The Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards were the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city,

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, from 1992–2014, and have been succeeded by the

Wellington Theatre Awards The Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai / Wellington Theatre Awards are the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington established in 2015 after the previous awards sponsor ended their support. They are awarded annually. The prev ...

. Established in 1992 and sponsored by law firm Chapman Tripp, the prestigious awards were a highlight in Wellington's art and social calendar. The presentations also recognised important contributions to the arts and the community. The winners were selected by a panel of Wellington theatre critics. In 2014 Chapman Tripp ended their 22 year sponsorship due to a shift in their corporate social responsibility programme. The main theatres in Wellington such as

BATS Theatre BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zeala ...

, Circa Theatre, and

Downstage Theatre Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Sunny Amey, Mervyn Thompson, and Colin ...

each had an individual ''Production of the Year'' award for their best production during the year. Rachel House by Gage Skidmore

Notable winners

Winners at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards include the most acclaimed names in New Zealand theatre. Such names include directors such as multiple winner

Colin McColl Sir Colin Hugh Verel McColl, (born 6 September 1932) was Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) from 1989 to 1994. Career Educated at Shrewsbury School and at The Queen's College, Oxford, McColl joined the diplomatic service in 1 ...

(Laureate Award, Arts Foundation of New Zealand 2007),

Miranda Harcourt Miranda Catherine Millais Harcourt (born 1962) is a New Zealand actress and acting coach. Harcourt's acting career began playing boy characters on Radio New Zealand in the early 1970s. She is best known for her role as Gemma in the 1980s TV d ...

, Susan Wilson,

Nathaniel Lees Nathaniel Lees is a New Zealand theatre actor and director and film actor of Samoan descent, best known for film roles in ''The Matrix Reloaded'', '' The Matrix Revolutions'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' and for starring in '' Y ...

Cathy Downes Catherine Patricia Downes (born 1951) is a New Zealand theatre director, actor, dramaturg and playwright. Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Ngāi Tahu. Downes wrote a one-woman play ''The Case of Katherine Mansfield'', which she has perfor ...

, Ross Jolly and Rachel Teaomarama House. ''Best Actress'' winners include

Jennifer Ludlam Jennifer Kay "Jenny" Ludlam (born 23 July 1951 in Taumarunui, New Zealand) is a New Zealand-born actress, who remains best known for her roles in Australian television. Acting roles In Australia, she was a regular cast member in the short-li ...

, Katherine McRae, Carmel McGlone, Grace Hoet and

Madeleine Sami Madeleine Nalini Sami is a New Zealand actress, director, comedian and musician. She started her acting career in theatre before moving to television, where she created, wrote, and starred in ''Super City''. She co-wrote, co-directed, and starr ...

. ''Best Actor'' winners include

Ray Henwood Charles Raymond Henwood (15 January 1937 – 26 August 2019) was a Welsh-born New Zealand actor. He was married to district court judge Carolyn Henwood, and was the father of New Zealand comedian Dai Henwood. Born in Swansea, Wales, on 15 ...

Tim Balme Timothy Guy Balme (born 18 January 1967) is a New Zealand actor and screenwriter. He's most well known for his roles on the long-running soap opera ''Shortland Street'' and '' Mercy Peak'', as well as lead roles in the cult favourites '' Braind ...

Grant Tilly Grant Leonard Ridgway Tilly (12 December 1937 – 10 April 2012) was a New Zealand stage, movie and television actor, set designer, teacher and artist. Life and career Grant Tilly was educated in Wellington, taking art at Wellington Tech ...

Dave Fane David Rodney Fane (born 28 December 1966) is a New Zealand actor of Samoan descent. Early life and education Fane was educated at St. Pauls College in Grey Lynn. Career Fane got into acting quite late and trained at the New Zealand Drama ...

and

Peter Hambleton Peter Hambleton (born 1960) is a New Zealand stage, film and television actor, and stage director. Hambleton graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1982 with a Diploma in Acting. In 2002 Hambleton was a New Zealand Shakespeare ...

. In 2006, acclaimed Maori actor

George Henare George Winiata Henare (born 11 September 1945) is a New Zealand actor with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Born in Gisborne on 11 September 1945, the third youngest in a family of ten children, Henare affiliates to the Māori trib ...

(NZ Laureate Award, Arts Foundation of New Zealand 2008) received a Chapman Tripp ''Best Actor'' Award for his portrayal of

Willy Loman William "Willy" Loman is a fictional character and the protagonist of Arthur Miller's play ''Death of a Salesman'', which debuted on Broadway with Lee J. Cobb playing Loman at the Morosco Theatre on February 10, 1949. Loman is a 63-year-old t ...

in Circa Theatre's ''Death of a Salesman''. Playwrights include David Geary,

Briar Grace-Smith Briar Grace-Smith is a screenwriter, director, actor, and short story writer from New Zealand. She has worked as an actor and writer with the Maori theatre cooperative Te Ohu Whakaari and Maori theatre company He Ara Hou. Early plays ''Don't Ca ...

Hone Kouka Hone Vivian Kouka is a New Zealand playwright. He has written 13 plays, which have been staged in New Zealand and worldwide including Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia and Britain. Kouka's plays have won multiple awards at the Chapman Tripp T ...

Hori Ahipene Hori Ahipene is an actor and director in theatre, film and television in New Zealand. He's also an award-winning playwright with the Māori play ''Hide 'n Seek'' co-written with Hone Kouka. He became a well known face in New Zealand for his drama ...

and

Kirk Torrance Kirk Torrance is an actor and playwright from New Zealand, best known for his role as Wayne Judd in '' Outrageous Fortune''. He is also a former Commonwealth Games swimmer. Career His debut play ''Strata'' (2003) won Best New Playwright at the ...

1992 awards

1993 awards

1994 awards

1995 awards

1996 awards

1997 awards

1998 awards

1999 awards

2000 awards

2001 awards

2002 awards

2003 awards

2004 awards

2005 awards

2006 awards

The 2006 winners were announced at an award ceremony hosted by mayor

Kerry Prendergast Dame Kerry Leigh Prendergast (née Ferrier, born 28 March 1953) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 33rd Mayor of Wellington between 2001 and 2010, succeeding Mark Blumsky. She was the second woman to hold the position, after Fran W ...

on the 7 December 2006.

2007 awards

The 2007 winners were announced on 3 December 2007.

2008 awards

The 2008 awards were announced on 7 December 2008.

2009 awards

The 2009 awards were announced on 6 December 2009.

2010 awards

The 2010 awards were announced on 5 December 2010 at Wellington Opera House. A Critics' Wildcard Award was introduced this year, for "outstanding work in an area not otherwise covered by the awards".

2011 awards

The 2011 awards were presented at the Wellington Opera House on 4th December, as follows:

2012 awards

The 2012 awards were presented on 9th December 2012 at the Paramount Theatre, Wellington, as follows:

2013 awards

The 2013 awards were presented on the 15 December 2013 at the Paramount Cinema in Wellington, as follows:

2014 awards

The 2014 awards were presented on Sunday 14 December 2014, at the Paramount Theatre in Wellington, as follows: {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Award !! Winner , - , Actress of the Year , , Erin Banks in ''Constellations'' , - , Actor of the Year , , Gavin Rutherford in ''A View From the Bridge'' , - , Costume Designer of the Year , , Donna Jefferis for ''Equivocation'' , - , Director of the Year , ,

for ''Equivocation'' , - , Lighting Designer of the Year , , Rowan McShane for ''A Play About Fear'' , - , Mayor's Award for Significant Contribution to the Theatre , , Simon Bennett and Simon Elson "for their restructure of

Bats Theatre BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zeala ...

in 1989" , - , Most Original Production of the Year , , ''Dinner with Izzy and Simon'' by Isobel MacKinnon and Simon Haren , - , Most Promising Female Newcomer of the Year , , Neenah Dekkers-Reihana in ''4 Billion Likes'' , - , Most Promising Male Newcomer of the Year , , Tom Eason in ''Equivocation'' , - , Most Promising New Director of the Year , , Samuel Phillips for ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' , - , Outstanding Composer of Original Music , , David Ward for ''Kiss The Fish'' , - , Outstanding Performance , , Hannah Banks in ''Watch'' , - , Peter Harcourt Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the Year , , Chris Molloy for ''Putorino Hill'' , - , Production of the Year , , ''Equivocation'' by Circa Theatre , - , Set Designer of the Year , , Meg Rollandi for ''Watch'' , - , Sound Designer of the Year , , Tane Upjohn-Beatson for ''Watch'' , - , Supporting Actress of the Year , , Julia Croft in ''Kiss The Fish'' , - , Supporting Actor of the Year , , Calum Gittins in ''Riding In Cars With Mostly Straight Boys'' , - , The Absolutely Positively Outstanding New New Zealand Play of the Year , , ''Kiss The Fish'' by

Jacob Rajan Jacob Rajan is a Malaysian-born-New Zealand playwright and actor. His highly successful plays include the trilogy ''Krishnan's Dairy'', ''The Candlestick Maker'' and ''The Pickle King''. Another work was ''The Dentist's Chair''. In 2002, he r ...

and Justin Lewis , - , Critics' Wild Card Award , Deb McGuire, "for technical operation and extraordinary support beyond the call of duty."

References

New Zealand awards Theatre in New Zealand New Zealand theatre awards