The nominations for Melbourne’s premier live performance awards, the Green Room Awards, have been announced, with a total of 64 awards to be presented at this year’s ceremony.

Kasper Holten’s King Roger. Photo: Keith Saunders

This year two Opera Australia co-productions with Covent Garden battle it out for Best Opera Production. Damiano Michieletto’s intelligent Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci goes head to head with Kasper Holten’s visually sumptuous and psychologically astute King Roger, Szymanowski’s rarely performed masterpiece. Both Michieletto and Holten are up for Best Direction.

Meanwhile, Phoebe Briggs (Victorian Opera’s The Sleeping Beauty), Andrea Molino (OA’s King Roger), Vanessa Scammell (OA’s The Merry Widow) and Andrea Licata (OA’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci) have been nominated for Best Conductor.

Rising star Helena Dix has been nominated for Best Female Lead in recognition of her fearless assumption of Elisabetta in Melbourne Opera’s Roberto Devereux, a bel canto showpiece, as has Danielle Calder for her portrayal of Sara, the Duchess of Nottingham. Lorina Gore has also been nominated for her splendid turn as Roxana in King Roger, and Anna Princeva for her tortured Nedda in Pagliacci.

Michael Honeyman and Arthur Espiritu have both received nominations for Best Male Lead in...