Helpmanns laud Chet Faker, Kate Miller-Heidke, Vivid, for creativity

Chet Faker, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ed Sheeran were among contemporary music artists lauded at the Helpmann Awards in Sydney last night.

The peer-voted awards cover live performances in contemporary and classical music, theatre, opera, dance, comedy, cabaret and musicals.

Chet Faker won Best Australian Concert, as part of a 2015 tour in which he partnered with Frontier Touring, Artist Voice, Opulent, Future Classic and Perth International Arts Festival. His use of moods and instruments at his shows saw the judges swing to him away from fellow-nominees Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Barnes and Tina Arena.

Ed Sheeran took Best International Concert, again in a pairing with Frontier Touring, from The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters and the Paul Simon and Sting.

Kate Miller-Heidke had two wins in the Opera section. She took home Best Original Score (with Iain Grandage) and Best New Work for The Rabbits, which was co-produced by Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company.

Best Contemporary Music Festival went to Vivid Live, a pairing up of Destination NSW and the Sydney Opera House, which had highs as a white tuxedo’d Daniel Johns’ debut solo appearance which featured a harpist, Sufjan Stevens, Future Classic and the Hoodoo Gurus’ celebrations of their back pages and The Presets-produced DJ soundtrack to a 3D fountain light show.

Clare Bowditch and The Paul Kelly Band paid homage to Paul Kelly – this year’s JC Williamson Award recipient for a three decade track record of live shows – by performing his 1995 single and title track Deeper Water.

Kelly told of his honour to the packed out Capitol Theatre, "Your children, wives, girlfriends, friends who put up with you, who miss you, who support you, who've got your back too, every step of the way. There are quite a few people here tonight who have taken many of those steps with me. I hope we can take a whole lot more together."

The triumph of the night was Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Miserables, which had five wins including Best Musical.

Organiser Live Performance Australia (LPA)’s Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson said the breadth of winners, nominees and performances at the ceremony highlighted the world-class creative and artistic talent in Australia.

“The Helpmann Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of the many people whose skill, passion and commitment continues to put Australia on the world map for live performance excellence,” Richardson said.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant added the awards were “a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Australian live performance industry, and I congratulate everyone involved with the ceremony, especially the award winners. The NSW Government is proud have secured this event for Sydney.”

The Helpmanns will be screened on Foxtel Arts on Thursday July 30 at 9.40 pm and Saturday August 1 at 3 pm.