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1998
Presented by Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Robyn Archer at a ceremony in the Lion Bar and Bistro.
The awards comprised cash prizes of $1500 supported by Living Gealth and featured the inaugural award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts in South Australia.
GROUP AWARD
Vitalstatistix
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Rosalba Clemente
OUTSTANDING EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Teresa La Rocca
INAUGURAL EMINENCE AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS
Don Dunstan
SPECIAL AWARD
Bill Gillespie
Artistic Director of the Ring Corporation
for his outstanding contribution towards opera in South Australia
1999
Under the title of ACColades, the awards were presented by State Theatre Artistic Director Rosalba Clemente at a ceremony in Greenhill Galleries, North Adelaide.
The awards comprised $1500 cash and, for the first time, gold-plated ACColades trophies, an original design by Adelaide artist Christine Pyman, and were made possible by the generous support of Arts SA.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Fiona Sprott
GROUP AWARD
State Opera of South Australia
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Mary Moore
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Harold Tidemann
2000
The ACColades were presented by the great Australian jazz musician Dave Dallwitz at a ceremony in Greenhill Galleries.
Each received cash prizes of up to $1500 and a gold-plated ACColade. Visual arts critics had joined the ACC and new award for excellence among emerging Visual Artists was added to the list. The awards were made possible by the generous support of Arts SA with a new award for Innovation in the Arts sponsored by the Independent Arts Foundation.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Helen Geoffries
GROUP AWARD
Brink Productions
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Syd Brisbane
INAUGURAL IAF AWARD FOR INNOVATION
Jo Dudley
INAUGURAL VISUAL ARTS AWARD
Mary Jean Richardson
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Lyndall Hendrickson
2001
Made possible by a generous grant from ArtsSA, these awards were presented by Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Sue Nattrass at Greenhill Galleries. Amateur theatre critics had joined the ACC and Coopers Beer sponsored the inaugural award for Excellence in Amateur Theatre in SA, The Coopers, which was presented by Glenn Cooper.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Alirio Zavarce & Sam Haren
GROUP AWARD
Bakehouse Theatre
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Sally Chance
IAF AWARD FOR INNOVATION
On Site Theatre Laboratory
VISUAL ARTS AWARD
Khai Liew
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Phyl Skinner
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Independent Theatre Company
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Glen Christie
2002
The ACColades were presented by Adelaide Festival of Arts General Manager Simon Bogle in a ceremony at the Greenhill galleries in North Adelaide. Funded again by ArtSA, the IAF and Coopers, the awards comprised up to $1500 cash and the silver ACColades trophies.
This year, exceptional circumstances caused the critics to add several special commendations to their plaudits.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Amber McMahon - actor
GROUP AWARD
Australian Dance Theatre
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Gaelle Mellis - designer
IAF AWARD FOR INNOVATION
The Weimar Room
VISUAL ARTS AWARD
James Dodd
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Wally Carr
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Adelaide University Theatre
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Martha Lott
COMMENDATIONS
* Conductor Timothy Sexton, choreographer Leigh Warren and designer Mary Moore for their joint contribution to the May 2002 production of Phillip Glass' opera Akhnaten
* The Adelaide Cabaret Festival
2003
This triumphant and very well-attended presentation event was held at the Bakehouse Theatre, a former ACColades winner. Popular politician John Hill, the Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts, was guest presenter and ArtSA, the major funding supporter, was represented by Alex Hurford and Mandy-Jane Giannopoulos. The IAF cheque was presented by respected arts identity Frank Ford, and Glenn Cooper of Coopers Brewery presented The
Coopers, expressing his love for “the theatre of love”.
It was the visual arts critics who were particularly excited this year, presenting a special “runner up” award to a young indigenous artist.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Lina Limosani - dancer, choreographer
GROUP AWARD
The Come Out Festival for Bushfire
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Paul Blackwell - actor
IAF INNOVATION AWARD
Naida Chinner - dancer, choreographer
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST
Bianca Barling
SPECIAL RUNNER-UP AWARD
Abie Loy Kemarre
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Zora Semberova - dance teacher
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Opus Theatre Company
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Joseph Hynes
2004
The gentleman bookseller, former city councillor and now Executive Director of the Department for the Arts, Greg Mackie, was 2004 official presenter of the ACColades. A capacity crowd spilled out into the street outside the Bakehouse Theatre, enjoying the Coriole wines, Coopers beer and Woodside cheeses laid on by the ACC's elegant sponsors. Beverly Dilena presented the award for Innovation on behalf of the IAF. Glenn Cooper was detained and his role of presenter of The Coopers awards for amateur theatre was undertaken by Ian Rigney, Secretary of the Theatre Association of SA. An unusual moment occurred when ACC Chair, Samela Harris, presented music critic Elizabeth Silsbury with a pin as a tribute designed and funded by her peers in the Circle.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Brendan Rock - actor
GROUP AWARD
Windmill Theatre - for Riverland
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Leigh Warren - choreography
IAF INNOVATION AWARD
Fiona Malone - choreography
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST
Andrew Best
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Laraine Wheeler - lighting technician
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Northern Light Theatre Company
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Jessica Dean - actor
2005
Once again, the crowds arrived early to pack out the Bakehouse for the Awards ceremonies. It was a warm night and the Coriole Wines and Coopers beers were greeted with relish, as were the Ewart Shaw/Edwin Relf savoury platters and the Woodside goat cheeses. Sasha Carruozzo was the very elegant 2005 special presenter - an actress of distinction, now, as the State Premier's fiancee, the first lady elect of South Australia. Her speech, a lyrical and highly erudite exploration of the place of criticism in the arts, was received with rapturous enthusiasm. Chair, Samela Harris MCed an evening which the audience acclaimed as the liveliest and funniest Critics night yet. It was certainly an exceptional event for the quality of speeches produced. ACColade winner Helen Geoffreys stilled the house with an intimate description of how just one sentence can change the life of an actor. Critic Michael Morley, introducing Lifetime Achievement winner, composer Tristram Cary, not only spoke but sang a pithy ditty dedicated to the winner who, in turn, gave an eloquent speech which was met with long-sustained applause. Gentleman of the arts, Frank Ford, presented the Innovation award on belhalf of the IAF. Coopers did not have a representative this year and Sasha Carrouzzo presented The Coopers on their behalf. The critics offer much thanks to Peter Green for the use of the Bakehouse which has been a venue of very good spirit for the event. Also thanked are Primo Caon for use of the Chesser Cellar ACC meetings throughout the year - along with Lucy Reynolds' team of volunteer bar staff.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Leigh Harold - musician
GROUP AWARD
State Opera of South Australia - for The Ring
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Michael Hill - director
IAF INNOVATION AWARD
Leigh Warren and Gina Rings - choreographers
Special Commendation: Adelaide Festival Centre’s INSpace Program
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST
Sarah CrowEST
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Tristram Cary - composer
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Independent Theatre Company
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Helen Geoffreys - actress
2006
The 2006 Awards ceremony was bigger yet than previous years and, marked 10 years since being brought together by former Adelaide Festival director Robyn Archer, and it was a star studded event.
Special presenter was Brett Sheehy, artistic director of the 2006 and 2008 Adelaide Festivals of Arts. Robyn Archer attended and was honoured with an ACC badge, a plaque of commendation for the formation of the Circle and, some vintage wine and olive oil from sponsor, Coriole Wines. Ms Archer told the 160-strong crowd how pleased she was at the success of the Circle and expressed hopes that new directions of media would do much to revive the art of criticism to the revered heights it once held.
Chair, Samela Harris, once again MCed the evening in the Bakehouse Theatre which had been tastefully adorned with the ACC logo.
Brett Sheehy spoke briefly and huskily with recently caught laryngitis and presented the awards as they were announced. Newly elected chair of the Independent Arts Foundation, Frank Ford, presented the Innovation Award and Robyn Archer presented the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2006 Lifetime Achiever, Edwin Hodgeman, has had thousands of reviews in his extensive career on stage and screen - only two bad reviews among them. It was these he chose to share with the audience - to much hilarity.
Indeed, among the guest comments after the event were "the nice thing about this evening that it is a serious event with lots of comedy" and "this is an arts event with soul" and "we really feel a sense of art community". Most gratifying were those among the top professional theatre companies who praised the critics for "a good production". There were also comments from the professional sphere at the positive nature of the inclusion of amateur theatre in the awards - "the foundation without which the rest of the industry would not exist".
With the hospitality of food, gourmet Woodside cheeses, fine Coriole wines and classic Coopers beers, the jubilant after party continued in the warm evening until 9pm.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Jennifer Speake - actor
GROUP AWARD
Holden Street Theatres for its Directors' Choice season, specifically the production of Bash.
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Geoff Cobham - lighting designer
IAF INNOVATION AWARD
Astrid Pill - actor/writer/director
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST
Simone Kennedy
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Edwin Hodgeman - actor
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Adelaide Repertory Theatre - School for Scandal
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Brant Eustice, director of Julius Caesar for the Adelaide University Theatre Guild
SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS
Peter Green and the Bakehouse Theatre for its long and unstinting support as host to the Awards; and Primo Caon of Chesser Cellars for his kindness and hospitality in hosting the regular meetings of the critics throughout the years.
2007
The 10th awards – and a gala night with movie star presenters in the form of distinguished British actress Brenda Blethyn and Australian legend Sigrid Thornton. They had arrived in town to perform their production of Talking Headsat Her Majesty’s Theatre. So massive was the attendance that the Bakehouse Theatre was bursting at the seams. A monitor had to be put into the foyer and chairs, kindly loaned by the Adelaide City Council, laid out for an extended viewing area. There was even a cordoned and specially licensed pavement area to accommodate the spill. Chair Samela Harris MCed the evening, as usual – and lifetime achiever, Kym Bonython was escorted in in a wheelchair. Minister Assisting the Arts Minister, John Hill, came representing the Premier – and ArtsSA and all the State’s theatre companies and arts bodies were enthusiastically represented. To mark the occasion, extra food was provided by Vilis Pies, along with Woodside Cheeses, a Dolce Cakes Croquenboush 10th birthday cake, elegant wines from Coriole and classic beer from Coopers.
EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
Jada Alberts from What I Heard About Iraq
GROUP AWARD
Flying Penguin Productions for The Birthday Party
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Cameron Goodall for Hamlet
IAF INNOVATION AWARD
Patch Theatre Company – Mr McGee and the Biting Flea
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST
Peter McKay
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Kym Bonython - entrepeneur, gallery owner and author
THE COOPERS
GROUP AWARD
Gilbert & Sullivan Society of SA – Into the Woods
INDIVIDUAL AWARD
Bronwen James, actor, for her performance Into the Wood
2008
Eleven years on and the Adelaide Critics Circle had outgrown that intimate "off-Broadway" venue of the Bakehouse Theatre and accepted an invitation from the much larger Arts Theatre, home to the Adelaide Repertory Theatre www.adelaiderep.com which was celebrating its centenary in 2008.
It also moved into another corner of cyberspace - setting up an events page on Facebook.
Special Guest Presenter for 2008 was the new director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts, celebrated jazz exponent Paul Grabowsky. www.paulgrabowsky.com He spoke on criticism, music, the ethos of the arts and on festivals and the way in which his festival program is taking shape.
The Circle's Chair, Samela Harris, spoke of the way in which the Circle's awards stood apart - the fact that no one had to submit "applications" for consideration in these awards. The critics were out and about seeing everything and they nominated groups and individuals on the merit they observed. The critics were in a position, as a group, to have a finger on the pulse of the arts, its standards, evolution and moments of exceptional splendour.
Peter Burdon kept the ball rolling by MCing the ensuing proceedings, after which Harris sang praise to the sponsors and the critics posed for their 2008 group photo.
Just under 200 people was the crowd estimate - and they relished the Coriole wines, Coopers beers and soft drinks provided by Messenger Managment, not to mention the Woodside cheeses and platters of healthy delicacies from the critic caterers Ewart Shaw and Edwin Relf.
The Arts Theatre provided the technical skills of Michael Whitmee and a stage set-up with made the event very easy and comfortable - and the conclusions of the night were that the bigger venue was highly successful.
The Winners
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - Andrew Bovell, playwright, for When the Rain Stops Falling
GROUP AWARD - Brink Productions (with State Theatre and Adelaide Festival), for When the Rain Stops Falling
OUTSTANDING EMERGING ARTIST - Jude Henshall, actor, in Martin Crimp's Attempts on her Life, State Theatre Company
IAF INNOVATION AWARD - The Border Project, for Trouble on Planet Earth
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST - Mark Siebert
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - Opera singer, actor, Gilbert & Sullivan exponent, Dennis Olsen (AM)
Adelaide Critics Circle Amateur Awards
THE COOPERS:
GROUP AWARD - Hills Musical Company for Urinetown, the musical
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - Isabella Norton for Driving Miss Daisy, a Matt Byrne Media Production at Holden Street Theatres
2009
This year’s awards were presented at The Arts Theatre in Angas Street, city, at a packed ceremony hosted by the Adelaide Critic Circle’s chair, Samela Harris, with guest celebrity presenter, Anthony Steel - a distinguished former director of Adelaide Festival and other festivals. Samela also announced her retirement as Chair, passing the baton to Peter Burdon.
The Winners
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - David Mealor, director, True West, Flying Penguin Productions
GROUP AWARD - Brink Productions for The Hypochondriac
PERFORMING ARTS EMERGING ARTIST -
Corey McMahon, director, Osama the Hero; and
five.point.one, The Under Room
IAF INNOVATION AWARD - 3xperimentia:live cut. Felicity Arts: Amanda Phillips and Alexander Waite Mitchell
VISUAL ARTS EMERGING ARTIST - Morgan Allender
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - Director, actor, playwright, lyricist and a writer of revue, Harold Minear
Adelaide Critics Circle Amateur Awards
THE COOPERS:
GROUP AWARD - Mix Salad Productions for The History Boys
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - Brant Eustice in Oleanna for the Adelaide University
Theatre Guild
2010
The Winners
It was a steamy night with showers and the 2010 Awards Ceremony brought the Arts Theatre's foyer into a jam of bubbling anticipation. The Arts Minister, John Hill, was among those in the audience - along with a power of arts individuals enjoying Coriole wines, Coopers beers and an array of finger foods.
Chair Peter Burdon conducted the proceedings with dazzling efficiency, paying tribute to his predecessor, retired Chair Samela Harris, and noting that the critical core of Adelaide remained robust and these awards remained the richest in the land.
Fringe director Greg Clarke told the spirited audience of the way in which a rather up-front newspaper review by an Adelaide critic had been the first revelation that his fringe show of yore was not as good as he and his performing partner thought it was. A review which played catalyst to this significant new career as a Fringe director.
Frank Ford, for the Independent Arts Foundation, reminded the audience of the vital way in which the Foundation's funding subsidised significant arts talents and events - and what a terrific time members of the Foundation enjoyed in the events which generated the raising of those funds.
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - Nathan O'Keefe, actor, for a body of work throughout the year
GROUP AWARD - Leigh Warren & Dancers with the State Opera of SA for Marie de Buenos Aires
PERFORMING ARTS EMERGING ARTIST - Matthew Crook, actor, The Share (five.point.one)
IAF INNOVATION AWARD - Steve Sheehan for Stefl Shefn and His Translator Fatima
VISUAL ARTISTS - Sam Songailo
LIFETIME ACHIEVMENT - Dale Ringland
Adelaide Critics Circle Amateur Awards
THE COOPERS:
GROUP AWARD - Curtains by Therry Society
INDIVIDUAL AWARD - Actor Myfanwy May
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