One Dance UK celebrates 25th National Dance Awards at the Barbican Centre

The National Dance Awards, presented by the Critics’ Circle, were held on 9 June 2025 at London’s iconic Barbican Centre, marking the 25th anniversary of this landmark celebration of dance. One Dance UK’s Chief Executive, Andrew Hurst, was in attendance alongside leading figures from across the sector, honouring the extraordinary talent and creativity that define the UK’s diverse dance landscape.

Hosted by broadcaster Samira Ahmed, the event highlighted the continuing vitality and evolution of the dance sector. In her opening remarks, Ahmed said, “I don’t think AI is ever going to take away your jobs,” reinforcing the unique human artistry at the heart of dance.

Among the many powerful moments of the evening was a moving speech from Dame Siobhan Davies, recipient of the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement. “Dance is hidden within us…We are a visual art form, and also not… what goes on inside us is an extraordinary combination of the life we lead, the cultures we come from, the people we know, the people that we love, the battles we have, and the questions we ask… It is the wholeness of what we are capable of producing that incorporates the arts, the sciences, how we live a life.” Davies reflected.

Notably, this year’s awards reflected important shifts in diversity and representation, with a the range of dance forms recognised being broader than ever before. A historic moment came with the Best Male Dancer award being jointly presented to Akash Odedra and Tommy Franzén, representing Kathak and Hip Hop respectively — a powerful symbol of the increasing recognition of the breadth and richness of today’s UK dance scene.

The Royal Ballet was awarded Outstanding Company for the first time in several years, underlining the continued excellence of the nation's flagship institutions.

Another standout moment was Hannah Shepherd’s win for Outstanding Female Modern Performance for her role in Lost Dog’s Ruination. Lost Dog was also nominated for Best Independent Company.

The awards honoured performances staged between 1st January and 31st December 2024, with votes cast by 60 respected critics from across the UK.

The full list of winners is:

 DE VALOIS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

Dame Siobhan Davies

 DANCING TIMES AWARD FOR BEST MALE DANCER

Tommy Franzén and Aakash Odedra

BEST FEMALE DANCER – [sponsored by Tendu]

Erina Takahashi

STEF STEFANOU AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING COMPANY

The Royal Ballet

 BEST MID-SCALE COMPANY – [sponsored by Level Law]

Acosta Danza

BEST INDEPENDENT COMPANY – [sponsored by International Arts & Cultural Projects Ltd]

London City Ballet

BEST CLASSICAL CHOREOGRAPHY – [sponsored by The Ballet Association]

Crystal Pite for Angels’ Atlas 

BEST MODERN CHOREOGRAPHY – [sponsored by Harlequin Floors]

Kyle Abraham for Love Letter (on shuffle)

EMERGING ARTIST AWARD 

Caspar Lench

OUTSTANDING FEMALE MODERN PERFORMANCE – [sponsored by Fern Potter]

Hannah Shepherd in Ruination

OUTSTANDING MALE MODERN PERFORMANCE – [sponsored by Danza and Danza International]

Tommy Franzén in The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party & Minotaur

OUTSTANDING FEMALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE – [sponsored by Lee McLernon]

Beatrice Parma in La Fille mal gardée

OUTSTANDING MALE CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE – [sponsored by the London Ballet Circle]

Aakash Odedra in Mehek

OUTSTANDING CREATIVE CONTRIBUTION – [sponsored by Celeste Fenichel]

Tom Visser

BEST DANCE FILM – [sponsored by Marquee TV]

The Principles of Classical Ballet

BEST SHORT DANCE FILM – [sponsored by Marquee TV]

 Burn from the Inside