Nicole Scherzinger won the award for Best Actress in a Musical on Sunday night at the Olivier Awards.
The actress and singer starred in the reinterpretation of the 1950 black comedy Sunset Boulevard as Norma Desmond.
The same production also bagged the Best Director, Best Musical Revival and Best Actor awards at the ceremony – which celebrates the best of London Theatre.
In her speech, she gushed: “Thank you, all of you in the London theatre community for wrapping your arms and legs around me like a spider monkey and embracing me as one of your own.”
The actress joked about her almost tripping before accepting her award on stage, and said: “Thank God for saving me from that trip right there.”
She added that she was “nothing without” her co-star Tom Francis, who won the Best Actor award the same night.
The former Pussycat Doll continued: “Coming from really humble beginnings, I always wanted to be a singer and do musicals.”
She wanted to do “so many roles” and joked that the fading Hollywood star she played in the musical was not “one of them”.
Amongst the other winners, choreographer Arlene Phillips received a standing ovation after winning for her choreography on the musical Guys & Dolls.
The 80-year-old thanked her fellow choreographer James Cousins for demonstrating the movements by “crawling around” when she had knee issues.
This is her first competitive Olivier win, after receiving a special recognition award for her choreography in several of the biggest musicals.
Irish talent was also celebrated at the award ceremony with the one-man play Vanya starring Andrew Scott winning Best Revival.
Succession star Sarah Snook then won Best Actress for her performance in the one-woman show The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The @CunardLine Award for Best Revival goes to @vanyaonstage by #AntonChekhov adapted by @StephensSimon at the @dukeofyorksLDN.#OlivierAwards pic.twitter.com/0qOPgmaYmr
— Olivier Awards (@OlivierAwards) April 14, 2024
Check out the full list of winners below:
Actress in a Musical – Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard
Actor in a Musical – Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard
Actor – Mark Gatiss, The Motive and the Cue
Actress – The Picture of Dorian Gray
New Musical – Operation Mincemeat
New Play – Dear England
Supporting Actress – Haydn Gwynne, When Winston Went to War with the Wireless
Supporting Actor – Will Close, Dear England
Supporting Actress in a Musical – Amy Trigg, The Little Big Things
Supporting Actor in a Musical – Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat
Entertainment or Comedy Play – Stranger Things: First Shadow
Musical Revival – Sunset Boulevard
Revival – Vanya
Theatre Choreographer – Arlene Phillips & James Cousins, Guys & Dolls
Director – Jamie Lloyd, Sunset Boulevard
Lighting Design – Jack Knowles, Sunset Boulevard
New Dance Production – La Ruta, Gabriela Carrizo
Set Design – Miriam Buether, 59 Productions, Stranger Things: First Shadow
Costume Design – Marg Horwell, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Sound Design – Adam Fisher, Sunset Boulevard
Family Show – Dinosaur World Live
