Paddington The Musical won seven Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, while Into the Woods secured Best Musical Revival and Best Lighting Design. Rosamund Pike claimed the Best Actress award for her role in Inter Alia, and Rachel Zegler won Best Actress in a Musical for Evita. The event, marking its 50th anniversary, was hosted by Nick Mohammed on Sunday evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London, broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Radio 2. The ceremony featured a green carpet made from sustainable materials instead of a traditional red carpet, though it is still referred to as a 'red carpet' for search traffic purposes, reflecting environmental efforts.
The Best Actress category included nominees Cate Blanchett, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Julia McDermott, Rosamund Pike, and Rosie Sheehy, with Pike beating Blanchett to the prize. Pike made a rare public appearance with her long-term partner Robie Uniacke, and she has referred to him as her 'husband', suggesting they may be married, appearing to confirm a secret marriage after 16 years together. Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress for her role in The Seagull at Barbican Theatre but did not win. Pike's performance in Inter Alia also won Best Actress at the Critics’ Circle theatre awards last month, and she will take the production to Broadway in November.
Trans roles should be played by transgender actors.
In the Best Actor category, nominees included Bryan Cranston, Sean Hayes, Tom Hiddleston, Jack Holden, and David Shields, with Cranston nominated for his role in All My Sons. James Hameed and Arti Shah won Best Actor in a Musical for playing Paddington, while Tom Edden and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt won Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical respectively for Paddington: The Musical. Luke Sheppard won Best Director for Paddington: The Musical, and All My Sons won Best Revival and Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Olivier Awards. According to www.aol.com, Bryan Cranston described doing two shows a day as exhausting and said he lived 'like a monk' during the run.
Dame Elaine Paige received the Special Award at the Olivier Awards, with Kash Bennett, president of the Society of London Theatre, saying it was fitting to honour Paige as the awards celebrate 50 years. Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen reunited at the Olivier Awards, adding to the celebratory atmosphere. The event also featured notable productions like Into the Woods and Paddington The Musical, each of which had 11 nominations, while All My Sons, Kenrex, and Stereophonic each had six nominations.
The character Hayley Cropper was originally written as a 'politically incorrect' joke and meant to last two weeks.
High-profile celebrity attendees included Elizabeth Hurley, who attended with boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus and son Damian, and Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton, who have two children, with the second born late last year. Hiddleston starred as Benedick in the 2025 West End production of Much Ado About Nothing alongside Hayley Atwell. Emma Willis and Matt Willis also attended the awards; they wed in 2008 and have three children.
Julie Hesmondhalgh won the Supporting Best Actress award at the Olivier Awards for her role in Punch, and she played the trans character Hayley Cropper on Coronation Street from 1998 to 2014. According to Daily Mail - Home, Julie Hesmondhalgh said trans roles should be played by transgender actors, and she described the character Hayley Cropper as originally written as a 'politically incorrect' joke and meant to last two weeks. Her win and reflections highlighted issues of trans representation in theatre.
I started drinking Guinness at 11am and wore an inflatable crown, a Tottenham Hotspur shirt, and a cape.
Rachel Zegler won Best Actress in a Musical for Evita, and she performed Don't Cry for Me Argentina from Evita on a balcony at the London Palladium, allowing free viewing from the street. According to The Guardian - UK News, Rachel Zegler praised Jamie Lloyd for making theatre accessible with the balcony scene.
Mary Earps received a retirement tribute at the Lionesses' World Cup qualifier against Spain at Wembley, retiring from England duty after losing her place to Hannah Hampton and criticizing manager Sarina Wiegman in her autobiography. According to The Independent - Sport, Sarina Wiegman said Mary Earps deserved a great farewell and was an inspiration.
Jamie Lloyd made theatre accessible with the balcony scene.
Jack Whitehall and Roxy Horner are getting married this weekend, with guests including James Corden and Jamie Redknapp. According to Daily Mail - Home, Jack Whitehall had a stag do where he started drinking Guinness at 11am and wore an inflatable crown, a Tottenham Hotspur shirt, and a cape.
Other nominated productions included Into the Woods and Paddington The Musical, each with 11 nominations, and All My Sons, Kenrex, and Stereophonic, each with six nominations.
Mary Earps deserved a great farewell and was an inspiration.
A £2 coin featuring a tiger, dove, and snail was launched to celebrate 200 years of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The coin was created by the Royal Mint in collaboration with ZSL and is available from April 14.
The exact date of the Olivier Awards ceremony is uncertain due to conflicting reports of 2025 versus 2026, affecting the timeline and context of the event. Whether Rosamund Pike and Robie Uniacke are officially married or just in a long-term partnership also remains unclear, despite Pike's references to him as her 'husband'. The environmental impact and details of the sustainable green carpet used at the ceremony are not specified, leaving questions about its materials and effectiveness.
My theatre heroes are Elaine Paige and my parents.
I felt astonished by the whole evening and couldn't believe some of the famous faces cheering me on.
The win felt crazy considering my breakthrough into musical theatre.
Doing two shows a day was exhausting and I lived 'like a monk' during the run.