PINK cemented her dominance of the Australian music scene winning a prestigious Helpmann Award for best international concert last night.
The popular singer, who performed a record 17 concerts at Rod Laver Arena last year, trumped stiff competition from AC/DC, Beyonce and George Michael to take the award, announced at the Sydney Opera House.
More than 40 Helpmann Awards – Australia’s highest honour for live entertainment – were handed out at the gala event, hosted by crooner David Campbell.
Tex Perkins was named best Australian contemporary concert for his show, The Man in Black, The Johnny Cash Story.
Wil Anderson was named best comedy performer, and Jersey Boys won best musical.
Melbourne performers will be flying home on Tuesday with many awards, after cleaning up the theatre categories.
The Melbourne Theatre Company won six awards, including best play, best direction of a play (Simon Phillips) and best actor in a play (Ewen Leslie) for Richard III.
Other big winners were the Bangarra Dance Theatre with three awards, Opera Australia with seven, and the musical, Avenue Q,with five.
In a surprising upset, Avenue Q’s Mitchell Butel beat Geoffrey Rush (for the MTC) and Jersey Boy Bobby Fox to win best male actor in a musical.
Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre is celebrating a win with Julie Forsyth picking up the award for best female actor in a play for her role in Happy Days.
The cream of Australia’s performing arts community was among the 1500 to attend the industry-voted awards, now in their 10th year.
“It’s a fabulous night,” Helpmann Awards CEO Evelyn Richardson said.
“It’s the one night of the year where the industry comes together and celebrates its achievements and recognises the best of our talent.
“People value the Helpmanns and covet them. It’s a really prestigious thing to win.
“The intention when they were established in 2001 was to grow them to the pinnacle awards and over 10 years, we’ve achieved that,” she said.
Thanks:aansl1
