Laurence Olivier Award for Best Director


The Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director is an annual award presented by The Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial British theatre. The award ceremony in which it is presented was established in 1976 as the Society of West End Theatre Awards, renamed the Laurence Olivier Awards in 1984 in honour of English actor Lord Olivier. In 2018, the Best Director award was renamed in honor of acclaimed theatre director Sir Peter Hall, beginning with the 2019 award ceremony.
In 1991, the category was briefly retired and divided into the categories Best Director of a Play and Best Director of a Musical. These two categories were in turn retired in 1995, and the Best Director award was reinstated.
Robert Icke became the Best Director award's youngest ever winner in 2016. Deborah Warner who won in 1988 was previously the youngest winner.
Only three women have ever won the award: Deborah Warner, Marianne Elliott and Lyndsey Turner.

Winners and nominees

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple awards and nominations

Note: The below awards and nominations include individuals awarded and nominated under the now-defunct categories Director of a Play and Director of a Musical as well as the current combined Best Director category.

Awards

;Three awards
;Two awards
;Ten nominations
;Nine nominations
;Six nominations
;Five nominations
;Four nominations
;Three nominations
;Two nominations