Eligibility Criteria and Assessment Guidelines

In registering a work for consideration by the Green Room Awards, the company or individual must first establish the work’s eligibility, and then opt for consideration by one of the seven artform panels. All panels reserve the right to add and exclude the range of awards on offer for a given year, depending on the work viewed and judged across that year.

Show registrations should be submitted at least three weeks prior to your first performance.

IS MY WORK ELIGIBLE?

You are eligible to be considered for a Green Room Award if your work:

  • is presented in Metropolitan Melbourne (generally within 15km of the GPO)

  • is presented by professional artists

  • offers the professional artists industry award payment, or has made a profit share arrangement where the distribution of profits is clearly defined

  • is produced by Australian artists, or produced by non-Australians engaging Australian artists where the work of the Australian artists can clearly be considered;

    Exception: Works made in Australia engaging international artists and creatives will be eligible where the respective GRA panels deem that there is a significant contribution to the work by Australians, in particular Award categories.

  • is a remounted production that has been substantially reworked, or engages new artists in key roles – or that has not been previously been considered by the Green Room Awards

WHICH PANEL IS MY WORK ELIGIBLE FOR?

Cabaret

The Cabaret panel views work that is musical and philosophical in its artform. This artform particularly lends itself to hybridisation, and random manifestations of fabulousness. Central to the form is the relationship between the performers/performance and the audience - there is no 'fourth wall’, or if there is, it is dismantled during the show. However, not all shows with elements of cabaret will be considered. Your show will not be considered if it is a concert or a musical. Areas commonly awarded are: performance (Ensemble, Artiste); musical direction; writing; original songs and overall production. Variety shows will be considered as long as the line up does not change substantially from night to night, and the show can demonstrate a thematic and/or formal dramaturgical intention and coherence.

The Cabaret Panel is seeking to encourage a greater diversity in the artists, groups and communities who register their performances for award consideration. Given the changes that were rendered necessary by Melbourne’s lockdown conditions in 2020, there will no longer be a minimum number of shows that must be presented for your event to be eligible. We will now accept registrations from one-off events and very short seasons as long as a video can be made available for judges who are unable to attend the event.

As of 2020, the Cabaret panel now also accepts registrations of digital presentations of substantial cabaret works driven by cabaret artists professionally within Metropolitan Melbourne. Such productions must present at least 4 public performances or be recorded and made available for the judges to view on demand. Such digital works will be considered in the context of theatre practice, evaluated against the same judging criteria as live in-theatre productions.

We encourage you to consult us if you are unsure about your eligibility, or if there are other barriers - including financial - to your registration that we may be able to address.

Finally, Cabaret artists are, and will continue, embracing and making the most of new ways to come together with audiences in a post-pandemic world. We welcome the opportunity to recognise and reward their excellence where it arises..

Contemporary & Experimental Performance (CEP)

The CEP panel views work that is interdisciplinary, unconventional and innovative. It will be work that is experimental in form, style and content including site-specific events, circus, live art, visual and physical theatre puppetry, performance installation, performance art, and digital and online performance. This panel may also view interdisciplinary work that crosses over with specific artforms covered by other panels (such as Theatre, Dance or Opera). Areas commonly awarded are performance, circus, puppetry, overall production and experimentation. The CEP panel are able to view works with only 1 public performance if enough notice is given to the panel. All works must be viewed by at least 2 panel members to be eligible for consideration.

Dance

The Dance panel views work which wholly or predominantly use dance or movement as its language of communication. Musicals and burlesque are not considered under this panel. Works can only be considered if they present at least 4 public performances and must be seen by a minimum of 3 panel members.

The Green Room Dance Panel is open to receiving Registrations of digital dance works by practitioners based in Melbourne.

Independent Theatre

The Independent Theatre panel views work that is presented by one of the broad range of independent artists, groups or companies (including small to medium companies that may have a board, but do not produce three or more seasons of work per year). Works can only be considered if they present at least 4 public performances and must be seen by a minimum of 2 panel members.

As of 2020, the Independent Theatre panel now also accepts registrations for work presented on digital platforms that is made by theatre artists who typically work professionally within Metropolitan Melbourne. Such productions must present at least 4 public performances, or be recorded and made available for the judges to view on demand. Such digital works will be considered in the context of theatre practice, evaluated against the same judging criteria as live in-theatre productions.

Music Theatre

The Music Theatre panel views work which wholly or predominantly use the disciplines of music, song and dance (or staged movement) as its language of communication. It will be work where a combination of sung and spoken dialogue drives the narrative. This panel does not consider ‘plays with music’ (in which language of communication is predominantly spoken text or dialogue). These works may be referred to the Independent Theatre Panel or the Theatre Companies Panel. Works can only be considered if they present at least 4 public performances and must be seen by a minimum of 3 panel members.

The GRAA Music Theatre panel acknowledges, and are empathic to, the inherent live performance difficulties of this pandemic period. We stand together and admire the positivity, creativity, resourcefulness and ingenuity that the MT performing community have exhibited thus far. The GRAA Music Theatre Panel will embrace submissions that are either live or digital performances in 2021

Opera Panel

The Opera Panel views work that is wholly or predominantly sung with classical technique and in which singing and instrumental music drives the narrative. Performances must be seen by a minimum of 3 panel members.

Theatre Companies

The Theatre Companies panel views work which wholly or predominantly uses text-based material as its language of communication, and if it is presented by a formally constituted theatre or performance company governed by a Board of Directors or Committee of Management that produces a season of works or a new work annually. Works can only be considered if they present at least 4 public performances and must be seen by a minimum of 5 panel members.

From 2020 the Theatre Companies Panel is excited to acknowledge the extraordinary work being made by theatre companies in the digital space. Digital works submitted would be considered for eligibility on a case by case basis upon submission. Works submitted should align with the existing panel eligibility criteria. Digital works would not necessarily be considered against previously awarded categories or compared directly to ‘in-theatre’ presentations. Rather, outstanding work within this field would be assessed and acknowledged by the panel on a case by case basis.

NB: From time to time, panels may determine that a registered work is better suited for consideration by another panel. In this case a change of registration will be negotiated between the relevant Panel Chairs and communicated to the company or individual by the Green Room Awards Secretary.