The London Cabaret Awards season has started in earnest with the release of its longlist of nominees. Who are this year’s runners and riders and who missed the cut?

Crowd favourite: winner of the public-voted London Cabaret Audience Award in 2012 and 2013, Alp Haydar has yet again failed to gain a single nomination from the judges.

Crowd favourite: winner of the public-voted London Cabaret Audience Award in 2012 and 2013, Alp Haydar has yet again failed to gain a single nomination from the judges.

Now in its third year, the London Cabaret Awards announced this week its latest longlist of nominees. We have reproduced a full list below and congratulate everyone who has been nominated.

Although the eventual victors’ names have yet to be etched onto the trophies, there are already some winners and losers. Amidst the hundred or so candidates, there are some noteworthy inclusions, curious omissions and a few things which made us very happy.

WINNERS

The London cabaret scene

In a year when the very definition of cabaret has been fought over between the London Festival Of Cabaret (“a celebration of the American and British songbook”) and the London Cabaret Festival which took a rather more inclusive approach, it appears the judges have come down firmly on the latter’s side. Sure, many of the key songbook-heavy joints like Crazy Coqs, Hippodrome Casino and St James Studio have been long-listed for Best Cabaret Venue but no show or performer (with the notable exception of the headline-grabbing “newcomer” Alexander Armstrong) at the six-week long London Festival Of Cabaret has been nominated for an award. Indeed, songbook shows as a whole have drawn a blank when it comes to Best Production.

Circus

Hoo-fucking-rah! It has taken the London Cabaret Awards two years and an earbashing from us to finally recognise that circus artists deserve their own category. As well as that new classification, a world-class show in Limbo is up for a trophy and this summer’s biggest big top London Wonderground could walk away with its own award for Best Cabaret Venue. Numbercrunchers and gender equality advocates will be delighted to know that the new Best Circus Act category is the only one split equally between male and female nominees.

White Mischief

Adapted cabaret events – where cabaret acts are part of a larger production – are often the variety virgin’s first live glimpse of drag, musical comedy or other speciality turns. Last year, I railed against their continued exclusion from the nominations so there was a small tear in my eye on seeing one of adapted cabaret’s finest proponents White Mischief in the running for Best Production. If the cabaret scene is to grow as a whole, adapted cabaret will play a vital role in showcasing the stunning breadth of talent London is proud to be host to.

LOSERS

Men

Boylesque has never been bigger or better. A staple of the rather fine Soho Burlesque Club at the Hippodrome Casino, the talented Phil Ingud is a classic example of how male strippers can appeal to a mainstream audience. Superstars of London’s burgeoning queerlesque scene including Mr Mistress and Miss Cairo have been strutting their stuff all over the capital while Howard Wilmot’s Boylexe – now fronted by two-time London Cabaret Award winner Alp Haydar – goes from strength to strength. Yet all the burlesque nominees this year are decidely of the female persuasion. What gives?

The Double R Club

The Double R Club has been one of this year’s high points. If you don’t believe us, ask the audiences not just at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club but at Jackson’s Lane and the London Wonderground which saw rare visits from the dark Lynch-loving freakshow this summer. Benjamin Louche has never been better as a host and his wife and Double R Club co-founder Rose Thorne deserves special praise for organising the All-Star Nude Cabaret Charity Calendar which is raising money for two cancer charities. The Club picked up the London Cabaret Award for Best Ongoing Production in 2012 and 2013 yet, as they have not being nominated in the new Best Production category, will unfortunately miss out on the hat-trick. Whichever show does win will be hard-put to beat Louche’s acceptance speech in 2012.

Time Out Live’s London Wonderground shows

Given the consistent high-calibre, popularity and inventiveness of their shows at the London Wonderground, it is a little surprising that many of Time Out Live’s productions have received no recognition. This year’s Friday Night Freakshow was as enjoyable a filthy funfest as we’ve seen and Alternative Eurovision is still one of the absolute highlights of the cabaret calendar. Miss Behave’s Social And Pleasure Aid made excellent use of its effervescent host and anarchic set-up while the EastEnd Cabaret-curated Silencio was an audacious melange of silent film, circus, musical comedy and silent disco.

A full list of this year’s nominees can be found below. Errors can be reported to info@thisiscabaret.com.

Best Vocal Performance Best Drag Act Best Burlesque Act
Dusty LimitsLe Gateau ChocolatHolly Penfield

Jaz Delorean

Joey Arias

Lady Rizo

Lili La Scala

Mzz Kimberley

Sarah-Louise Young

Velma Celli

The cast of BriefsCharlie Hides TVCookie Monstar

Danni Dee

John Sizzle

La Voix

Meth

Myra Dubois

Sonofa Tutu

Timberlina

Amber TopazBetsy RoseJolie Papillon

Kitty Bang Bang

Lolo Brow

Polly Rae

Shirley Windmill

Tempest Rose

The Folly Mixtures

Vicky Butterfly


Best Host Best Speciality Act Best Alternative Performer
Benjamin LoucheChristian LeeDusty Limits

Jonny Woo

Mat Fraser

Miss Behave

Ophelia Bitz

Scottee

Tempest Rose

Tom Baker

Abigail CollinsAJ JamesBoris & Sergey

Boy With Tape On His Face

Card Ninja

Florian Brooks

Johann Lipowitz

Madame Galina

Mat Ricardo

Piff The Magic Dragon

Blanche DuboisChrisalysDave The Bear

David Hoyle

Duo Bogof

Fancy Chance

Harry Clayton Wright

Jon Hicks

Marnie Scarlet

Ursula Martinez


Best Newcomer Best Production Best Circus Act
Alexander ArmstrongGinger JohnsonIt’s Your Funeral

Johnny Macaulay

Kaff Bar, Brixton

Le Snake Fervor

Madame de Voila

Peter Antoniou

Ruthless

Tina T’Urner Tea Lady

Black Cat CabaretBoom & Bang CircusBriefs

Duckie

Gay Bingo at the Empire

House of Burlesque

Ida Barr’s Bingo

Limbo

Savoy 6

White Mischief

Bret PfisterCraig The Incredible Hula BoyHugo Desmarais

Jess Love

Jo Foley

Juggling On Tap

Katharine Arnold

Kitty Bang Bang

Missy Macabre

Stephen Williams


Best Musical Variety Best Cabaret Venue
Adam KayBourgeois & MauriceChristopher Green

Desmond O’Connor

EastEnd Cabaret

Frank Sanazi

Frisky & Mannish

Loretta Raine

Rayguns Look Real Enough

Sarah-Louise Young

Bethnal Green Working Men’s ClubCrazy CoqsJermyn Street

London Wonderground

Madame Jojo’s

The Matcham Room at Hippodrome Casino

Proud Cabaret

Royal Vauxhall Tavern

Soho Downstairs

St James Studio