ABTT Awards

This award recognises an individual who is in mid-career and has worked with an industry leading level of technical excellence at all times. This Award is usually presented annually at the ABTT Theatre Show Awards in June.

Award Specification

The recipient of the ABTT Technician of the Year Award will normally meet all the following criteria:

1. They will have been pursuing full-employment in a backstage or production management career for a minimum of 10 years.

2. They will have predominantly worked in the presentation of live performance in places of entertainment: i.e. on theatre, dance or opera productions in theatres and opera houses or on theatrical experiences in non-conventional spaces.

3. They will have achieved a mastery of their chosen discipline(s) or craft(s).

4. They will be an expert practitioner.

5. They will have consistently delivered at a level of excellence throughout their career.

6. They will have sought to promote best practice and technical excellence while delivering world class performance.

Previous winners (since 2002) include:

Martin Chisnell (2019)
Malcolm Glanville (2018)
Charlotte Lockyer (2017)
Steve Huttly (2016)
Gavin Pell (2015)
Peter Lambert (2014)
Ben Sandford (2013)
Andy Brown (2012)
Alex Hitchcock (2011)
David Draude (2010)
John Tapster (2009)
Simon Stone (2008)
Othman ‘Hoffman’ McGregor-Read (2007)
Antony Bridges (2006, awarded posthumously)
Stuart Crane (2005)
Fraser Hall (2004)
Andy Voller (2003)
Nick Ware (2002)

This award is open to any company or individual whose products are substantially new to the market during the last twelve months and are available now for purchase, immediate delivery and use. To be considered, all entries must be available for adjudication during the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show on Wednesday 5 June 2019 at London’s Alexandra Palace, either on their exhibition stand (if being exhibited) or hosted by one of the pre-registered exhibitors.

Previous winners of the ABTT Theatre Awards “Sound Product of the Year” include:

Sennheiser | DIGITAL 6000 SK 6212 (2019)
EM Acoustics | EMS-41 (2018)
Shure ‘Axient Digital’ (2017)
Clear-Com FreeSpeak II Wireless Comms Base Station, presented by Autograph (2016)
S21 manufactured by DigiCo, presented by Autograph (2015)
Orbital Sound for Nemisis UNT-2D (2014)
KAN200 manufactured by K-array, promoted by Sennheiser (2013)
d&b Audiotechnik – V Series Speakers (2012)

This award is open to any company or individual whose products are substantially new to the market during the last twelve months and are available now for purchase, immediate delivery and use. To be considered, all entries must be available for adjudication during the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show on Wednesday 5 June 2019 at London’s Alexandra Palace, either on their exhibition stand (if being exhibited) or hosted by one of the pre-registered exhibitors.

Previous winners of the ABTT Theatre Awards Lighting Product of the Year include:

Robe | T1 Profile (2019)
Martin | Mac Encore Wash (2018)
City Theatrical ‘DMXcat’ (2017)
GLP Impression X4 Bar 20 LED Batten (2016)
ColorSource PAR manufactured by ETC (2015)
GDS for ArcLamp (2014)
PRG V276 (2013)
ETC – Source 4 LED Lustr+ (2012)

This award is open to any company or individual whose products are substantially new to the market during the last twelve months and are available now for purchase, immediate delivery and use. To be considered, all entries must be available for adjudication during the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show on Wednesday 5 June 2019 at London’s Alexandra Palace, either on their exhibition stand (if being exhibited) or hosted by one of the pre-registered exhibitors.

Previous winners of the ABTT Theatre Awards “Engineering Product of the Year” include:

AED Group | Showlift AED-SL18 (2019)
MDG | Round Floor Pocket (2018)
Doughty Engineering ‘3-position tank trap’ (2017)
Live Pipe, manufactured by Hoffend & Sons, presented by Hall Stage (2016)
ModTruss manufactured by Triple E (2015)
Doughty Engineering for Modular Rigging System (2014)
Batten Clew manufactured and promoted by Gerriets Great Britain Ltd (2013)
Metool Reels – Multicore Contactless Reeler (2012)

This award is open to any company or individual whose products are substantially new to the market during the last twelve months and are available now for purchase, immediate delivery and use. To be considered, all entries must be available for adjudication during the first day of the ABTT Theatre Show on Wednesday 5 June 2019 at London’s Alexandra Palace, either on their exhibition stand (if being exhibited) or hosted by one of the pre-registered exhibitors.

Previous winners of the ABTT Theatre Awards Widget of the Year include:

Mantracourt Electronics | BroadWeigh (2019)
Flints | 6 in 1 Stapler & 3 in 1 Stapler (2018)
White Light ‘Sparkular’ (2017)
Hatoscreen Projection Paint, presented by Flints Hire and Supply (2016)
Duke DCH 250/500 presented by Safety Lifting Gear (2015)
Flints with ’4 tools’ manufactured by Leading Edge (2014)
All Black Matt Gaffer Tape promoted by Flints (2013)
Bristol Paints – Aqua-Service Portable Wash-up & Recycling Water Unit (2012)

The ABTT Theatre Show Stand of the Year is open to Theatre Show Exhibitors of that year only.

Pre-submitted entries, via the Submission Form will be treated equally to those brought to the judges’ attention on the day, but early applications are encouraged, for advance distribution and perusal by the anonymous jury.

Previous winners of the ABTT Theatre Show Stand of the Year include:

TheatrePlan (2019)
Philips Lighting (2018)
Gerriets GB (2017)
ETC Ltd (2016)
Drapemakers (2015)
Rose Bruford College (2014)
Prompt Side Image Fabrication (2013)
Point Source Productions (2012)