Registrations for the 2025 Tasmanian Theatre Awards (shows January to December 2024) are now CLOSED.  

Registrations for the 2025 Tasmanian Theatre Awards closed on 5th October 2024. 

The Tasmanian Theatre Awards are managed and presented by the Theatre Council of Tasmania (TCT). They celebrate excellence and achievement in theatre throughout Tasmania, with over 30 awards offered across three categories:

1. Professional Theatre
2. Community Theatre
3. Musical Theatre

Registered theatre productions are assessed during a single calendar year (1 January to 31 December), with nominations announced early the following year ahead of the Awards event in around late February or early March.

Choosing the right category

If you’re registering a show that’s not a musical, you should choose either the Professional Theatre or Community Theatre category based on the nature of your production. TCT permits companies to self-identify as professional, but we do provide some guidance to assist you. Professional productions tend to meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • All performers and creatives are paid at professional (i.e. industry award) rates

  • The majority of cast members perform as actors as their sole or primary occupation, have an established history of performing in productions for recognised professional companies and/or have completed tertiary training at a recognised theatre training institution

  • Performers are all adults, unless there are roles in the show written specifically for children

  • Where the production is a licensed show, the company has paid for the professional license rather than the amateur license

The Musical Theatre category covers musical theatre shows where singing is a major and essential element of the performance (as distinct from plays with music or pure dance productions). Musicals may be entered in this category regardless of whether they are produced on a professional or community theatre basis. This category includes specific awards recognising musical direction and choreography, and its judging panel includes members with expertise in those disciplines.

Eligibility

When you register your production for the Awards you confirm that:

  • The producer/company staging your production is a current financial organisation member of TCT.

  • Your production is being produced by a Tasmanian-based producer/company and is being performed within this State.

  • If you’re registering in the Community Theatre or Musical Theatre category, your production includes a minimum of five (5) performances OR at least two (2) performances that take place on separate weekends.

  • You'll provide each judge with two (2) tickets and a program (if available) for judging purposes. Between three and five judges will attend your production. Judges will book their tickets directly with the person you nominate as the contact for your production. 

  • You have secured any licence required to publicly perform the production from the author of the work or their agent.

  • Upon request, you'll provide us with electronic and/or hard copies of your poster, program and on-stage photos, and you agree that TCT may use any of these materials for judging and/or promotional purposes.

  • The members of your cast and production team understand and accept their automatic inclusion for the full range of Tasmanian Theatre Awards (note that individuals involved in your production don’t have to be current TCT members).

To register your production, simply submit the online registration below with as much notice as possible, but at least six weeks prior to your show opening.

Once we receive your registration we'll get in touch with you to provide further information about requirements for the assessment process. TCT aims to increase audience participation across Tasmania and seeks your support in offering TCT individual members a special or concession ticket price.

You may not register a production that has previously been assessed for the Awards in a prior year or years unless it is a new production (rather than a restaging of a previously produced work).

Judging

The judges on our Professional Theatre, Community Theatre and Musical Theatre panels bring a high level of skill and experience to their roles, gained over many years working within the performing arts sector. They take on considerable responsibility, not only for the amount of time they volunteer in travelling around Tasmania to complete their assessments but also for the professional, considerate and ethical manner in which they undertake this role. 

Each judging panel operates independently of the other two and is responsible for the assessment of all productions registered within their particular Awards category. TCT policy requires that no member of a particular panel can be personally involved in, or connected to, any production that comes before that panel for assessment during the judging period. Where any conflict of interest might occur, a judge will stand aside from the panel and all judging in that year.

TCT has approved a set of Judging Guidelines, which provide a range of common criteria that can be referenced by individual judges as they assess various productions throughout the year.

Production companies are asked to refrain from seeking individual judges' assessments following a particular production.

Scripts nominated for the Best New Writing award are assessed by a separate panel through TCT’s partnership with Australian Plays Transform.

Registration for the Tasmanian Theatre Awards

To register a production you must be an organisation member of the Theatre Council of Tasmania. If your organisation is not currently a member, click here to join TCT.

Registrations for the 2025 Tasmanian Theatre Awards (shows January to December 2025) will open 1st December 2024.