The Pantomime Awards 2023 - Winners List in full

The Pantomime Awards 2023 were held last night at London's Trafalgar Theatre held by The UK Pantomime Association.

The Cast of Mother Goose - Best Pantomime (500 - 900 seats). Photo: Bekki Frost

The UK Pantomime Association (UKPA) has announced the winners of The Pantomime Awards 2023 in association with Butlin's at a star-studded ceremony that took place at the Trafalgar Theatre in London's West End on the evening of Tuesday 11 April 2023.  

Su Pollard was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement Award for her many decades of passion and commitment to treading the boards in pantomimes around the country. 

Su Pollard.

The Special Recognition Awards, which celebrate productions and individuals representing the values that the Association seeks to promote, were given to Ian McKellen for passionate advocacy and services to the artform of pantomime, Cast, Doncaster, for their ongoing commitment to integrated BSL signing in pantomime and Theatre Royal Stratford East for their continued innovative and inclusive practice in the field of pantomime. 

Ian McKellen

The full list of winners is: 

The ceremony was hosted by the UKPA's President Christopher Biggins. The Pantomime Awards presenters included Nigel Clarke, Max Fulham, Derek Griffiths, Amanda Lovett and Theo Mayne, Debbie McGee, Gracie McGonigal, Scott Mitchell and Vikki Stone. There were performances from Anna-Jane Casey, Gigi Zahir, Myra DuBois and a specially curated performance from Butlin's.  

Anna Jane Casey

Simon Sladen, Chair of the UK Pantomime Association said: "Congratulations to all our nominees and winners. The Pantomime Awards celebrate an array of outstanding talent and demonstrate an industry alive and thriving. The commitment, creativity and passion on show each season makes pantomime one of the most thrilling of all theatrical genres. The UK Pantomime Association is proud to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding skill, expertise and excellence upon the pantomime stage." 

Butlin's is the principal sponsor for the UK Pantomime Awards 2023. Entertainment Director Mike Godolphin said: "A huge congratulations to everyone nominated for an award and of course the winners. We're proud to be supporting the industry by sponsoring these awards for the second year in a row. Pantomime is an important part of Butlin's and as the home of entertainment, our cast perform in front of thousands of guests live at our three resorts on every family break."

Founded in 2021, the UK Pantomime Association is a charity that explores, shares and celebrates pantomime by investigating the genre's rich past, engaging with contemporary practice and inspiring the future.   

During the 2022/23 pantomime season, the second year in which The Pantomime Awards have taken place, the UK Pantomime Association's 64 judges attended over 240 venues to see over 700 performances, far and wide across the United Kingdom.   

Find out more about the UK Pantomime Association