Department of Cultural Affairs

As the cultural and creative hub of Taiwan, Taipei stands at the forefront of the nation’s per-forming arts development. The newly established Taipei Theatre Awards, launched in 2024, marks the first professional awards in Taiwan specifically dedicated to contemporary theater and musical theater. The awards are intended to recognize excellence and innovation in Tai-wanese performing arts and set a new benchmark for the industry both in Taipei and nation-wide.

The list of finalists for the highly anticipated first edition of the Taipei Theatre Awards was revealed on April 29. Entries came from productions with a minimum of three ticketed per-formances staged between July and December 2024 at public venues in Taipei, and the re-sponse was overwhelming: 55 theater companies submitted 73 productions, comprising 57 plays and 16 musicals, with a total of 647 award submissions—underscoring the diversity and vibrancy of Taiwan’s theater scene.

The inaugural edition features 11 award categories, including production, individual achieve-ment, and special contribution awards. The shortlisted entries for production and individual categories resulted in 58 nominations across 26 productions, with a total prize fund of NT$2.7 million, and covering overall production, technical aesthetics, experimental innovation, and outstanding contributions to the field. 

A highlight of this year’s awards is the introduction of an Observer Panel, composed of 50 professionals, critics, and audience representatives from a wide range of fields, such as tech-nology, finance, and education, with ages from 20 to 50. This microcosm of theatergoers of-fers a fresh lens on stagecraft and integrates the audience into the dialogue of contemporary theater. 

The awards ceremony will take place on July 7 at the Grand Theater of the Taipei Performing Arts Center and will be hosted by acclaimed stage and screen actor and Golden Bell Award winner Huang Di-yang. The event will be livestreamed on LINE TODAY, with a replay available on the official YouTube channel.

Among the standout nominees is The Sun, an epic sci-fi production by 4 Chairs Theatre, which received six nominations—Best Play, Best Director, and design awards for set, lighting, sound, and video—making it the most nominated production this year. Notable veteran Nien-jen Wu is nominated for Best Playwright for Human Condition I, while celebrated actor Shih-chieh Chin is in the running for Best Actor in a Play for his 14-year-long performance in Tuesdays with Morrie.

In the musical theater category, My Deer First Love, created by the emerging collective House Peace—whose members average under 35 years old—stood out with multiple nominations, including Best Musical and Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical. With its fresh energy and poignant storytelling, the production has become the focal point of this year’s musical theater competition. Golden Melody Award winner Henry Hsu and singer Sara Yu were both nominated for their captivating performances in Jinsei Daigaku—A Solo of Mama Sakurako, while the serial-style musical Surprise Craft the Musical also earned a well-deserved spot on the shortlist.

The Best Play category features a compelling range of styles and themes. In addition to The Sun, finalists include Father Mother, a unique blend of White Terror history and traditional glove puppetry; Into The Labyrinth, an elegy of youth; approaching theatre: Ghostopia, a deep dive into colonial histories; and the formally inventive parent-child performance Dear Deer. Directors Che-pin Hsu, Yang-chuen Sue, Richard Sun, Choon-eiow Koh, and Chien-han Hung have all been nominated for Best Director. 

The Best Independent Spirit Award, which celebrates bold artistic voices and boundary-pushing perspectives, features nominations such as Sa-la sat-jîn sū-kiānn, Crystal, So that ye weep as well for gladness as for pain–Lîm Tsīng-gān SOLO, Mnemosyne, and Doll House. These works explore themes ranging from marginalized life narratives and embodied experi-ence to systemic critique and gendered belief systems. Together, they reflect a generation of creators deeply attuned to the pulse of contemporary society—posing incisive questions, de-fying convention, and guiding audiences to reflect and reimagine.

The inaugural Taipei Theatre Awards have spotlighted the vibrant creative energy and rich diversity of Taiwan’s theater scene, while also fostering deeper dialogue between audiences and the stage. By establishing this awards system, Taipei is not only reaffirming its role as a cradle of theatrical innovation but also taking a significant step toward becoming a major hub for performing arts in Asia. The awards ceremony on July 7 will be a grand celebration for theater creators and audiences alike. Come and witness this defining moment in Taiwanese theater.