Irish actor Stephen Rea was there to accept the Best Actor Award for his role in the Best New Play of 2016, 'Cypress Ave' by David Ireland at the Abbey Theatre.
Barbara Brennan won the Best Actress gong For her role as Ellen in the Abbey Theatre production of Town is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell.
The best production was Swan Lake/Loch na hEala by Michael Keegan-Dolan. The production was a co-production with Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg.
Garry Hynes received the Best Director Award, and actors Rory Nolan and Ali White were awarded Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
Siobhán Bourke and Jane Daly were presented with the Special Tribute Award, for their magnificent contribution to Irish theatre, as co-directors of the Irish Theatre Institute. The award celebrates those in the Irish theatre community who have made a vibrant and outstanding contribution to the industry.
Over the last 20 years, past recipients of this award have included: Brian Friel, Tom Murphy, Patrick Mason, Tony O Dalaigh, Phyllis Ryan, David Kelly, Garry Hynes, Tom Kilroy, Rosaleen Linehan, Lynne Parker, Michael Colgan, Ingrid Craigie, Tomas MacAnna, Gerry Smyth, Marie Mullen, Olwen Fouere, Stephen Rea and Anne Clarke.
The winners and nominees of the past 20 years add up to a Who’s Who of the Irish theatre scene and many of those who were up-and-coming have gone on to international acclaim and to impresswider audiences, including Ruth Negga, Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Cillian Murphy, Conleth Hill, Fiona Shaw and Charlie Murphy.
The public voted online for their favourite Irish theatre show of 2016, and this year saw the Audience Choice Prize awarded to These Rooms by Anu Productions and CoisCeim Dance Theatre.
The event was hosted by actors Ruth McGill and Peter Daly, and the awards were presented to winners in 15 categories by the Arts Editor of The Irish Times, Laurence Mackin. Three judges, Ella Daly, Dr Nicholas Grene and Anna Walsh viewed over 150 productions around the country during 2016.
The judges for the 2017 Awards have already begun attending productions. They are arts broadcaster Catriona Crowe, RTE journalist Paula Shields, and Ella Daly of Dublin Youth Theatre will stay on from last year.
Here's the full list of winners:

Best Production: Swan Lake/Loch na hEala A Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de laVille, Luxembourg co-production.

Best Director: Garry Hynes For the Druid productions of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett and The Beauty Queen of Leenane, by Martin McDonagh.

Best new play: Cyprus Avenue By David Ireland, produced by the Abbey Theatre and Royal Court Theatre.

Best Actor: Stephen Rea For his role as Eric in the Abbey Theatre and Royal Court Theatre co-production of Cyprus Avenue, by David Ireland.

Best Actress: Barbara Brennan For her role as Ellen in the Abbey Theatre production of Town is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, music by Raymond Scannell.

Best Supporting Actor: Rory Nolan For his role as Pozzo in the Druid production of Waiting for Godot, by Samuel Beckett.

Best Supporting Actress: Ali White For her roles in Rough Magic Theatre Company’s production of Northern Star, by Stewart Parker.

Best Set Design: Jamie Vartan For the Blue Raincoat Theatre Company production of Shackleton, the Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival production of Arlington [a love story], by Enda Walsh and the Wide Open Opera production of The Barber of Seville, by Gioachino Rossini.

Best Lighting Design: Zia Bergin-Holly For the Pan Pan production of The Importance of Nothing, after Oscar Wilde adapted by the ensemble.

Best Sound Design: Ben Delaney, Raymond Scannell For the Abbey Theatre production of Town Is Dead, by Phillip McMahon, with musical director Cathal Synnott

Best Costume Design: Hyemi Shin For the Michael Keegan-Dolan, Sadler’s Wells Theatre London, Colours International Dance Festival, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Dublin Theatre Festival, and Theatre de la Ville, Luxembourg co-production of Swan Lake/Loch na hEala.

Best Opera: The Barber of Seville Wide Open Opera’s production of Gioacchino Rossini’s work.

Judges’ Special Award: ANU Productions For sustained imaginative engagement with the commemoration of 1916 throughout the year.

Audience Choice Award: ANU Productions and CoisCéim Dance Theatre for These Rooms