Drum roll please... we reveal the nominees in the Waterford News & Star Green Room Awards 2026!

We are delighted to reveal here the shortlisted nominees for the Waterford News & Star Green Room Awards 2026, celebrating Waterford arts, theatre and culture. 

We have an incredible range of talent in Waterford across all genres of the arts, which is reflected in this shortlist of nominees. 

From the far reaches of the Gaeltacht in the west, to Dungarvan, the mid-county, the towns and villages of east Waterford, and the city itself with its range of theatres and arts spaces, people, young and older, are creating and making a valued contribution to Waterford's cultural and civic life.

Thanks to Pat McEvoy, Arts Correspondent for the Waterford News & Star, whose immense work throughout the year makes it possible for us to compile this shortlist, and honour and celebrate those who contribute to the arts in Waterford.

Thanks also to our Lifetime Achievement Award judging panel, which includes Michael Grant, Mary Frances Ryan, Editor Waterford News & Star, Pat McEvoy, Des O'Keeffe and Sarah Jane Cleary.

This year we will reveal the winners of the Waterford News & Star Green Room Awards online, commencing Friday, March 13, and across that Saturday and Sunday - watch this space!

Congratulations and the very best of luck to all the nominees!

Green Room Awards 2026 nominees… 

PROFESSIONAL THEATRE 

Best Stage Management

• Premier Hall, Portlaw: Jack and the Beanstalk
• Dunhill Community Centre: Many Young Men of Twenty 
• Garter Lane: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie 
• Garter Lane: Newsies (Soul Dance Arts) 
• Brewery Lane Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir: The Loves of Cass McGuire

Best Sound and Lighting 

• Theatre Royal: All Shook Up
• Garter Lane: Dances Like a Bomb
• Garter Lane: Word Against the Word
• Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir: The Addams Family

Best Set

• Theatre Royal: Heaven
• Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir: The Addams Family
• Garter Lane: Big Maggie
• Garter Lane: Seussical the Musical
• Garter Lane: A Streetcar named Desire

Best Ballet or Dance Performance

• Tower Hotel: Dungarvan & Waterford School of Ballet
• Garter Lane : Rachel Ní Bhraonáin’s MOSH
• Garter Lane: Dances like a Bomb
• Garter Lane: Dance Scratch Night

Best Male Performance in a Professional Play

• Andrew Bennett: Heaven, Theatre Royal
• Phelim Drew: Remembering Ronnie, Theatre Royal
• Michael Harding: Theatre Royal
• Patrick Ryan: Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party, Theatre Royal
• Keith Dunphy: Word against the Word, Garter Lane

Best Female Performance in a Professional Play

• Janet Moran: Heaven, Theatre Royal
• Imelda May: Mother of all the Behans, Theatre Royal
• Georgina Miller: Jilly Morgan’s Birthday Party, Theatre Royal
• Norma Sheehan: It’s Wine O’Clock Theatre Royal

Best Professional Play

• Heaven: Theatre Royal
• Remembering Ronnie: Theatre Royal
• Mother of all the Behans: Theatre Royal
• Word against the Word: Garter Lane

ART, CULTURE AND HERITAGE

• Best Exhibition: TBA
• Best Historical Talks: TBA
• Best Radio Series: TBA

AMATEUR DRAMA

Best New Play

• The Dark Room (Theatre Vamps Garter Lane 2)
• Hannah Carbery (Grasp, GOMA Garden)
• Declan Terry (The Ribbon Road, Halla Colmáin, An tSean-Phobail)
• Niamh Fennessy (Glue, Theatre Royal)
• Martina Collender (Still, We Sing; Near FM)

Best Supporting Actor in an Amateur Drama

• Tom Rogers (The Thrill of Love, Dungarvan Dramatic)
• Jonathan Whelan (Many Young Men of Twenty, Dunhill Players)
• Patrick Hennigan, (Upstairs @ Philly Grimes: Turn Around Theatre)
• Shane Flynn (Bouncers, Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society)
• Johnny Irish (Juno and the Paycock, Brewery Lane Theatre)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama

• Claire O’Halloran (The Thrill of Love, Dungarvan Dramatic)
• Ciara Burns (Many Young Men of Twenty, Dunhill Players)
• Chloe Dalton-O’Neill (Big Maggie, Waterford Dramatic Society 90th Production)
• Clodagh Kenny (A Streetcar Named Desire, Stagemad)
• Eibhlín Power (Juno and the Paycock, Brewery Lane Theatre)

Best Male Performance in an Amateur Drama

• Derek Flynn (The Dark Room, Theatre Vamps)
• David Marchant (Dress You Up, Theatre Royal)
• John Flynn (Macbeth, Dungarvan Town Hall)
• Barry Roe (A Streetcar Named Desire, Stagemad)
• Declan Terry (The Ribbon Road; Aisteoirí An tSean-Phobail)

Best Female Performance in an Amateur Drama

• Nicola Spendlove (The Dark Room, Theatre Vamps)
• Denise Quinn (Big Maggie, Waterford Dramatic Society 90th Production)
• Niamh Fennessy (Glue, Theatre Royal)
• Lauren Cardiff (A Streetcar Named Desire, Stagemad)
• Emma Walsh (Macbeth, Dungarvan Town Hall)

Best Director in an Amateur Drama

• Fidelma Meaney (The Thrill of Love, Dungarvan Dramatic)
• Frieda Ryan (Big Maggie, Waterford Dramatic Society 90th Production)
• Suzanne Shine (Brewery Lane Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir: The Loves of Cass McGuire)
• Veronica Coburn (Stories Sketched in Glass, Waterford Youth Arts, Garter Lane
• James Power (A Streetcar Named Desire, Stagemad)
• Derek Flynn (The Dark Room, Theatre Vamps)

Best Amateur Drama

• The Thrill of Love (Dungarvan Dramatic)
• Big Maggie (Waterford Dramatic Society 90th Production)
• The Loves of Cass McGuire (Brewery Lane Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• A Streetcar Named Desire (Stagemad)
• Glue (Theatre Royal)

MUSIC & MUSICALS

Best Youth Show

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (David Hennessy Stage School, Garter Lane)
• Six the Musical (Theatre Box, Garter Lane)
• Little Shop of Horrors (De La Salle College, DLS College Hall)
• SETU College Junior Strings Orchestras (SETU College Hill Campus) 
• Newsies (Soul Dance Arts, Garter Lane)
• Stories Sketched in Glass (Waterford Youth Arts, Garter Lane)
• Les Misérables (De La Salle College, DLS College Hall)

Best Youth Performance

• Alex Brophy as Candyman (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, David Hennessy Stage School, Garter Lane)
• Mary Duggan as Audrey (Little Shop of Horrors, De La Salle College, DLS College Hall)
• Brónagh Steenson as Katherine Plumber (Newsies, Soul Dance Arts, Garter Lane)
• Sadhbh Ní Chéilleachair (Saba’s Swim, Waterford Youth Arts, Garter Lane)
• Max Philpott as Javert (De La Salle College, DLS College Hall)

Best Costumes, Hair and Makeup

• Six the Musical (Garter Lane)
• The Addams Family (Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Garter Lane: Big Maggie (Waterford Dramatic Society 90th Production)
• All Shook Up (Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• The Addams Family Musical (Tramore Community Theatre Group, Theatre Royal)
• Cinderella (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Theatre Royal)
• Jack and the Beanstalk (SETU Arena)

Best Concert

• South East Technological University Concert (St Patrick’s Gateway)
• Waterford Chamber Music Festival (Mount Congreve)
• Omega Three Orchestra (Garter Lane)
• The Hibernian Orchestra (Symphony Club of Waterford, Christ Church)
• Notable Works (Brahms Requiem, St John’s Chapel)

Best Choir

• De La Salle School Choir
• Madrigallery
• Notable Works
• Intonations
• SETU Music School Youth Choir

Best Male Comic Performance

• Freddie Kelly (Jack and the Beanstalk, Portlaw Pantomime Society, Premier Hall, Portlaw)
• Timmy Maloney (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Ray Collins (The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal)
• Brian Tuohy (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto Cinderella, Theatre Royal)
• Richie Hayes (Jack and the Beanstalk, The SETU Arena Panto)

Best Female Comic Performance

• Derbhla Walsh (Portlaw Musical Society, Jack and the Beanstalk, Premier Hall, Portlaw)
• Liadhain O’Shea (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Anne-Marie Collins (All Shook Up, Theatre Royal)
• Martina Flynn (Theatre Royal, The Addams Family Musical)
• Brenda Giles (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)

Best Supporting Male Performance

• Cormac O’Donovan (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Conor Lyons (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Fionnan ‘Fatz’ Dunphy (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Tobie Hickey (Tramore Community Theatre Group, The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal)
• Adam O’Neill (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)

Best Supporting Female Performance in a Musical

• Jordan Freeman (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Aoife O’Connor (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Molly May Powell (Tramore Community Theatre Group, The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal)
• Jane Kennedy (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)
• Holly Ryan (Jack and the Beanstalk, The SETU Arena Panto)

Best Male Performance in a Musical

• Andrew O’Grady (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Eoin Sheedy (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Jordan Bass (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Kieran Walsh (Tramore Community Theatre Group, The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal)
• Evan O’Hanlon (Jack and the Beanstalk, The SETU Arena Panto)

Best Female Performance in a Musical

• Sandra Power (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Greta Rochford (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Jenna Dunphy (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Tara Whelan (Tramore Community Theatre Group, The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal)
• Aoife O’Connor (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)
• Alex Kavanagh (Jack and the Beanstalk, The SETU Arena Panto)

Best Choreographer

• Michelle Condon (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Ali Reville (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)
• Keith Dwyer-Greene (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Jack Cunningham (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Ali Reville (Tramore Community Theatre Group, The Addams Family Musical, Theatre Royal) 

Best Musical Director 

• Fergal Carroll (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Jimmy Brockie (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Andrew Lane (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Kevin O’Carroll (Brahms Requiem, Notable Works, St. John’s Chapel)
• Wayne Brown (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)

Best Director in a Musical

• Andrew Holden (The Addams Family, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• David Hennessy (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Garter Lane)
• Jack Cunningham (All Shook Up, Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Tony Corcoran (Waterford Panto Society’s 40th Anniversary Panto, Cinderella, Theatre Royal)
• Richie Hayes (Jack and the Beanstalk, The SETU Arena Panto)

Best Musical

• The Addams Family Musical (Carrick-On-Suir Musical Society, Dick Meany Theatre, Carrick-on-Suir)
• Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Quay Players Musical and Dramatic Society, Garter Lane)
• All Shook Up (Jack Cunningham Productions, Theatre Royal)
• Cinderella (Waterford Panto Society Anniversary 40th Anniversary Panto, Theatre Royal)
• Jack and the Beanstalk (Richie Hayes, The SETU Arena Panto)

Outstanding Event of the Year: TBA

Lifetime Achievement Award: TBA