Congratulations to all the nominees and winners who contributed to an exciting year of theatre.

The Naledi Theatre Awards are proud to announce the Recipients of the Naledi Theatre Awards for productions staged in 2025:

SPECIAL AWARDS:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
ANDRÉ ODENDAAL

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
BRYAN HILL

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
DR. THEMBI MTSHALI-JONES

IN MEMORIAM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
BONGANI LINDA (RIP)

CEO’S AWARD – INNOVATION IN OR CONTRIBUTION TO THEATRE
SCENARIO PERFORMING ARTS


CATEGORY AWARDS:

BEST PRODUCTION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG AUDIENCES – SUPPORTED BY ASSITEJ SA
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID (DAPHNE KUHN AND VICKY FRIEDMAN)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PRODUCTION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
WINNIE SUE MABOEA (THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BEATRIX POTTER; NATIONAL CHILDREN’S THEATRE)

BEST PRODUCTION: FRINGE THEATRE
WILLS OF THE DEAD (ONDA_GROUND THEATRE COMPANY IN COLLABORATION WITH YOUTH IN TRUST)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A FRINGE THEATRE PRODUCTION
KHONAYE MAMANZI (WILLS OF THE DEAD; ONDA_GROUND THEATRE COMPANY IN COLLABORATION WITH YOUTH IN TRUST)

BEST PRODUCTION: STUDENT THEATRE
FLESH IN THE GARDEN (THE WITS SCHOOL OF ARTS AND WITS THEATRE)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A STUDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION
ULRICH SLABBERT (DIE EKSOTIESE EPILOOG VAN EDDIE; HOËRSKOOL STOFFBERG & SS STUDIOS, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ALLEGRETTO TONEELFEES)

BEST PRODUCTION: DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND BALLET
CARMINA BURANA (MOVING INTO DANCE)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND BALLET PRODUCTION
SYLVIA GLASSER (BAOBAB; MOVING INTO DANCE)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND BALLET PRODUCTION
MONIKE CRISTINA (MARIA CALLAS – PRIMA DONNA; MARIO GAGLIONE)

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: FEMALE
CHARLOTTE BUTLER (A DOLL’S HOUSE PART 2)

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: MALE
DAVID VIVIERS (OP DIE HOEK VAN STYX EN RIVER IS NORA PER ABUIS MET DIE DOOD OORGESLAAN)

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY
IVAN NEDELJKOVIC (SARAJEVO)

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
DANIEL CONRADIE (JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY/MOVEMENT DIRECTION IN A PLAY
LUYANDA SIDIYA (DANCING THE DEATH DRILL)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
DUANE ALEXANDER AND JARED SCHAEDLER (JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE / ARRANGEMENTS / SOUNDSCAPE
MCKENZIE MATOME, ZAKHELE MABENA AND SHALATE SEKHABI (THE FATHERLAND)

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTOR
KEVIN KRAAK (MY FAIR LADY)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SOLO PRODUCTION
IGNATIUS VAN HEERDEN (TRANS/VAAL)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SOLO COMEDY PRODUCTION (WITH ELEMENTS OF STAND-UP)
ALAN COMMITTIE (ALAN COMMITTIE’S COMEDY GOLD)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A CABARET, REVUE OR SMALL-SCALE MUSICAL PRODUCTION
DANIEL ANDERSON (THE TRAMP)

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ENSEMBLE OF JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (PIETER TOERIEN AND LAMTA)

BEST ENSEMBLE IN A PLAY
ENSEMBLE OF AFROPOCALYPSE (THE MARKET THEATRE AND MARKET THEATRE LABORATORY)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
MARITHA VISAGIE AND NEIL STUART HARRIS (MY FAIR LADY)

BEST THEATRE SET- AND AV DESIGN
SHERLDON MAREMA (THE FATHERLAND)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
WAYNE VAN DER SCHYFF-SMAL (BETOWER)

BEST SOUND DESIGN
MULTIMEDIA (JONATHAN ROXMOUTH – MY FAVOURITE BROADWAY)

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
ANTON LUITINGH AND DUANE ALEXANDER (JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT)

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
THORSTEN WEDEKIND (SARAJEVO)

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: FEMALE
HLENGIWE LUSHABA MADLALA (MUSIC IN THE AIR)

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: MALE
MARK RICHARDSON (MY FAIR LADY)

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: FEMALE
LEAH MARI (MY FAIR LADY)

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: MALE
CRAIG URBANI (MY FAIR LADY)

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: FEMALE
AIMÉE MICA KOMOROWSKY (SARAJEVO)

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: MALE
TSWARELO SELOLO (STEVOVO THE PUPPETEER)

BEST NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SCRIPT / ADAPTATION
MODISE SEKGOTHE (GABO LEGWALA)

BEST CABARET, REVUE OR SMALL-SCALE MUSICAL PRODUCTION
THRILL ME (PIETER TOERIEN)

BEST CUTTING-EDGE PRODUCTION
PROOI/PREY (LEFTFOOT THEATRE PRODUCTIONS AND THE DRAMA FACTORY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATE THEATRE)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
SARAJEVO (BEFORE THE END PRODUCTIONS AND DAPHNE KUHN)

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
MY FAIR LADY (PIETER TOERIEN AND CAPE TOWN OPERA)