Fierce Competition: Nominations Revealed for Matilda Awards - A Standout Year for Queensland Theatre
Queensland’s premier celebration of performing arts excellence, the Matilda Awards, has announced the nominees for its 38th year, with the Awards ceremony scheduled for its new home, the QPAC Playhouse on Monday 2 March 2026.
The 2025 nominations highlight the energy, diversity, and innovation within Queensland theatre, with strong representation from independent and regional companies.
In total, the Matilda Awards judging panel, led by Lead Judge Paul Dellit, viewed nearly 100 productions across the state, from intimate 50-seat venues to the 1600-seat QPAC Concert Hall.
Among the standout nominees, Queensland Theatre Company’s A Few Good Men leads with 7 nominations, with a large cast of 16 actors.
La Boîte Theatre Company’s Congratulations, Get Rich! and female-led company Belloo Creative’s Back to Bilo each received 5 nominations, highlighting the strength of mainstage theatre this year
Regional independent theatre is thriving, with Gympie-based Perseverance Street Theatre’s Pirates, Cowboys and Aliens earning 5 nominations, and Gold Coast’s Shock Therapy Arts Crossing the Divide receiving 4 nominations.
Emerging independent productions continue to shine, including Charlie & The Bin Chicken (Art For Earthlings), Into the Woods (Ad Astra), and emerging artists creating for Backbone Youth Arts Festival FUSE (Anabella Gregory), and Hot Girls Don’t Poo (Produced by Madeline Armit and Tainika Kane-Potaka).
Physical theatre and circus productions are well represented with Wired Differently (Zen Zen Zo/Undercover Artist Festival) and Living Sculptures: How The Birds Got Their Colours (Arc Circus & Yugambeh Aboriginal Dancers).
In its 20th year, Shake & Stir Theatre Co is also recognised for its world premiere musical, The Lovers.
The Awards span a range of categories, including, Best Mainstage Production, Best Independent Production, Best Performance in Leading and Supporting Roles, Best Musical or Cabaret, Best Circus or Physical Theatre Production and the Bille Brown Award for Best Emerging Artist.
The Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work and the Gold Matilda will also be announced on the night.
Chair of the Matilda Awards, Nigel Lavender, said this year’s nominations reflect the incredible creativity, energy, and ambition of Queensland’s theatre sector.
“From regional companies bringing fresh perspectives to major mainstage productions pushing the boundaries of performance, it will be a thrilling night to celebrate our artists in our new home on 2 March, " Nigel Lavender said.
Lead Judge Paul Dellit added the Matilda Awards judges were inspired by breadth of distinctive Queensland stories brought to life on stages across the state, from Gympie and the Gold Coast to Brisbane.
“The Judges saw close to 100 productions, spanning bold new works, innovative independent productions, and a remarkable depth of performance,” Paul Dellit said.
“This year’s Awards highlights how vibrant and varied our sector has become. Every nominee is already a winner in their own right.
“The Gold Matilda to be awarded on the night, stands as a distinguished honour, recognising an outstanding contribution to Queensland performing arts."
The winners will be revealed live on the night, making this a must-attend event for the arts community.
Tickets for the 2025 Matilda Awards go on sale Monday 2 February 2026 at 10am, with the ceremony held Monday 2 March 2026 from 7pm at QPAC Playhouse.
The Matilda Awards are proudly supported by Arts Queensland, Brisbane City Council, and QPAC.
Tickets available via QTIX.
Assets here.
For the full list of nominations and further details, visit matildaawards.com.au.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chelsea O'Brien
Aruga | 0431 113 046 | chelsea@aruga.com.au