36th Annual Matilda Awards Announce 2023 Winners

Queensland’s premier theatre awards have announced this year’s winners of the 36^th annual Matilda Awards, following an awards ceremony at the Brisbane Powerhouse on Monday 26^th February, 2024.    

The shortlist of nominees contested across 20 categories, recognising the work of a range of Queensland theatre makers, from emerging to established artists, mainstage and independent productions, new Australian work, and expertise in design. 

This year’s winners reflect a strong diversity of performers, and regional companies account for nine of the awards, revealing the depth of theatre activity outside Brisbane. 

Mackay based Crossroad Arts production, Breathe In, won three awards for its ground-breaking piece about the experience of living with alternative communication needs, including The Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work, as well as the Judges’ Award – awarded at the discretion of the judges for an outstanding theatrical endeavour which pushes artistic and other boundaries.

The Farm, a movement-based company from the Gold Coast, also won three awards for its insightful and inventive work Stunt Double about the film industry’s treatment of its hardest workers, while Ipswich-based THAT Production Company won two awards for the sensitively directed play Every Brilliant Thing featuring actor Jason Klarwein at Metro Arts.

Other highlights include Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre), a play exploring lived experience of autism, which won Best Mainstage Production as well as Best Direction for Daniel Evans; Chenoa Deemal winning Best Performance In A Leading Role Mainstage Production for the powerfully moving First Nations play Is That You, Ruthie?; and Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall’s joyful BANANALAND which won Best Musical and Best Composition/Sound Design.

Other winners include Costume Designers Delvene Cockatoo-Collins and Peter Keavy for Capricorn at La Boite Theatre; Lighting Designer Ben Hughes for Brisbane Festival’s Salamander; Best Supporting Performances from Ngọc Phan(Mainstage) in Vietgone for Queensland Theatre and Cameron Hurry (Independent) in Grand Horizons at PIP Theatre. The Bille Brown Emerging Artist Award went to outstanding Video Designer Nevin Howell. 

The Gold Matilda Award was presented to Suellen Maunder, founding director of JUTE, Cairns, for services to regional theatre in Queensland over more than 30 years.

Lead Judge of the Matilda Awards, Sue Rider, expressed how invigorating it is to give recognition to theatre makers within Queensland, especially with the quality of work coming from the independently produced and new writing space. 

“Every year it gets more and more difficult to narrow down the winners. There were astonishing performances and productions across the past year, and we were thrilled to announce winners that hail from across the state. Live theatre can be a tough life. The Matilda Awards is a chance to step back and celebrate. Huge congratulations to every nominee and winner,” says Ms Rider.

The Matilda Awards were host to a memorable evening of high energy performance and fun, led brilliantly by MCs Tom Oliver and Angelique Cassimatis.

For the seventh consecutive year, Brisbane Powerhouse, Queensland’s leading presenter of contemporary culture and art, has partnered with the Matilda Awards to host one of the most anticipated events in the State’s performing arts calendar.

For more information on the winners, photographs or details of the Awards night itself, visit matildaawards.com.au or follow Matilda Awards on Facebook or Instagram.

The Matilda Awards is supported by Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council.

About The Matilda Awards

The Matilda Awards were founded in 1987 by theatre critics Alison Cotes and Sue Gough, to celebrate and promote the excellence of Queensland’s theatre industry. 

2023 MATILDA AWARD WINNERS AND NOMINEES

* Those in bold are the winners

CATEGORY                                                PRODUCER

BEST SET DESIGN   

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

BEST COMPOSITION AND/OR SOUND DESIGN

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN 

BEST VIDEO DESIGN 

BEST DIRECTION

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION 

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

BEST ENSEMBLE

BILLE BROWN AWARD BEST EMERGING ARTIST 

BEST MUSICAL OR CABARET 

BEST CIRCUS OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

BRISBANE POWERHOUSE BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION

BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

THE JUDGES’ AWARD

An award given from time to time at the discretion of the judges for outstanding theatrical endeavour which pushes artistic and/or other boundaries.

Breathe In by Crossroad Arts

For breaking new ground in integrating multiple communication modes within the artistic process

THE LORD MAYOR’S AWARD FOR BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK 

Breathe In                                                           Co-creators Brenden Borellini, Georgia Cranko, Alison Richardson

Crossroad Arts

Drizzle Boy                                                          Writer Ryan Enniss 

Queensland Theatre

Don’t Ask What the Bird Look Like             Writer Hannah Belanszky 

Queensland Theatre

Is That You, Ruthie?                                         Stage Adaptation by Leah Purcell, based on Is That You, Ruthie? 

and Buthalangi: A Maranoa Woman by Dr Ruth Hegarty 

QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions

Unconditional                                                    Playwrights Seán Dowling, Cameron Hurry

Playlab Theatre, presented by Playlab Theatre and Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse

THE GOLD MATILDA

The Gold Matilda is a special open award that may be awarded for a standout production or performance element in that season or recognition to an individual company or group for their contribution to the industry as determined by the judging panel. 

Suellen Maunder, Artistic Director for JUTE

Artistic Director since 1992, pioneering regional theatre, new work development and support of local theatre practitioners

QUT SCHOOL OF CREATIVE PRACTICE BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD

Darryl Keys, nominated by QPAC