The 2016 Olivier Awards nominations announced

The Nominations for the 40th annual Laurence Olivier Awards have been announced today by actors Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton at a private ceremony at the Rosewood Hotel.

In a stronger year for new musicals, both new British and American musicals made it into the race for Best New Musical, with Bend it Like Beckham and Mrs Henderson Presents up against In The Heights and Kinky Boots - two musicals that have previously won Tony Awards for Best New Musical.

Performance awards favoured celebrities once again, with Nicole Kidman nominated for 'Photograph 51', with Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh and Benedict Cumberbatch all nominated for their stage roles over the past year. Mark Rylance, who last night won an Oscar Award, was nominated again for Best Actor for his role in 'Farinelli and the King'.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony held at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 03 April 2016.

Nominations.....

Best Actor
Kenneth Branagh - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick Theatre
Benedict Cumberbatch - Hamlet at the Barbican
Kenneth Cranham - The Father at the Wyndham's Theatre
Adrian Lester - Red Velvet at the Garrick Theatre
Mark Rylance - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's

Best Actress
Gemma Arterton - Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre
Denise Gough - People, Places and Things at the National Theatre
Nicole Kidman - Photograph 51 at the Noel Coward Theatre
Janet McTeer - Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar Warehouse
Lia Williams - Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mark Gatiss - Three Days in the Country at the National Theatre
Tom Sturridge - American Buffalo at the Wyndham's
Michael Pennington - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick
David Suchet - The Importance of Being Earnest at the Vaudeville

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Judi Dench - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick Theatre
Melody Grove - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's
Michele Dotrice - Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre
Catherine Steadman - Oppenheimer at the Vaudeville

Best New Play
Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's Theatre
Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's
The Father at the Wyndham's
People, Places and Things at National

Best Revival
Hamlet at the Barbican Theatre
Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the National Theatre
The Winter's Tale at the Garrick Theatre

Best Director
Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick
Robert Icke - Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre
Matthew Dunster - Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's Theatre
Jonathan Kent - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical
Ian Bartholomew - Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward Theatre
David Haigh - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre
Killian Donnelly - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
Jamie Parker - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre
Matt Henry - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical
Tracie Bennett - Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward
Natalie Dew - Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre
Laura Pitt-Pulford - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Open Air
Imelda Staunton - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Sophie Thompson - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
David Bedella - In the Heights at the King's Cross Theatre
Peter Davison - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Dan Burton - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Gavin Spokes - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Preeya Kalidas - Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre
Lara Pulver - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Amy Lennox - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
Emma Williams - Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward Theatre

Best New Musical
Bend it Like Beckahm at the Phoenix Theatre
Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
In The Heights at the King's Cross Theatre
Mrs Henderson Presents at the Noel Coward Theatre

Best Musical Revival
Bugsy Malone at the Lyric Hammersmith
Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Best Entertainment & Family
Alice's Adventures Underground at the Vaults
Dr Seuss' The Lorax at the Old Vic
I Want My Hat Back at the National Theatre
Peter Pan at the Regent's Park Open Air
Showstopper! at the Apollo Theatre

Best New Comedy
A Christmas Carol at the Duke of York's Theatre
Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre
Hand to God at the Vaudeville Theatre
Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Music
Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre
In The Heights at the King's Cross Theatre
Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's Theatre
Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer
Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright - Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre
Stephen Mear - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre
Drew McOnie - King's Cross Theatre
Jerry Mitchell - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Set Design
Hildegard Betchler - Oresteia at the Trafalgar Studios
Jonathan Fensom - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's
Es Devlin - Hamlet at the Barbican
Anna Fleische - Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's

Best Lighting Design
Neil Austin - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick
James Farncombe - People, Places and Things at the National
Natasha Chivers - Orestia at the Almeida
Mark Henderson - Gypsy at the Savoy

Best Costume Design
Gregg Barnes - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre
Jonathan Fensom - Farinelli and the King at the Duke of York's
Hugh Durrant - Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre
Katrina Lindsay - Bend it Like Beckham at the Phoenix Theatre

Best Sound Design
George Dennis - The Homecoming at the Trafalgar Studios
Christopher Shutt - The Father at the Wyndham's
Tom Gibbons - People, Places and Things at the National
Christopher Shutt - Hamlet at the Barbican

Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre
Barbarians at the Clare at the Young Vic
Phil Dunster for Pink Mist at the Bush
Pat Kinevane and Fishamble for Silent at the Soho
Violence and Son Jerwood Theatre Upstairs - Royal Court

Best new Opera Production
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at the ROH
Morgen Und Abend at the ROH
The Force of Destiny London Coliseum

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Antonio Pappano for his conducting at the ENO
Felicity Palmer for Queen of Spades at the Coliseum
Tamara Wilson for The Force of Destiny at the Coliseum

Best New Dance Production
He Who Falls at the Barbican Theatre
Romeo Et Juliette at the London Coliseum
Woolf Works at the Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Alessandra Ferri for Woolf Works at Royal Opera House
Javier De Frutos for choreography of Anatomy of a Passing Cloud at the Linbury Studio
Sasha Waltz for Sacre at Sadler's Wells