Heywood Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society and its youth section Heykids have been recognised with a total of 19 nominations at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association District 7 awards.
The nominations cover both adult and youth productions and relate to performances staged during the 2025 season. The awards ceremony is due to take place at a black tie event in February 2026.
Heywood AODS received multiple nominations for its production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. These include best musical, best staging of a musical, best director of a musical, best musical director and best choreographer. Individual acting nominations were also awarded, including leading and supporting roles.
The youth arm of the society, Heykids, was recognised for its production of Nativity The Musical, which received nominations across a wide range of categories. These include best youth musical, best director of a youth musical, best musical director of a youth production, best choreographer of a youth production and several individual performance awards.
Between the two productions, nominations span acting, direction, choreography, musical direction, ensemble performance and staging, reflecting the breadth of involvement from cast and crew.
The National Operatic and Dramatic Association supports amateur theatre across the UK and Ireland, with district awards recognising achievement at a local and regional level. District 7 covers parts of the North West and includes a wide range of amateur dramatic and operatic societies.
Representatives from Heywood AODS said the nominations reflect the commitment and effort of everyone involved, from performers and musicians to backstage and production teams. They added that being shortlisted across so many categories was a significant achievement for the organisation.
The awards ceremony in February 2026 will bring together societies from across the district to celebrate amateur theatre and youth performance.
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