Begun with a flourish last year, the annual Helpmann Awards are proving contentious in some quarters, enough for the rules to be overhauled next year.
Administered by the not-for-profit Australian Entertainment Industry Association, the Helpmann Awards have been promoted as Australia's answer to the Tonys in New York and the Olivier Awards in London, and are this country's only national performing arts awards (Melbourne's long-established Green Room Awards are state based).
"It was time performing artists got due recognition," AEIA chief executive Jan Stoneham says. "This is only its second year and the rules will continually get finessed. Huge changes were made after the first year and there will be massive change next year."
Named in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann, the Bobbys are complex because of their geographic and artistic spread.
The nominations are decided by a council of 37 representatives of the arts industry, including the AEIA executive council and non-AEIA members considered prominent in their field.
Members, most of them based in Melbourne and Sydney, include Sue Nattrass, Robyn Archer, John Frost, Andrew Kay, Dame Margaret Scott, Ann Tonks, Tim McFarlane, Michael Coppel, Ian McRae, Adrian Collette and Penny Hutchinson.
Almost inevitably, the awards system is imperfect as it encompasses the fields of theatre, musical theatre, opera, dance, music, visual/physical theatre, new works, special events and children's presentations.
"We had looked at narrowing the field as well as enlarging the awards," Stoneham says.
"There has been plenty of debate and what will continue to be refined will be providing voters with a clearer understanding of the categories."
This year's mixed bag of Helpmann nominations, which can only be put forward by members of the AEIA, were named last week, prompting disquiet and argument among independent producers and arts community members about its voting procedures.
"It's all very cosy," said one marketing director, who preferred not to be named. "Most, if not all, of the organisations represented on the (nominating) council have picked up a swag of awards. You have to wonder how fair it is and whether their judgments are based on a work's commercial success or on artistic merit."
Producer Les Solomon was delighted to see two of the performers he manages, Paul Capsis and Tim Draxl, make the cut, although he was puzzled by the company they are in. They are nominated for "best live music presentation" and their rivals are the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Mahler Symphony No.8) and the jazz collaboration Testimony.
It is not the only category of perplexing choices. Puppetry of the Penis finds itself in the "best visual/physical theatre" category with Circus Oz's recent Sydney show and Kate Champion's dance piece Same, same But Different.
Another curious decision is best direction of a musical, with choreographer Graeme Murphy nominated for Tivoli, itself nominated for best ballet/dance work.
These are some of the oddities to be gleaned from the extensive nomination field, perhaps the most serious omission being that neither of the two significant and acclaimed commissions, Testimony and Same, same But Different, both of which will be presented at this year's Melbourne Festival, were nominated for best new Australian work.
Vying for the top prize in that category are: Nick Enright's play The Man with Five Children; Richard Mills and Peter Goldsworthy's opera Batavia; Stephen Page's Corroboree; and Deckchair Theatre in Perth for Mavis Goes to Timor, devised by Angela Chaplin, Katherine Thomson and Kavisha Mazzella.
Stoneham rejected the suggestion that several of the nominated fields were "irrational", but conceded that the range was diverse and unusual in some instances. "When you consider the diversity, it reflects a very healthy industry," she says.
Representatives from a number of small, independent theatre companies, who aren't members of the AEIA, say they have been shunned by the Helpmanns.
Stoneham agreed that the award rules meant that a number of distinguished performances and productions could not be acknowledged by the Bobbys.
"The producers who nominate and vote must be members (of the AEIA), but we aren't using the awards as of way of drumming up membership.
"You have to have a cut-off point, otherwise where do you draw the line?"
Another sticking point is the Helpmann Awards charter which specifies that its primary goal is to "recognise, celebrate and reward Australian talent and innovation in live entertainment".
Why then has American actor Willem Dafoe been nominated for his performance in The Hairy Ape? And vying for the best opera prize is the Kirov Opera's Fiery Angel.
"The entire reason to start the awards was to promote Australian talent," said Stoneham. "But it has to stand up in the international market and it would be cultural cringe to exclude foreign shows or artists. Besides, it is a minuscule representation when you consider the overall field."
Despite the need for debate and the promise of further changes to its voting structure, Stoneham is convinced the awards are beneficial.
"The economic impact of live theatre is enormous and the talent across the board is fabulous. It's taken a huge amount of administrative work to get the awards up and running, and (it) needs time and sponsors if it is to find its legs."
After last year's polished awards night, it was expected that this year's event on May6 would be held in Melbourne and televised. This failed to happen when the AEIA couldn't muster the level of support it gets from Sydney's Star City casino to host the show, let alone a major sponsor to secure its future.
Indeed, its ambition to make the Bobbys as foremost in the public's mind as the AFI awards will be thwarted until it does.