Welcome to the official site for the Laurence Olivier Awards, the most prestigious awards in London theatre and the highlight of the theatrical year.

The Laurence Olivier Awards 2009

This year's awards ceremony was held on Sunday 8 March at Grosvenor House Hotel, presented by James Nesbitt. Use the links below access our extensive coverage of the event. Video footage of all the awards being presented plus interviews with the winners is available on our player, right.

Quick links

• Official live text commentary
• List of winners
• Awards Photo Gallery
• Awards news stories

3 Feb 09 - Nominations announced!
Michael Gambon, Patrick Stewart and Ruthie Henshall are among the nominees for the 2009 Laurence Olivier Awards. Read the full story.

24 Feb 09 – Nominees’ Celebration: In the plush Pool Room of the Haymarket Hotel, the nominees gathered together to enjoy a glass of champagne and celebrate their achievements before the official ceremony. Read the full story, read the interviews, read the blog, watch the video or view the gallery.

The awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards were established in 1976 as The Society of West End Theatre Awards, and Lord Olivier agreed to have his name associated with them in 1984.

The Awards are run by The Society of London Theatre but are adjudicated by panels that are equally made up of members of the theatregoing public and experts chosen for their knowledge and professional experience. Read more information about the judging process.

The full list of winners from every year of the awards are available to download from the the link below. This file is in pdf format and will open in a new browser window.

Laurence Olivier Awards: full list of winners 1976-2008.