UK - The second Profile Awards ceremony was held at the Alexandra Palace Theatre on 5 June 2025. Created and are coordinated by Durham and Jennie Marenghi in association with the ALPD, the ABTT and the STLD, the awards recognise lighting design excellence in theatre and TV in the UK.
The event was attended by 250 people and of those 150 were lighting designers or members of their lighting teams. The headline sponsor was Ayrton, with Ambersphere Solutions sponsoring the drinks reception, entry sponsors included ER Productions, Encore, Limelite and Sunbelt Rental Film and TV who also supplied the goody bags. The lighting for the event was kindly supplied by HS-Hire, the lasers by ER Productions and the lectern gifted by Encore.
In order of the presentations on the night, the Student Virtual Lighting Design Award sponsored by AC Entertainment Technologies went to Shona M’gadzah from the University of Glasgow for her interpretation of Take Flight.
Last year at The Profile Awards, a cheque from headline Sponsors Ayrton was presented to Rick Fisher in aid of industry charity Backup Tech. This year, and at Ayrton's suggestion, sponsors were invited to donate a percentage of their sponsorship to the charity and the organisers were able to double the gift to £2,000 which was presented by Briony Berning of Ayrton to Jess Allen representing Backup Tech.
The TV section of The Profile Awards 2025 was judged by an STLD panel consisting of theatre lighting designer Peter Small, TV lighting designer Martin Kempton, TV director Stephen Neil and chaired by STLD honorary secretary and lighting designer Stuart Gain. This year the results are:
Entertainment Series Award sponsored by Rosco goes to Nigel Catmur, Martin Higgins, Oliver Lifely, Darren Lovell, Matt Lee and Mark Gardiner for Gladiators Series 2
Entertainment One Off Award sponsored by LCR goes to David Bishop, Adam Marshall, Mark Gardiner and Giles Hiscock for BBC Proms 2024: Florence and The Machine
Drama Award sponsored by ChamSys goes to Danny Cohen, Eben Bolter, Mike Eley, Paul McGeaghan, Steve Roberts and Adam Galsman for Slow Horses
Small Studio Award sponsored by ELP Broadcast Lighting goes to Andy Cottey, Chris Hollier, Ed Railton, Joe Peal, Matthew Mountier and Phil Parsons for Paris 2024 WBD Olympics Studio
Non Scripted Entertainment Award sponsored by Cameo goes to Ross Williams, Andrew Allen and Matt Chalk for Battle Camp
Continuing Drama Award sponsored by LED Creative goes to John Carberry, Matt Maller, Gwilym Roberts, Stu Ashton, Paul McGloughlin and Geoff Ward for East Enders Live
Newcomer Award sponsored by Light Initiative goes to Clara Sousa-Shaheed
Special Merit Award sponsored by HS - Hire goes to Paul Tibbles
New for this year The Brian Croft Behind the Scenes Award sponsored by PRG recognises an individual who has supported the art of lighting design; programmers, software designers, electrical prop makers, rigging innovators, production electricians, account handlers, specialist crew and the like. The Award is presented by kind agreement with Brian’s family in memory of Brian Croft and was awarded to Wayne Howell.
The Theatre section was judged by eight of the UK’s leading theatre, dance and opera critics chaired by David Benedict. This year, the Theatre results are
Outstanding Achievement in Theatre Award sponsored by TSL – Sarah Readman for The Glass Menagerie, The Yard, Hackney Wick
Outstanding Achievement in Dance sponsored by Elation – Joshie Harriette for Pigeons, Sadler’s Wells East
Outstanding Achievement in Theatre sponsored by Vari-Lite – James Mackenzie for A Little Inquest Into What We Are Doing Here, Zoo Southside, Edinburgh Fringe
Outstanding Achievement in Opera sponsored by ETC – Luca Panetta for Maria de Rudenz, Battersea Arts Centre
Outstanding Achievement in Theatre sponsored by Chauvet Professional – Jessica Hung Han Yun for Hamlet Hail To the Thief, Aviva Manchester
Outstanding Achievement in Innovation sponsored by Fix8 Group – Theresa Baumgartner for Deepstaria, Sadler’s Wells East
Outstanding Year in Theatre sponsored by SLX – Joshua Pharo for Kenrex, Sheffield Playhouse; The House Party, Chichester & Leeds Playhouse; A Raisin in the Sun, Nottingham Playhouse & Lyric Hammersmith; The Hot Wing King, Dorfman, National Theatre
Outstanding Year in Musical Theatre sponsored by GLP – Howard Hudson for Love Life, Opera North; Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park; Natasha, Pierre And The Great Comet of 1812, Donmar Warehouse
David Benedict explained this year’s Theatre Awards judging process: “We see plays, musicals, dance and opera multiple nights a week and every single show – except revivals – is eligible. It’s impossible to count the exact number we’ve seen, but it’s in the hundreds. At the judging lunch we each present a list of three or four shows that have most excited us within our area of expertise, but also any other lighting we’ve loved in shows outside our individual field. In other words, it’s a feast of enthusiasms – then whittled down into a list of manageable proportions.
“Crucially, instead of finding nominees to fit fixed categories, we choose the most exciting work – and then create categories with which to reward it. This year we’ve honoured an amazing 23 lighting designers. And thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we have eight awards to give, but this system means you’re not in competition with one another for any particular category.”
The final Special Award on the night was The Richard Pilbrow Lifetime Recognition Award sponsored by Theatre Projects which was awarded to Paule Constable who recently announced her retirement following a life-time of excellence in theatre lighting design.
