Prince, Bluesfest, Flight Facilities Lead 2016 Helpmann Awards Noms

It's time once again for the annual Helpmann Awards to recognise all that is wonderful about Australia's exciting live performance industry. This year's nominations are led by a smorgasbord of crowd favourites, led by the late Prince for his Australian tour earlier this year, five-day Bluesfest extravaganza, Flight Facilities & Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tim Minchin for his Matilda The Musical original score and many, many more.

In the Contemporary Music category, Tim and Jeff Buckley tribute A State Of Grace is going up against Flight Facilities & MSO, Kate Miller-Heidke & Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Vance Joy's massively successful Fire And The Flood tour for the Best Australian Contemporary Concert award, while Bluesfest goes up against Tasmania's MOFO, Adelaide's WOMADelaide and St Jerome's Laneway for Best Contemporary Music Festival. Alongside Prince scoring a nod for his very last Australian tour, Florence & The Machine, Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds and Fleetwood Mac are all up for the Best International Contemporary Concert Helpmann.

In the Industry category, Matilda The Musical has dominated with a whopping 13 nominations, including Tim Minchin for Best Original Score. The production itself is also up for Helpmanns like Best Costume, Best Lighting, Best Sound Design, Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor, as well as Best Musical. In the same overarching category, Tim Finn has picked up a nom for Best New Australian Work and Best Original Score for Ladies In Black, the production also picking up nominations for Best Direction and Best Musical. 

Comics Tom Ballard and Zoe Coombs Marr have scored gongs for Best Comedy Performer, the latter also winning the MICF's Barry Award earlier this year. 

The Helpmann Awards will take place at Sydney's Lyric Theatre on 25 July.