US actress Sadie Sink and musician Tom Fletcher feature among the high-profile stars nominated for the Stage Debut Awards.

They will compete for honours at the ceremony next month alongside prominent figures such as Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes, Oscar-nominated actor Brendan Gleeson and I Swear actor Robert Aramayo.

Stranger Things star Sink is among 10 contenders nominated for best West End debut performer, alongside her Romeo and Juliet co-star Noah Jupe.

The 24-year-old performer portrayed Juliet Capulet in the production directed by Olivier Award-winner Robert Icke, which recently finished its 14-week run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.

She made her West End debut in the revamped staging of William Shakespeare’s play just months after the final season of Netflix hit Stranger Things aired.

Sink earned strong reviews for her emotional performance and has since gone on to appear in films including Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The debut performer category is the only award voted for by the public, with nominations also featuring Irish actor Gleeson and his co-star Kate Phillips for their performances as Jack and Valerie in The Weir.

Arti Shah has been nominated for her role in Paddington The Musical, which sees her collaborate closely with puppeteer James Hameed to bring the marmalade-loving bear to life.

The show, adapted from Michael Bond’s books and subsequent films, has enjoyed success since its debut last year and recently won seven prizes at the Olivier Awards.

Paddington The Musical is playing at the Savoy Theatre in London and features music and lyrics by McFly star Fletcher, who earned a nod for best creative West End debut.

Tony-winning actor Fiennes received a nomination for his directorial debut with As You Like It, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy exploring love, banishment and mistaken identity.

He will compete in the best director category against Douglas Clarke-Wood for This Is Not About Me, Tommaso Giacomin for The Uncontainable Nausea Of Alec Baldwin, and Michelle McTernan for Hop – The Hopeful Hare.

Bafta-winning actor Aramayo is up for best performer in a play for his performance in Guess How Much I Love You? at the Royal Court Theatre in London, which marked his first professional stage role.

He will compete against Jupe alongside TV actress Erin Kellyman and stage performers Dylan Malyn, Amber Van Der Brugge and Assa Kanoute among others.

Sam Marlowe, chairwoman of judges and The Stage reviews editor, said selecting this year’s shortlist was an "immense pleasure and a privilege", praising their "work of stunning breadth and ingenuity".

She added: "As ever, we recognise and salute those flexing their talents in our smallest spaces, on shoestring budgets, as well as those creating on a much larger scale.

"From the tiniest fringe venues to the West End stage, they all have one thing in common: a palpable passion for the art form, and limitless vision, both of which continue to make our theatre culture vibrant, challenging, thrilling and beautiful.

"These are artists taking their first steps with their gaze firmly fixed on the future – and the Debuts celebrates not only their achievements so far, but all those still to come."

The winners will be announced at a ceremony hosted at 8 Northumberland Avenue in London on September 27.