The full list of nominations for this year’s UK theatre awards will be announced on the 18th September.
It has been announced that dancer, choreographer and artistic director Carlos Acosta CBE, Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award at the UK Theatre Awards 2025. He will be presented with the award at a ceremony taking place on Sunday 12 October at 8 Northumberland Avenue.
Born in Havana in 1973, Carlos trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba, winning the prestigious Gold Medal at the Prix De Lausanne in 1990. He has since become one of the most renowned and influential figures in ballet worldwide, having performed globally with companies including National Ballet of Cuba, American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, English National Ballet and, most notably, the Royal Ballet, where his 17-year career with the company spanned nearly every major ballet in its repertoire, and where he choreographed his first full length work, Don Quixote.
Since then, he has gone onto establish his own Cuban dance companies, Acosta Danza and Acosta Danza Yunior, as well as the Acosta Dance Foundation, a Dance Academy in Havana and a Dance Centre in London, providing platforms and world-class training for talented artists both in Cuba and the UK.
In January 2020, Carlos became Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, a role in which he has demonstrated his dedication to diversifying the ballet audience, both building on the company’s classical traditions and curating new repertoire such as Black Sabbath – The Ballet. He formed their junior company, BRB2, and has been awarded an honorary degree from the University of Birmingham in recognition of his outstanding contribution to ballet and the city of Birmingham.
Talking about the news, Acosta said: “I am honoured to be nominated by UK Theatre to receive this most prestigious award. To be recognised by my own industry like this is truly humbling. This tremendous accolade would not have been possible without the fantastic support that I receive from the brilliant Creative Industries producing great theatre in creative hubs in every part of the UK. Communities and venues large and small, with their warm and welcoming audiences and generous supporters – this award is also for them.”
Meanwhile, Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, Co-CEOs of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said: “We are delighted to honour Carlos Acosta with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre Award. Carlos has propelled ballet to new heights, most recently as Director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, where he has broken new ground with ambitious programming which continues to expand and develop the dance audiences of the future. We are looking forward to celebrating Carlos’ achievements at the UK Theatre Awards ceremony on Sunday 12 October.”