The Olivier Awards with Mastercard, the UK’s most prestigious stage honour, have today announced exciting plans for 2017, including details of its “Be Inspired” campaign. The 2017 awards are set to be the biggest yet, as they make their debut at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 9 April.
Mastercard has renewed its headline sponsorship of the awards for a further three years. Since 2011, Mastercard and the Society of London Theatre have worked in partnership to raise the profile of the Olivier Awards and firmly establish London’s status as a centre of theatrical excellence.
Through this partnership Mastercard will continue to bring its cardholders with a passion for theatre closer to the genre they love. Throughout the year, cardholders can enjoy once-in-a-lifetime theatre experiences, from intimate Q&As with the stars of the stage, to the chance to sit with the nominees at The Olivier Awards, allowing them to experience the drama, passion and excitement of the theatre up close.
In the UK, ITV and Magic Radio will be the official broadcast partners. Internationally, the show will be broadcast on-line. Full broadcast details and timings will be announced nearer the date of the awards.
Additionally, the Oliviers have announced that, for the first time ever, there will be a new innovative broadcast show of the red carpet which will be carried live across the world. With the support of Facebook, people will be able to follow all the action from the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall with interviews and exclusive content. Red carpet coverage will begin at 16:30 (GMT).
Nominations for the Olivier Awards 2017 with Mastercard will be broadcast widely via a variety of online channels and partners on Monday 6 March at 12:00 (GMT).
This year, the Olivier Awards’ campaign will focus on theatre’s ability to inspire under the banner of “Be Inspired”. The awards are looking for six “Be Inspired Champions” who, whether working in the industry or members of the public have motivated others with their love and commitment to theatre. Those chosen will be invited to the ceremony and be presented with their “Be Inspired” plaque during the red carpet live show. The campaign will be supported by Magic Radio who will be creating interviews with various industry figures and stars discussing those people who inspired a love of theatre in them. Nominations can be submitted via olivierawards.com and the campaign will launch on Magic Radio from Monday 30 January.
Julian Bird, Chief Executive of SOLT and Executive Producer of the Olivier Awards with Mastercard, said:
“This year we not only celebrate the best performances and shows, we will highlight theatre’s unique ability to inspire. Whether it’s front of house staff, backstage crew or drama teachers, many individuals work together to make our industry so special, and we look forward to welcoming six of the most inspiring to this year’s ceremony. We are also delighted that Mastercard will continue their support of the awards and look forward to working together as we continue to grow the show’s reach and innovate online.”
Nicola Grant, Head of Marketing UK&I, Mastercard said:
“Our cardholders love the Priceless experiences we’ve been able to offer through our partnership with SOLT, whether it’s a behind-the-scenes tour at a West End show or sitting with the nominees at the Olivier Awards. London theatre is unmatched anywhere in the world and we look forward to continuing to build on our partnership and giving our cardholders unrivalled access to the theatre they love.”
Tickets to theatre’s biggest night are available exclusively for Mastercard cardholders and are available via priceless.com.