Nicole Scherzinger wins first WhatsOnStage Award

At the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, Nicole Scherzinger was voted Best Performer in a Musical by the theatregoing public.

Beating some stiff competition from the likes of Marisha Wallace (Guys and Dolls), Caissie Levy (Next to Normal), Ed Larkin (The Little Big Things), Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Disney’s Newsies) and Natasha Hodgson (Operation Mincemeat) – with Ahomka-Lindsay and Hodgson also performing at the concert ceremony – Scherzinger’s “astounding” portrayal of Norma Desmond in Jamie Lloyd’s reimagined version of Sunset Boulevard accumulated the most votes in a popular category.

Although internationally known for her pop career – in particular, as lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls – and for her turns as a TV judge on shows like The X Factor, Australia’s Got Talent and The Masked Singer US, the Honolulu-born performer was involved in theatre at a young age. As a teenager, she worked at Actors Theatre of Louisville and trained at the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School. She also earned a scholarship for Wright State University in Ohio, studying theatre arts and dance and appearing in shows such as Guys and Dolls, Show Boat and Chicago.

Scherzinger made her West End debut as Grizabella in the 2014 revival of Cats at The London Palladium, earning an Olivier Award nomination for her efforts, voiced the role of Sina in Disney’s Moana, and starred as Penny Rivera in the 2017 TV film adaptation of Dirty Dancing and as Grace Farrell in 2021’s Annie Live!.

With a WhatsOnStage Award and an Evening Standard Theatre Award already under her belt, she is now set to reprise the role of Norma Desmond and make her Broadway debut later this year.

Sign up to our newsletter for more