Countdown to Wales Theatre Awards 2017 begins!

The countdown has begun to the most dramatic night in the Wales arts calendar, the Wales Theatre Awards annual celebration of the best in theatre, opera and dance across the nation.

This year the event is being held outside Cardiff for the first time, with Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University, hosting the sparkling ceremony.

This highlight of the arts calendar includes the presentation of much coveted trophies in 20 categories and also an evening of entertainment from some of Wales' finest new and established performers.

The awards are a valuable way of showing appreciation and providing recognition for the huge variety of work done by all practitioners of the theatrical community in Wales, whatever the size, language or discipline of the companies involved. The awards evening is also recognition of the contribution of arts writers and critics. Performers, writers, directors, singers and actors are nominated by critics who have reviewed performances created and presented in Wales between December 2015 and December 2016.

Awards Director Mike Smith said: "Over Christmas and New Year critics across Wales have been making up their minds about what shows, writers, individual artists and companies to nominate for the 2017 awards. Once all the nominations have been made, small groups of judges will then have the incredibly difficult task of selecting shortlists and ultimately the winners for each category from these nominations."

Last year's winners included actresses Sophie Melville and Carys Eleri, choreographers and dancers Gwyn Emberton and Eddie Ladd, directors Kate Wasserberg and Rachel O'Riordan, opera director David Pountney and actors Christian Patterson and Rhodri Evan. It was a particularly strong year for Cardiff's pub theatre, The Other Room.

Mike added: "What sets the WTAs apart is the diverse range of work that our critics see and nominate and this means our past winners have not only been large-scale works from large companies, but also small-scale shows and edgy new works that are frequently overlooked (if seen at all) in other award schemes. There's also no cost to take part and it is purely up to the critics to choose what is put forward for consideration."

Sybil Crouch, Head of Cultural Service, Swansea University, said: "Reviewing is crucial for the health of the arts, and the Wales Critics Fund is playing an important role in making sure artists, venues and audiences benefit from the analysis, opinion and feedback that reviewers provide."

The awards nominators include most of Wales' best-known professional critics along with new writers, students and bloggers working in English and Welsh, and is run by a not-for-profit Cardiff-based company, Arts Awards Ltd.

Supporters of the Fund range from large national companies including Welsh National Opera, National Dance Company Wales, Ballet Cymru, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and National Theatre Wales, to individual venues including Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales Millennium Centre and performing arts universities including University of Wales Trinity St David.

Kate Wasserberg, Artistic Director at The Other Room, said: "The Wales Theatre Awards have become a really important date in the diary for the whole arts community in Wales. We at The Other Room were absolutely delighted to win four awards in 2016 and the recognition and profile this has given us is invaluable. The Awards celebrate the richness of the cultural landscape in Wales, and draw much needed attention to the beautiful work being made by the many fantastic companies here - a vital service to the community."

The shortlists for the categories that include recognition for actors, singers, dancers, producers, writers and designers will be announced early February, and the winners will be revealed at the awards evening hosted by Taliesin Arts Centre on Saturday, February 25. Tickets will be available to purchase in mid-January.

• For more information visit Wales Theatre Awards online.