrate the professional live performing arts in Western Australia. They are hosted each year by Artist Relief Fund WA, a charity which supports arts workers experiencing hardship.
Artist Relief Fund WA Chair Nick Maclaine says “We’re thrilled to host the Performing Arts WA Awards again this year. It’s so important to recognise the incredible achievements in professional performing arts in WA, and we’re set for another fantastic ceremony this year.
Musical Urinetown by Western Sky Projects received the most nominations, with the hit show up for fourteen separate awards. Other big nominees include Co3 Dance Australia & the ACO Collective’s dance work IN THE SHADOW OF TIME with eight nominations; The Blue Room Theatre & Tone Lists’s O,D,E also snared eight nominations. Freeze Frame Opera’s spooky Dead Man Walking scooped nine nominations.
WA Ballet scored 18 nominations across five shows from 2025, Drew Anthony Collective garnered 10 from three shows, and Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA has 11 nominations across 4 shows from their season last year.
Powerhouse venue The Blue Room Theatre once again holds the biggest representation of nominations with a whopping 46 nominations, holding them as the undisputed leaders of independent theatre.
A total of 47 productions will vie for awards this year, in addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award and the brand new Ripple Effect Award, in honour of the late Georgia Malone.
NEW AWARD LAUNCHED IN HONOUR OF THE LATE GEORGIA MALONE
The Ripple Effect Award is a new award for the broad performing arts sector in honour of Georgia Malone – a true champion of the arts, and her incredible career has left a lasting legacy for the world.
This award will celebrate an individual whose passion and love for arts and culture leads them to contribute above and beyond. Their positive energy is infectious and adds value to our world. Their tireless and quiet contribution has a ripple effect to make change and to impact others.
The winner of The Ripple Effect Award will be encouraged to use their prize to continue the ripple effect and reinvest in the sector in a meaningful way.
The idea for the award came from Georgia Malone’s husband John Carter. After navigating the complex web and the burden of administrative tasks after her death, John was looking at Georgia’s diary, an entry talking about her legacy and wanting to have had a ‘ripple effect’ on the world – he knew Georgia would have wanted any money to go towards someone who cares about the arts as much as she did.
From her school days through to her leadership across the country, Georgia honed an enviable breadth of knowledge built on her experience in all artforms from the ground up: from intern, stage manager to CEO, mentor and donor. She had a deep impact on the sector over thirty years, and countless artists and leaders will attest that they would not be where they are today without her honesty, wisdom and support. Georgia fought tirelessly for what she believed in, and her influence on the arts community will reverberate for years.
The inaugural winner will be announced at the Gala Performing Arts WA Awards on 20 April 2026 in the Heath Ledger Theatre.
Artist Relief Fund is running a fundraising campaign through Australian Cultural Fund to support the ongoing giving of the Ripple Effect Award.
EVENT INFORMATION
Date: 20 April 2026
Time: 7pm
More information: www.performingartswaawards.com
