Best West End Debut 2015: Full Result

Matt Cardle has won West End Frame's Best West End Debut Award for his performance as Huey Calhoun in Memphis The Musical. Danny Horn (Ray Davies/Sunny Afternoon) finishes second whilst Marcquelle Ward (Rum Tum Tugger/Cats) comes third. Check out the full result below!

Last year’s Best West End Debut Award was won by Dutch actress Willemijn Verkaik for her performance as Elphaba in Wicked. Previous winners also include international star Zrinka Cvitešić (Girl/Once) and X Factor UK champion Shayne Ward (Stacee Jaxx/Rock Of Ages).

WINNER

Matt Cardle

41% of the final vote

Speaking to West End Frame, Cardle said: "Thank you so much to every single person who not only took time to come and see Memphis but to vote for me too. I had so much fun playing Huey Calhoun at the Shaftesbury Theatre this summer. 

"I’d like to say a huge big thank you to the whole Memphis company who welcomed me with open arms from day one of rehearsals. I admit I was a petrified little boy! You became family to me and I couldn’t have got through my sweat-drenched opening night without every single one of you! Beverly Knight and Rachel John; it was a complete honour to have shared my West End stage debut with your incredible vocal and acting talents. May the incredible story of Memphis continue to inspire for a lifetime to come."

2nd Place Danny Horn Ray Davies Sunny Afternoon	3rd Place Marcquelle Ward  Rum Tum Tugger Cats	4th Place Chris Peluso Chris  Miss Saigon
5th Place Gabriella Williams Sophie Sheridan Mamma Mia!	6th Place Brian Sears Elder Cunningham The Book of Mormon	7th Place Kyle Riabko Close To You Bacharach Reimagined

8th - 12th Place

in alphabetical order

Amelia Lily (Whatsername/American Idiot), James Backway (Albert Narracott/War Horse), Jamie Campbell Bower (Joe/Bend It Like Beckham), Jessica Brown Findlay (Elektra/Oresteia) and Tom McGowan (The Wizard/Wicked).

  

  

The 2015 West End Frame Awards began in March with Sunny Afternoon being named Most Inspiring West End Show. In May John Dagleish won Best Performance of a Song for his rendition of ‘Waterloo Sunset’ in Sunny Afternoon and in August Jacqueline Hughes won Understudy of the Year for standing by as Elphaba in Wicked. 

Unlike other theatre awards, West End Frame only opens voting for one category at a time and combines male and female actors from new and long-running productions into the same categories (where applicable). 

Congratulations to all the nominees who have all made sensational West End debuts!

Click here to read the full announcement

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