Laurence Olivier Awards: History and Key Facts

The Laurence Olivier Awards, also commonly known as the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, but they were renamed in honour of the English actor of the same name in 1984.

The awards are given annually to individuals involved in West End productions and other leading non-commercial theatres based in London across a range of categories covering plays, musicals, dance, opera and affiliate theatre. A discretionary non-competitive Special Olivier Award is also given each year. The Olivier Awards are widely recognised as the highest honour in British theatre and drama, equivalent to the BAFTA Awards for film and television, and the Brit Awards for music. The Olivier Awards are considered equivalent to Broadway's Tony Awards, France's Molière Award, Spain's Premios Max, Australia's Helpmann Awards, Norway's Hedda Award and Russia's Golden Mask.

Since inception, the awards have been held at various venues and theatres across London, from 2012 to 2016 at the Royal Opera House, before moving to the Royal Albert Hall in 2017. Television coverage was broadcast in prime time on BBC Two in 2026, following ITV, who in turn acquired the rights from 2013 onwards, with radio coverage by Magic Radio.

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