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Tuesday, 23 June 2015

The Perth International Arts Festival’s biggest-ever event has won a Helpmann Award for Best Special Event as well as 13 prestigious Helpmann Award nominations for artists and performers at the 2015 Festival.

The nominations were announced last night in Sydney, and included Best Special Event Award for The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth by Royal de Luxe, which opened the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival.

The annual Helpmann Awards recognise distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in the many disciplines of Australia’s vibrant live performance sectors, including musical theatre, contemporary music, comedy, cabaret, opera, classical music, theatre, dance and physical theatre.

Perth Festival also received four nominations for The Rabbits, co-commissioned with Melbourne Festival. The production had its sold-out world premiere in the opening weekend of the 2015 Festival.

The Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company work, in association with West Australian Opera was nominated for: Best New Australian Work; Best Original Score for Kate Miller-Heidke with Iain Grandage; Best Costume Design for Gabriela Tylesova; and Best Presentation for Children.

Perth Festival received two nominations for Madama Butterfly by English National Opera, Metropolitan Opera and Lithuanian National Opera in association with West Australian Opera and Perth International Arts Festival. After a Festival sell-out production, Madama Butterfly was nominated for Best Opera and Best Male Performer in an Opera for Adam Diegel.

The Festival received a nomination for Best Australian Contemporary Concert for Chet Faker’s national tour, presented by Chet Faker, Frontier Touring, Artist Voice, Opulent, Future Classics and Perth International Arts Festival.

Two artists in the 2015 Festival were nominated for Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production: Davy and Kristin McGuire for The Paper Architect and Arts Centre Melbourne and Circa’s Beyond by Circa.

Perth Festival was well represented in classical music with nominations for Best Chamber and/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert for Les Arts Florissants’ In an Italian Garden; and The Sixteen’s The Queen of Heaven.  Founder and musical director of Les Arts Florissants William Christie is also nominated for Best Individual Classical Performance.

Another highlight of the 2015 Festival, Musica Viva’s Tafelmusik – House of Dreams was nominated for Best Symphony Orchestra Concert.

Perth Festival Artistic Director Wendy Martin congratulated all nominees.

“The opening weekend of Perth International Arts Festival this year was an exceptional experience with The Giants taking over the streets and The Rabbits delighting everyone who saw it,” she said.

“It’s great to see both projects receive this well-deserved recognition and to see so many nominations across such a wide range of art forms.”

The Helpmann Awards will be announced on Monday 27 July at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.

Media references

Rania Ghandour (PIAF Media Relations Manager)      (+61 8) 6488 8618 / (+61 4) 03 025 535
David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager)    (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716

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