Gotye, Springsteen & Coldplay Up For Helpmann Awards

The nominations for the annual Helpmann Awards have been announced at Sydney's Opera House tonight.

The winners of the awards, which recognise "distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in the many disciplines of Australia's vibrant live performance sectors", will be revealed on Monday 29 July.

In the Best Australian Contemporary Concert category Gotye is nominated up against Archie Roach's Into The Bloodstream tour, Neil Finn & Paul Kelly's collaborative tour and Keith Urban's A Story So Far.

For the Best International Contemporary Concert category, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen tours will battle it out against Tedeschi Trucks and Trombone Shorty's co-headlined concerts and Barry Gibb's Mythology tour.

The Best Contemporary Music Festival category features nominees The 24th Annual Bluesfest Byron Bay, The Falls Music & Arts Festival, The Laneway Music Festival 2013 and Vivid Live 2012.

The Best Comedy Performer category includes Wil Anderson, Hannah Gadsby, Kitty Flanagan and Julia Morris.

In the theatrical categories, King Kong dominates up for Best Costumes, Best Scenic Design (up against Amon Tobin's Vivid show), Best Lighting Design (up against Coldplay), Best Sound Design, Best Original Score, Best Male Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical (Chris Ryan), Best New Australian Work (Craig Lucas, Marius DeVries, Massive Attack, Guy Garvey, Sarah McLachlan, Justice, The Avalanches, Michael Mitnick and Richard Thomas) and Best Female Actor In A Musical (Esther Hannaford).

However Kong missed out on a Best Musical nomination, in that category are A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Legally Blonde The Musical, South Pacific and The Addams Family.

Two awards were announced during tonight's ceremony. Best Special Event was won by Melbourne's inaugural White Night and Outstanding Theatrical Achievement For Design, Creation And Operation went to King Kong.