The 2022 Black British Theatre Awards took place on Sunday 16 October in association with The National Theatre. The Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs) highlight excellence and leadership in the UK theatre sector through the acknowledgement and celebration of established and emerging diverse talent. The prestigious awards celebrate the legacy of Black theatre pioneers and their visionary contributions.
The BBTAs were created to target the leadership of the theatre sector, celebrating the diverse talent that already exists in the UK and championing the theatre pioneers whose contributions are well established, as well as supporting the young people coming from education into the arts to empower them to tell their stories and continue the movement. As the theatre industry continues to recover from the global pandemic and with the heightened awareness of diversity due to the Black Lives Matter Movement, the BBTAs are an opportunity to acknowledge those with the collective mission to create real change and have embedded representation in their infrastructure.
This year’s presenters included; Brenda Emmanus OBE, Giles Terera MBE, Jonathan Ajayi, Professor Shirley Thompson MBE, Brenda Garratt-Glassman, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith MBE, Rachel John, Kenneth Olumuyiwa Tharp CBE, Stephen K. Amos, Layton Williams, Valentine Olukoga, Aisha Jawando, Ray Shell and Cedric Neal.
See 2022’s winners below:
Creatives Group
Best Director – Ryan Calais Cameron and Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
Best Producer – Ameena Hamid, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre
Best Musical Director – Sean Green, Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Best Choreographer Or Movement Director – Leah Hill, The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre
Best Opera Production Or Performance – April Koyejo-Audiger, Jenufa, Royal Opera House
Best Dance Production – Ballet Black Double Bill, Ballet Black, Barbican
Best Soloist In A Dance Production – Cira Robinson, Ballet Black Double Bill, Barbican
Best Use Of Innovation And Technology – Ballet Black, Eightfold, Channel 4
Recognition Group (body of work)
Light And/ Or Sound – Kayodeine
Costume Design – Jessica Cabassa
Book And Lyrics – Lux Knightley
Casting Director – Isabella Odoffin
Plays
Best Male Actor In A Play – Michael Fatogun, Foxes, Theatre 503
Best Female Actor In A Play – Selina Jones, An unfinished man, The Yard Theatre
Best Supporting Male Actor In A Play – Hayden Mampasi, Passionfruit, New Diorama Theatre
Best Supporting Female Actor In A Play – Sasha Frost, Folk, Hampstead Theatre
Outstanding Performance In A Play – Misha Duncan-Barry, My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored, Red Ladder Theatre Company UK Tour
Best Production, Play – For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, Royal Court
Musicals
Best Male Actor In A Musical – Michael Duke, Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Lyric Theatre
Best Female Actor In A Musical – Courtney Stapleton, Beauty and the Beast the Musical, UK & Ireland Tour
Best Supporting Male Actor In A Musical – Jordan Shaw, Les Miserables, Sondheim Theatre
Best Supporting Female Actor In A Musical – Nicolle Smartt, Domitius, Conway Hall
Outstanding Performance In A Musical – Amara Okereke, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum
Best Production, Musical – Domitius, Conway Hall
Achievement Awards
LGBTQIA+ Champion – Nicole Raquel Dennis
Best Teacher – Hakeem Onibudo, Impact Dance
Best Recent Graduate – Dianté Lodge, Laine Theatre Arts
Best Understudy/ Swing In A Theatre Production – Mitchell Zhangazha, Dear Evan Hansen, Noël Coward Theatre
Lifetime Achievement – Charles Augins