UK - On 4 June, the Association of British Theatre Technicians hosted its Annual Awards after a busy first day of the ABTT Theatre Show at Alexandra Palace, London. This event is a cornerstone of the ABTT, dedicated to honouring outstanding contributions to the theatre and live events sector and recognises the achievements of those who are shaping the future of the industry.
Ted Moore, director at sponsors TAIT, said of the Awards: “TAIT is really proud to be here once again to sponsor the ABTT Awards, which I truly believe are the best award presentations anywhere in our industry. We wish all the nominees good luck and give congratulations to whoever the winners may be.”
The five Product Awards recognise the achievements of products which are substantially new to the market during the last 12 months and are available now for purchase, immediate delivery and use.
The Jury, made up of an experienced group of working practitioners and industry peers, made the following awards:
ABTT Lighting Product of the Year: Paragon S by Elation Lighting
Elation Lighting business development manager Graham Hill said of the win: “We are truly honoured to receive the ABTT Award from such a prestigious organisation – a recognition that celebrates the innovation behind Paragon and marks a meaningful stamp of approval from the theatre community.”
A special mention was also made by the judges giving a commendation to MainFade by Anytronics, for their innovative mains voltage dimming system.
ABTT Sound Product of the Year: CCL System by d&b audiotechnik
d&b audiotechnik said of the win: “With the launch of CCL we've responded to market demand for a compact, lightweight system to address sound control challenges for a broader spectrum of applications such as theatres and concert spaces, corporate environments and touring as well. Winning this award further manifests the industry-wide recognition of the benefits of our cardioid technology innovations."
ABTT Engineering Product of the Year: UniBeam Demountable Scenery Carrier by Triple E
Lucy Edelstein, managing director of Triple E, said of the win: “When our design engineer Simon suggested we make the UniBeam Scenery Carrier Demountable I was dubious that it could be done while retaining its high working load limit, but I was so in love with the idea I urged him to get on with it. As with all the best ideas, the mechanism was fairly simple, and after a couple of years of refinement the award-winning UBM2901 you saw at the show is the result. I’m extremely proud to have helmed our sixth ABTT Product of the Year award and look forward to many more.”
ABTT Widget of the Year: Vor by Borealis Solutions
Borealis Solutions said of their win: “We’re thrilled to have been recognised by the ABTT for Vor & Vor Mobile. It’s truly been a pleasure showing off the power and accessibility of our apps at this incredible tradeshow.”
ABTT Theatre Show Stand of the Year Winner: J.D McDougall Ltd
J.D McDougall Ltd said of their win: “We are delighted to have received the ABTT Stand of the Year Award on of first year exhibiting at the show. The stand showcased a medley of our vibrant fabrics available from a much wider range we have to offer, whilst also displaying our manufacturing capabilities with our eye-catching festoon! It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with all our lovely customers, old and new, and we look forward to returning next year.”
A special mention was also made by the judges for Reliable Source. Another new exhibitor on the show floor, they were commended for “their inventive yet practical stand which brought a visual cacophony of tape in a myriad of colours letting attendee know exactly what was on offer.”
The ABTT Theatre show manager added: “A huge congratulations to all our winners this year. It is the ABTT’s privilege to be able to recognise all the amazing products making a difference to our industry, as well as all the people behind their development.
“Our Product Awards are open to any company on the ABTT Theatre Show floor whose product is new to market, or substantially redesigned in the last 12 months and available for immediate purchase. If you know a product which needs to be celebrated please do get in touch about exhibiting at the ABTT Theatre Show which is next running on 3-4 June 2026.”
The ABTT would also like to say thank you to their panel of judges - David Evans, Chris Drohan, Stuart Graham, Andrew Grant, Kit Lerman, Anette Ollerearnshaw, Caroline Rouse, Caroline Townsend, Christian Wallace and Mig Walsh.
