This award honours an outstanding achievement by an individual choreographer, or team, for a new work that premiered between 1 January and 31 December the previous year.

Nominations should clearly demonstrate innovative, excellent or exceptional composition and choreography.

This award acknowledges an outstanding performance by a dance company (i.e. must have a legal structure and a board) for a particular work presented between 1 January and 31 December the previous year.

Nominees may NOT be an independent or freelance artist.

Nominated work may include remounted work/return seasons and should clearly demonstrate excellence in performance, design, production and realisation rather than for choreographic excellence or innovation alone.

This award acknowledges an outstanding achievement by an independent dance artist/s in a particular work (including, but not limited to, performance, production, direction, lighting design, sound design or score) that premiered between 1 January and 31 December the previous year.

Nominations should clearly demonstrate excellence in all aspects of performance, production and realisation rather than for choreography alone.

Nominees may be project funded but understood to be non-recipients of long-term funding.