Musical societies in County Mayo have secured a total of 16 nominations under the national AIMS (Association of Irish Musical Societies) awards scheme. Castlebar Musical and Dramatic Society led the way with eight nominations – including Best Overall Show – in the Sullivan section, while Claremorris Musical Society secured five nominations in the Sullivan section. Ballinrobe Musical Society, meanwhile, secured three nominations in the Gilbert section. The long-established awards scheme recognises excellence in amateur musical theatre in Ireland. Over 100 societies were adjudicated under the scheme during the 2025/2026 musical theatre season, and five nominees were chosen for each category within the Gilbert and Sullivan sections. Castlebar Musical and Dramatic Society’s eight nominations included Best Technical, Best Visual, Best Choral Singing, Best Female Singer (Caoimhe Halligan), Best Male Singer (Chris McLaughlin), Best Ensemble, Best Director (Donna Ruane) and Best Overall Show for ‘We Will Rock You’, a Queen-inspired jukebox musical staged in the TF Royal Theatre in March. Established in 2016, the society scooped its largest-ever haul of nominations in a single year. So too did Claremorris Musical Society for their production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a show based on the book and film adaptations of the same name. The 19-year-old society received nominations for Best Visual, Best Comedienne (Nicole Scott), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Mary Dempsey), plus two nominations for Outstanding Youth Performance (Michael Farrell and Abbie Flatley). Three performers from Ballinrobe Musical Society’s production of Frozen: The Musical were nominated for AIMS awards. Rhea May Murphy (9) was nominated for Outstanding Youth Performance for her portrayal of Young Anna, while Lorna Dennehy (Princess Anna) and Ethan McNea (Olaf) were nominated for Best Actress and Best Comedian respectively. The 2026 AIMS award winners will be announced at the AIMS National Awards Festival at the Gleneagle Arena in Killarney on Saturday, June 13. The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on YouTube.
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