The 2016 Olivier Awards winners announced

Dame Judi Dench made history as she won the Olivier for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'The Winter's Tale' at the Garrick Theatre marking her eighth award - the most Olivier Awards for acting than any other performer.

The Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Gypsy was the big winner of the evening taking home the most awards, including Best Musical Revival and Best Actress for Imelda Staunton and Best Supporting Actress for Lara Pulver.

Kinky Boots won the highly contested award for Best New Musical, with Hangmen winning the award for Best New Play. Long running production The Phantom of the Opera won the Magic Radio Audience Award.

Performances throughout the ceremony included Cyndi Lauper, Michael Ball, and a finale of West End leading ladies including Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall and Joanna Riding. The ceremony paid tribute to all of the nominated musicals and revivals with performances by each of the casts. There was also a section showing highlights from each of the Best Play nominees, as well as a look back at the Best Musicals and Plays of the past 40 years.

The awards were streamed live online via YouTube for the first time, and were broadcast in a highlights package on ITV. It was announced that the 41st Laurence Olivier Awards would next year take place at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 9 April 2017.

The full list of winners is below:

Winners.....

Best Actor
Kenneth Cranham - The Father at the Wyndham's Theatre

Best Actress
Denise Gough - People, Places and Things at the National Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Mark Gatiss - Three Days in the Country at the National

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Judi Dench - The Winter's Tale at the Garrick Theatre

Best New Play
Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's

Best Revival
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the National Theatre

Best Director
Robert Icke - Oresteia at the Almeida Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical
Matt Henry - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical
Imelda Staunton - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
David Bedella - In the Heights at the King's Cross Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Lara Pulver - Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre

Best New Musical
Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Musical Revival
Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre

Best Entertainment & Family
Showstopper! at the Apollo Theatre

Best New Comedy
Nell Gwynn at the Apollo Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Music
In The Heights at the King's Cross Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer
Drew McOnie - King's Cross Theatre

Best Set Design
Anna Fleische - Hangmen at the Royal Court and Wyndham's

Best Lighting Design
Mark Henderson - Gypsy at the Savoy

Best Costume Design
Gregg Barnes - Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre

Best Sound Design
Tom Gibbons - People, Places and Things at the National

Outstanding Achievement In An Affiliate Theatre
Pat Kinevane and Fishamble for Silent at the Soho

Best new Opera Production
Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at the ROH

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra

Best New Dance Production
Woolf Works at the Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Alessandra Ferri for Woolf Works at Royal Opera House