2018 Olivier Awards: ‘Hamilton’ wins big; Bryan Cranston is Best Actor for ‘Network’
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton was the big winner at the 42nd Olivier Awards where is won seven of its (record) 13 nominations including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Michael Jibson) where it had three of four nominations, as well as sound, lighting and choreography wins.
Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, which came in with 8 nominations, won three Olivier Awards: Best New Play, Best Director for Sam Mendes, and Best Actress for Laura Donnelly, whose personal experiences provided the inspiration for the play.
Originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, the awards were first given out in 1976 to celebrate excellence in professional London theatre. They were renamed after Sir Laurence Olivier in 1984, and the statues show the actor as he appeared as Henry V at the Old Vic in 1937.
The Oliviers hand out awards for acting, direction, choreography, lighting, set, costume and lighting design, achievements in dance, opera and music, as well as awards for the best new play, musical, and comedy, and best revival of a play and musical.
Lone American Best Actor nominee Bryan Cranston (Network) bested Brit competition Paddy Considine (The Ferryman) and Andrews Garfield and Scott (Angels in America and Hamlet, respectively) with his West End while Laura Donnelly (The Ferryman) bested serious heavyweights Lesley Manville in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Audra McDonald in Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill and Imelda Staunton in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? for the Best Actress award.
David Lan was this year’s recipient of the Olivier’s Special Award, in recognition of his outstanding contribution in leading the Young Vic since 2000, his work within the local community around the theatre, and his commitment to internationalism and diversity.
The winners of this year’s awards were announced at a ceremony hosted by Catherine Tate at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 8th April.
Here is the full list of Olivier Award 2018 nominees and winners (in bold).
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Michael Jibson for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
Ross Noble for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre
Jason Pennycooke for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
Cleve September for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Sheila Atim for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic – WINNER
Tracie Bennett for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Rachel John for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
Lesley Joseph for Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Music and Orchestrations by Dan Gillespie Sells, his debut as a musical theatre composer and orchestrator at Apollo Theatre
Follies – The Orchestra, under the Music Supervision of Nicholas Skilbeck and Music Director Nigel Lilley at National Theatre – Olivier
Girl From The North Country – Music & Lyrics by Bob Dylan, Original Orchestrations & Arrangements by Simon Hale at The Old Vic
Hamilton – Composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
Flight Pattern by Crystal Pite at Royal Opera House – WINNER
Goat by Ben Duke for Rambert Dance Company at Sadler’s Wells
Grand Finale by Hofesh Shechter at Sadler’s Wells
Tree Of Codes by Wayne McGregor and The Paris Opera Ballet at Sadler’s Wells
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
Rocío Molina for pushing the boundary of flamenco in Fallen From Heaven (Caída Del Cielo) at Barbican Theatre
Francesca Velicu for her performance in English National Ballet’s production of Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre Du Printemps at Sadler’s Wells – WINNER
Zenaida Yanowsky for her performance in Liam Scarlett’s Symphonic Dances at
Royal Opera House
BEST ENTERTAINMENT AND FAMILY
David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny at Garrick Theatre
Derren Brown: Underground at Playhouse Theatre
Dick Whittington at London Palladium – WINNER
Five Guys Named Moe at Marble Arch Theatre
BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Andy Blankenbuehler for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
Bill Deamer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Kate Prince for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre
Randy Skinner for 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Christopher Wheeldon for An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre
MAGIC RADIO BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Follies at National Theatre – Olivier – WINNER
On The Town at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Ciarán Hinds for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic
John McCrea for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre
Giles Terera for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
Jamael Westman for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Janie Dee for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Shirley Henderson for Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic – WINNER
Imelda Staunton for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Josie Walker for Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre
BEST REVIVAL
Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton – WINNER
Hamlet at Almeida Theatre
Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre
Witness For The Prosecution at London County Hall
BEST NEW COMEDY
Dry Powder at Hampstead Theatre
Labour Of Love at Noël Coward Theatre – WINNER
Mischief Movie Night at Arts Theatre
The Miser at Garrick Theatre
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AFFILIATE THEATRE
The B*easts at Bush Theatre
Killology at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre – WINNER
The Red Lion at Trafalgar Studios 2
The Revlon Girl at Park Theatre
WHITE LIGHT AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Howell Binkley for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
Paule Constable for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Paule Constable for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Jan Versweyveld for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton
BEST SOUND DESIGN
Tom Gibbons for Hamlet at Almeida Theatre
Gareth Owen for Bat Out Of Hell The Musical at London Coliseum
Eric Sleichim for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Nevin Steinberg for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hugh Durrant for Dick Whittington at London Palladium
Roger Kirk for 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Vicki Mortimer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier – WINNER
Paul Tazewell for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
BLUE-I THEATRE TECHNOLOGY AWARD FOR BEST SET DESIGN
Bunny Christie for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre
Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre – WINNER
Rob Howell for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Vicki Mortimer for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bertie Carvel for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre – WINNER
John Hodgkinson for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
James McArdle for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Peter Polycarpou for Oslo at Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bríd Brennan for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Denise Gough for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton – WINNER
Dearbhla Molloy for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Imogen Poots for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
La Bohème at Trafalgar Studios 2
The Exterminating Angel at Royal Opera House
Semiramide at Royal Opera House – WINNER
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Paul Brown for his set and costume designs for Iolanthe at London Coliseum
Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona for their performances in Semiramide at Royal Opera House – WINNER
Roderick Williams for his performance in The Royal Opera’s The Return Of Ulysses at the Roundhouse
BEST ACTOR
Paddy Considine for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre
Bryan Cranston for Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton – WINNER
Andrew Garfield for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Andrew Scott for Hamlet at Almeida Theatre
BEST ACTRESS
Laura Donnelly for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre – WINNER
Lesley Manville for Long Day’s Journey Into Night at Wyndham’s Theatre
Audra McDonald for Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill at Wyndham’s Theatre
Imelda Staunton for Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at Harold Pinter Theatre
BEST DIRECTOR
Dominic Cooke for Follies at National Theatre – Olivier
Marianne Elliott for Angels In America at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Rupert Goold for Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre
Thomas Kail for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre
Sam Mendes for The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre – WINNER
AMERICAN AIRLINES BEST NEW PLAY
The Ferryman at Gielgud Theatre and Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre – WINNER
Ink at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre
Network at National Theatre – Lyttelton
Oslo at Harold Pinter Theatre
MASTERCARD BEST NEW MUSICAL
An American In Paris at Dominion Theatre
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre
Girl From The North Country at The Old Vic
Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre – WINNER
Young Frankenstein at Garrick Theatre
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, PRODUCTION DESIGN (December) - December 18, 2024
- 2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (December) - December 18, 2024
- 2024 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners: ‘Anora’ Top Film, Director, Actress - December 18, 2024
2025 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING, CINEMATOGRAPHY, COSTUME DESIGN, PRODUCTION DESIGN (December) 
2025 Oscar Predictions: MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG, SOUND, VISUAL EFFECTS (December) 
Interview: Director Robert Eggers (‘Nosferatu’) on the Consequences of Temptation, Training Hundreds of Rats, and Playing with Vampire Lore 
Interview: Guy Pearce on the Beauty and Violence of ‘The Brutalist’ and Van Buren’s Call to His Therapist