Nica Burns, Citizens Theatre and Claybody Theatre Among Winners at First Great British Theatres Awards

Nica Burns, the Citizens Theatre and Claybody Theatre were among the winners at the first Great British Theatres Awards, held at Central Hall Westminster in London on Monday 2 November 2026.

The awards do not honour shows. They celebrate theatre buildings, organisations and individuals instead, so the prizes go to the people and places that keep the stages going rather than to a single production or performance. That makes them different from the better-known prizes for individual productions and actors.

Theatres Trust, the organisation that champions theatre buildings, launched the awards to mark its 50th anniversary. It announced them on 19 March 2026. In October, the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, two bodies that speak for theatre producers and venues, welcomed the launch.

Julie Hesmondhalgh received the first Lifetime Achievement Award, which was announced in October. The ceremony itself drew a range of speakers from across the sector, and the night's loudest line came from the actor and musician Gary Kemp, who attended the event. His rallying cry was "Draining the arts is no way to create a community."

That message sits at the centre of the debate about public money for theatre. Arts funding in England, Scotland and Wales comes from national bodies and local councils, and many subsidised theatres have spent the past few years warning about tighter budgets. Kemp's remark was a call for support rather than a figure or a policy, and it was not tied to a specific funding decision on the night.

Hammed Animashaun was also among those who spoke about the awards. WhatsOnStage has released a bonus episode of its podcast, hosted by Sarah Crompton and Alex Wood, in which Nica Burns, Gary Kemp, Hammed Animashaun and other winners talk about the event. Listeners can hear the winners in their own words, a few days after the night itself.

For anyone who has ever sat in a theatre on a wet weeknight, the awards offer a different kind of thanks. They look past the stage to the buildings, the staff and the organisations behind every ticket. The first set of winners has now been named, and the awards will return in future years.