【The Âtre 】：誰的戲劇獎？

全新第 17 期劇場生活雜誌《The Âtre》：點擊進入臉書

《海峽時報》「生活！戲劇獎」（Straits Times’ Life! Theatre Awards）是新加坡迄今為止（2025年）唯一的戲劇獎項。

由新加坡報刊《海峽時報》創辦的戲劇獎，旨在表彰新加坡最優秀的舞台作品、演員、導演，首屆頒獎禮（2001年）在新加坡富麗敦五星級酒店舉辦，還邀請了當時的新加坡信息及藝術部部長擔任特別來賓，獲獎的劇場人可以把獎狀捧回家。

剛創辦時，戲劇獎只限新加坡公民與永久居民參與，但自2004年起，在新加坡工作5年以上的外籍藝術工作者們也獲參與資格。到了2013年，戲劇獎增設了“讀者選擇”，邀請報章讀者們上網投選他們最喜歡的戲劇演出；2016年，戲劇獎增設了兒童劇場的獎項，提高公眾對兒童劇的意識。這或許是戲劇獎致力做出達到包容並蓄的表現。

最初的戲劇獎由15位評審討論並決定獲獎作品，評審團員包括劇評者、藝術管理者、以及觀眾；到了後期，評審員人數已減半。如今，評審團很可能只由寫劇評的記者們組成，人數有可能每年更換，評審團裡的評審—— 以及評選要求與準則—— 也不甚明確。過去增設的“讀者選擇”與兒童劇場獎項，近年已被取消；戲劇獎也已不再辦頒獎禮，而是通過報章公布獲獎的作品與劇場人。

儘管如此，劇場界還是接受了戲劇獎的存在。無論是提名或是獲獎，劇場人和劇團都會積極分享消息—— 戲劇獎的意義已經延伸到推廣作品、提升劇場人和劇團知名度的商業作用。

戲劇獎認可劇場人的努力和付出、引進觀眾、幫助本地劇團與劇場人邁向國際，實則塑造了過去二十餘年的新加坡劇場景觀。這些年來，戲劇獎是否主導了劇場人創作更多「比較有可能得獎」的「主流」作品？擁有資源的大劇團是否必然就會獲獎？作為權威，「生活！戲劇獎」憑藉自己的標準作決定，少了其他的準繩，戲劇只能憑這唯一獎項決定其優劣？例如2024年的戲劇獎忽然取消了燈光設計的類別獎項，有網友在社媒詢問時，評審員卻只以一句「因為我們認為今年沒有足夠有力的競爭者」回應了事。同年，實踐劇場郭踐紅榮獲戲劇獎「最佳導演」時回應「沒有最佳的大家，就沒有最佳的導演」，頗耐人尋味。

戲劇獎可以刺激良性競爭，但戲劇獎如何也為劇場人提供共同合作的平台與機會？作為劇場生態的重要部份，戲劇獎既然有塑造劇場景觀的責任，能不能與劇場人攜手同行，共同討論新加坡藝術的可能性？劇場生態已不同於往，如今觀眾對戲劇表演的需求已大大改變，戲劇獎若能為觀眾提供新思維、新認知，那也是盡其重要責任之一了。

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【The Âtre 】(Macau)  Issue 17 (May)

“Who’s Theatre Awards?”

Neo Hai Bin

The Straits Times' Life! Theatre Awards is Singapore's only theater award to date.

Founded by The Straits Times (Singapore’s English-language newspaper), the award aims to celebrate outstanding stage productions, actors, directors, and theatre makers in Singapore. The inaugural awards ceremony was held in 2001 at the five-star Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, with the then Minister for Information and the Arts as the special guest of honour. Winners were able to take home their awards.

Initially, only Singapore citizens and permanent residents are qualified for the award. Since 2004, foreign artists who have worked in Singapore for more than five years are also eligible to participate. In 2013, the “Readers' Choice Awards” was introduced, inviting readers to vote online for their favorite theater performances. In 2016, a new category “Best Production for the Young” was introduced to raise awareness of Theatre for Young Audience. The newly introduced categories were a commitment to inclusivity.

The Life! Theatre Awards used to had a panel of 15 judges, including critics, arts administrators, and even audience members, who would debate and decide on the winning works and artists. In later years, the number of judges was reduced to half. Today, the judging panel likely consist only of journalists who write reviews for the papers. The number of judges likely changes every year, and these judges— as well as the requirements and criteria for judging— are rather obscure. The “Reader's Choice Awards” and “Best Production for the Young” categories have been eliminated in recent years, and awards ceremonies are no longer held— award-winners are announced through reports in the newspapers.

Nevertheless, the theater industry has accepted the existence of the Life! Theatre Awards. Whether nominated or awarded, theatre makers and theatre companies actively share news of the awards on their social media accounts. The significance of The Life! Theatre Awards has expanded to take on the commercial role of promoting artists’ works, and raising profiles of the artists and theatre companies.

The Straits Times' Life! Theatre Awards have shaped the landscape of Singapore theatre over the past two decades by recognizing the hard work and dedication of theatre practitioners, and by bringing in audiences, as well as helping local theatre companies and theatre practitioners in global artistic pursuits. 

However, over the years, has  the award led theater makers to create more "mainstream" works that are "more likely to win awards"? Are major theater companies equipped with resources more likely to win awards? 

As the sole authority for judging theatre works, does it mean that the quality of theatre works can only be based on this one award?

For instance, in 2024, the category for “best lighting design” was dropped unexpectedly. When questioned by a netizen, one of the judges simply responded with “we dropped the category this year as we didn’t think there were enough strong contenders”. In the same year, when Kuo Jian Hong of The Theater Practice won “Best Director”, she gave thanks by mentioning that “there is no best director without best ‘everyone’”, which is rather thought-provoking.

Awards can stimulate healthy competition, but can it also provides platform and opportunity for artists to work together? As an important part of the theater ecosystem, given that The Straits Times' Life! Theatre Awards have the responsibility of shaping the landscape of the theater, can it not join hands with artists to discuss the possibilities of the arts in Singapore? Theatre ecosystems are different from twenty years ago, and the audience's demand for theatrical performances has also changed significantly. If the Life! Theatre Awards can provide audiences with new ideas and ways of looking at the arts, then perhaps it would have fulfilled its responsibilities.