First published: 24 Apr 2008

Best Comedy

Winner: Mojo by Jez Butterworth at the Royal Court

Nominees:

• Communicating Doors by Alan Ayckbourn at the Gielgud and the Savoy
• Funny Money by Ray Cooney at the Playhouse
• Mojo by Jez Butterworth at the Royal Court

Best Actress

Winner: Judi Dench for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:

• Judi Dench for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton
• Diana Rigg for Mother Courage And Her Children at the National Theatre Olivier
• Zoe Wanamaker for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
• Lia Williams for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's

Best Actor

Winner: Alex Jennings for Peer Gynt, RSC at the Young Vic

Nominees:

• Michael Gambon for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's
• Alex Jennings for Peer Gynt, RSC at the Young Vic
• Daniel Massey for Taking Sides at the Criterion
• Donal McCann for The Steward Of Christendom at the Royal Court

Best Director

Winner: Sam Mendes for Company at the Donmar Warehouse and The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy

Nominees:

• Richard Eyre for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's, and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton
• Sam Mendes for Company at the Donmar Warehouse and The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
• Adrian Noble for A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC at the Barbican
• Matthew Warchus for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier and Henry V, RSC at the Barbican

Best Set Designer

Winner: John Napier for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Nominees:

• John Gunter for Skylight at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's, Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton  and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
• Rob Howell for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
• John Napier for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
• Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC at the Barbican, La Grande Magia and The Way Of The World at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Lighting Designer

Winner: David Hersey for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy, and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican

Nominees:

• Mark Henderson for Absolute Hell and La Grande Magia, both at the National Theatre Lyttelton, and Indian Ink at the Aldwych
• David Hersey for Burning Blue at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy, and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
• Peter Mumford for Richard II at the National Theatre Cottesloe, Mother Courage And Her Children and Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier
• Chris Parry for A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC at the Barbican and The Way of the World at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Costume Designer

Winner: Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC at the Barbican, The Way Of The World and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Nominees:

• Deirdre Clancy for Absolute Hell at the National Theatre Lyttelton and Twelfth Night, RSC at the Barbican
• Nicky Gillibrand for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
• Richard Hudson for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier
• Anthony Ward for A Midsummer Night's Dream, RSC at the Barbican,  The Way Of The World and La Grande Magia at the National Theatre Lyttelton

Best Theatre Choreographer

Winner: Dein Perry for Tap Dogs at Sadler's Wells

Nominees:

• Lars Bethke for Fame The Musical at the Cambridge
• Wayne McGregor for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
• Dein Perry for Tap Dogs at Sadler's Wells

Best New Opera Production

Winner: The Royal Opera's Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

• The Royal Opera's Billy Budd at the Royal Opera House
• English National Opera's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the London Coliseum
• The Royal Opera's Salome at the Royal Opera House
• The Royal Opera's Siegfried at the Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Opera

Winner: Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera's Siegfried and Gotterdammerung at the Royal Opera House

Nominees:

• Bernard Haitink for conducting The Royal Opera's Siegfried and Gotterdammerung at the Royal Opera House
• Jonathan Miller for his direction of English National Opera's Carmen at the London Coliseum
• Bryn Terfel for his performance in The Royal Opera's Salome at the Royal Opera House
• John Tomlinson for his performances in The Royal Opera's Billy Budd and Siegfried at the Royal Opera House

Best New Dance Production

Winner: Adventures in Motion Pictures's Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells

Nominees:

• Arc Dance Company's Saints And Shadows at Sadler's Wells
• 10 Dancers Ensemble's SH-BOOM at Sadler's Wells
• Adventures in Motion Pictures's Swan Lake at Sadler's Wells
• Les Ballets de Monte Carlo's Who Cares? at Sadler's Wells

Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Winner: Siobhan Davies for Siobhan Davies Dance Company's The Art Of Touch at Sadler's Wells

Nominees:

• Deborah Bull for her performance in The Royal Ballet's Steptext at the Royal Opera House
• Siobhan Davies for Siobhan Davies Dance Company's The Art Of Touch at Sadler's Wells
• Sylvie Guillem for her performance in Bejart Ballet Lausanne's Episodes at Sadler's Wells
• Marion Tait for her performance in Birmingham Royal Ballet's Pillar Of Fire at the Royal Opera House

Best Supporting Performance

Winner: Simon Russelll Beale for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

• Claire Skinner for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse and the Comedy
• Ben Chaplin for The Glass Menagerie at the Donmar Warehouse
• Geraldine McEwan for The Way Of The World at the National Theatre Lyttelton
• Simon Russelll Beale for Volpone at the National Theatre Olivier

Best Actor in a Musical

Winner: Adrian Lester for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:

• Brian Conley for Jolson The Musical at the Victoria Palace
• Ross Lehman for Hot Mikado at the Queen's
• Adrian Lester for Company at the Donmar Warehouse
• Clarke Peters for Unforgettable at the Garrick

Best Actress in a Musical

Winner: Judi Dench for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier

Nominees:

• Judi Dench for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
• Elizabeth Mansfield for Marie at the Fortune
• Caroline O'Connor for Mack & Mabel at the Piccadilly
• Elaine Paige for Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi

Best Supporting Performance in a Musical

Winner: Sheila Gish for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

Nominees:

• John Bennet for Jolson The Musical at the Victoria Palace
  
• Sheila Gish for Company at the Donmar Warehouse
• Sian Phillips for A Little Night Music at the National Theatre Olivier
  
• Sophie Thompson for Company at the Donmar Warehouse

The American Express Award for Best New Musical

Winner: Jolson The Musical, written by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson, at the Victoria Palace

Nominees:

• Fame The Musical, conceived and developed by David de Silva, book by Jose Fernandez, lyrics by Jacques Levy, music by Steve Margoshes, at the Cambridge
• Hot Mikado, book and lyrics by David H Bell, music adapted and arranged by Rob Bowman, based on "The Mikado" by Lus Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, at the Queen's
• Jolson The Musical, written by Francis Essex and Rob Bettinson, at the Victoria Palace
• Mack & Mabel, book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, at the Piccadilly

BBC Award for the Play of the Year

Winner: Skylight by David Hare at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's

Nominees:

• Pentecost by David Edgar, RSC at the Young Vic
• Skylight by David Hare, at the National Theatre Cottesloe and the Wyndham's
• The Steward Of Christendom by Sebastian Barry at the Royal Court
• Taking Sides by Ronald Harewood at the Criterion

The Society's Special Award

Harold Pinter