Country United Kingdom | First awarded 1981 | |
Awarded for Excellence in British theatre Presented by The Manchester Evening News | ||
The Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards, commonly referred to as the MEN or M.E.N. Awards, recognise excellence in live British theatre. They are administered by The Manchester Evening News, and are presented at an annual ceremony in Manchester, England. The awards are for regional and West End productions, with the majority presented for the high-profile commercial productions seen in the large theatres of Manchester, commonly known as "Theatreland".
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History and significance
The awards were established in 1981, with the first ceremony held in a conference room of the former MEN building on Deansgate. The ceremony is now held at the Crowne Plaza Midland Hotel.
Since 1988, the award ceremony has been broadcast on UK national television and includes songs from the nominated musicals, as well as video clips of, or presentations about, nominated plays. Audience size for the telecast is generally well below that of other awards shows, but the programme reaches an affluent audience. Presenters have included Sally Lindsay, Denise Welch, Jane McDonald, Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair and John Thomson.
The awards have gained in prestige over the last several years, thanks to high-profile recipients such as Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Cameron Mackintosh, who was awarded a special lifetime achievement award in 2000. The awards are billed as the 'Oliviers of the North'.
In summer 2011, Manchester Evening News ended its association with the awards and disbanded the panel, blaming the "challenging economic climate". The 2010 awards had already dropped the ceremony to reduce costs, instead announcing the winners in a special supplement to the daily newspaper.
A group of former panel members announced in October 2011 that they were to continue the awards as an independent body under the name Manchester Theatre Awards.
Judging
The awards are judged by a diverse panel of judges from various areas of the entertainment industry and press, including the Manchester Evening News' own team of reviewers, the BBC, The Stage, Granada Television, the University of Manchester and casting agencies.
Trophy
The MEN Award trophy consists of the Greek Comedy and Tragedy masks, a mix of bronze and brass, with a nickel plating on the outside; a black acrylic glass base, and the nickel-plated pewter swivel.
Categories
The awards are presented across a range of categories covering plays, musicals, dance, opera and affiliate theatre. The awards for Best Actor In A British Soap, Best Actress In A British Soap and Performance Of The Year were voted for by readers of the Manchester Evening News.
Named awards include: