The first WhatsOnStage Awards, which saw women win all four of the major acting awards, included Jodie Comer among their winners.
The Killing Eve actor won the award for best performer in a play at the ceremony on Sunday after appearing in the sexual assault drama Prima Facie the previous year.
The casts of Legally Blonde and To Kill A Mockingbird were among the other winners.
In the newly added category for best professional debut, there was only one male winner for acting.
Since 2008, the WhatsOnStage Awards, in which the winners are chosen by the general public, have been held annually. However, this is the first time that the leading and supporting categories have been referred to as "best performer" rather than "best actor" or "best actress.".
In order to accommodate non-binary performers, more award shows have become gender neutral in recent years. However, in other ceremonies, this has frequently led to an imbalance favoring men.
This year, the Brit Awards faced backlash after deciding to combine the best male and best female categories into one best artist category, resulting in an all-male shortlist that Harry Styles ultimately won.
Men were nominated in every major acting category at the first WhatsOnStage Awards that were gender-neutral, but women took home the top four honors.
They included Courtney Bowman and Lauren Drew from Legally Blonde, Gwyneth Keyworth from To Kill a Mockingbird, and Comer from Prima Facie.
Although the ceremony kept separate awards for plays and musicals, the number of acting prizes was almost cut in half as a result of the decision to combine the gendered categories.
However, the awards organization also added a newcomer-focused acting prize this year. Joe Locke, a 19-year-old actor who starred in The Trials at the Donmar Warehouse, took home the first-ever best professional debut award.
Comer received praise for her performance as a lawyer who struggles to reconcile her sexual assault with her role as a defense attorney for men accused of rape in the one-woman show Prima Facie.
Other notable winners at the awards ceremony on Sunday included My Neighbour Totoro, a stage adaptation of the iconic Japanese animation film, which took home five of the nine nominations.
The Reese Witherspoon movie about a stylish lawyer, Legally Blonde, was adapted, and it did well, taking home two acting awards.
Rodgers' musical Bonnie and Clyde and.
Keyworth, who plays Scout Finch—the young girl whose perspective the story is told from—in the West End adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of the classic Harper Lee novel, won an acting award.
The award given to an actor who has taken over a significant role from a previous actor went to former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones, who currently stars in the long-running Wicked.
Since they began 15 years ago, the WhatsOnStage Awards have been given out annually. However, in 2021, when theaters were closed due to a Covid lockdown, the ceremony was held virtually in order to recognize the public's support of theater.
Best musical performer: Courtney Bowman for Legally Blonde at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
Lauren Drew, Legally Blonde, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, best supporting performer in a musical.
Jodie Comer, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre, won for best actress in a play.
Gwyneth Keyworth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre, won the award for best supporting actor in a play.
Lucie Jones, in Wicked, at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, gave the best takeover performance.
The Trials at the Donmar Warehouse, Joe Locke, gave the best professional debut performance.
Bonnie, the best recent musical.
Outstanding musical revival: Rodgers.
The Harold Pinter Theatre's Prima Facie is the best new play.
Ambassadors Theatre's Cock, which won for best play revival,
Best West End production: Six at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Billy Elliot the Musical, Curve, Leicester, won the award for best regional production.
But I'm A Cheerleader: The Musical, The Turbine Theatre, best off-West End production.
Best musical performance: Old Friends at the Sondheim Theatre, by Stephen Sondheim.
Phelim McDermott, My Neighbor Totoro, Barbican Theatre, best direction.
Bruce O'Neil and Matt Smith, My Neighbor Totoro, Barbican Theatre, won the award for best musical direction/supervision.
Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, casting director for Spring Awakening at the Almeida Theatre, won best casting.
Grease, Dominion Theatre, Arlene Phillips, best choreography.
Gabriella Slade, The Cher Show's UK tour, won for best costume design.
My Neighbor Totoro at the Barbican Theater, by Jessica Hung Han Yun, won for best lighting design.
Best set design: My Neighbor Totoro, Tom Pye and Basil Twist, Barbican Theatre.
The best sound design was created by Tony Gayle for My Neighbor Totoro at the Barbican Theatre.
Joshua Thorson and Rodgers have the best video production.
Harold Pinter Theatre, Prima Facie, and Studio Doug have the best graphic design.
