22 January, 2026
Presentation lunchtime June 3rd 2026 Alexandra Palace (ABTT Show)
In February we open nominations for the 2026 SMA Awards, now in our 38th year!
Its time to start thinking about nominating SMs and teams you have worked with between August 2025 and May 2026.
We are looking for excellence and outstanding or out of the ordinary contributions to your shows by an individual SM team member, a whole team, a new entrant, or even over a lifetime!
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Excellence isn’t just about crisis management!
Stage management often shine as much in the small things on a show as the big issues. Help SMA to shout out in the 2026 Awards for the small things that SMs do which make a big, big difference : fantastic support way beyond the norm. for the acting company on a testing show. Coming up with the perfect prop which makes the scene. A ‘stroke of genius’ piece of scheduling which saves the day in a complex tech. Creative contributions in the rehearsal room which hit just the right note... Producers, Directors and casts know that stage management often shine in the mundane details of productions
Nominate your quiet heroes in 2026- see the links below
Neither you nor your nominee(s) need to be SMA members. We welcome award nominations from everyone in our theatre and live events communities: casts, creatives, producers, directors, and all colleagues backstage including fellow SMs.
The only nominations we don't except are self-nominations. Nominators cannot also be nominees in the same category!
The awards to be announced will be:
Antonia Collins award for Outstanding early career SMs -any theatre colleague can nominate Antonia Collins Award for Outstanding Early Entrant Stage Manager - Google Forms
SMA Team Excellence Award -any theatre colleague can nominate SMA Award for Outstanding team work and Excellence - Google Forms
Outstanding lndividual stage manager - any theatre colleague can nominate SMA Awards: Award for Outstanding Individual Stage Manager - Google Forms
Stage Managers’ Theatre of the year Any stage manager can nominate their favourite theatre SMA Awards Vote for your favourite UK Theatre - Google Forms
Our Judges will also be seeking suggestions for the long list for the David Ayliff Award for Lifetime Achievement in Stage Management
All nomination forms are accessible via links on this page, and can be submitted online.
Please submit your nomination as soon as possible to meet the deadlines for shortlisting.
In most categories there will be a Longlist and Judges will select nominations for the Shortlist. The shortlist cut will be in the week of 13th April and nominators may be contacted for further information and evidence to be submitted at this time prior to final judging
Final Deadline for all nominations to be received is 15th May 2026 - but see shortlist info above.
Please include as much information as possible with your nominations, including evidence from colleagues, pictures and programmes or reviews as appropriate
SMA Awards Ceremony will be hosted by ABTT Theatre Show at lunchtime on
3rd June 2026,followed by a drinks reception.
ABTT Theatre Show Alexandra Palace, London N22 7AY
