Best Male Performance
- Stuart Bowman as Detective, Watching the Detective, A Play, a Pie and a Pint
- Stephen Clyde as Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bard in the Botanics
- Stephen Kennedy as Edward, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre
- Michael Nardone as John Morrison, Men Should Weep, National Theatre of Scotland
Best Female Performance
Sponsored by STV
- Maureen Beattie as Sister Ursula Mary, 27, National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Lyceum Theatre
- Sally Reid as Mona, Days of Wine and Roses, Theatre Jezebel and the Tron Theatre Company
- Ann Louise Ross as Mill Laverello, Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
- Susan Vidler as Young Woman, Knives in Hens, National Theatre of Scotland
Best Ensemble
Sponsored by Equity
- A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
- Enquirer, National Theatre of Scotland and the London Review of Books
- King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
- Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre
Best Director
- James Brining, Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
- Dominic Hill, Betrayal, Citizens Theatre Company
- Graham McLaren, A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
- Rachel O’Riordan, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Perth Theatre
Best Design
- Graham McLaren (set), Gavin Glover (puppets), Paul Claydon (lighting), A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
- Colin Richmond (set), Chris Davey (lighting), Betrayal, Citizens Theatre Company
- David Shrigley, Nick Millar, Alice Wilson and Susie Hunter (production design), Simon Wilkinson (lighting), Pass the Spoon, Magnetic North Theatre Productions in collaboration with Red Note Ensemble
- Neil Warmington (set), Philip Gladwell (lighting), Elizabeth Ogilvie (water), Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
Best Music and Sound
- Jon Beales, My Fair Lady, Pitlochry Festival Theatre
- Paddy Cunneen, King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
- David Fennessy (composer), Kenny Macleod (sound design), Pass the Spoon, Magnetic North Theatre Productions in collaboration with Red Note Ensemble
- Johnny Whoop, BEATS, the Arches
Best Technical Presentation
Sponsored by Northern Light
- A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
- Five-Minute Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland
- Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
- The Salon Project, Traverse Theatre Company and Untitled Projects
Best Production for Children and Young People
- The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean, Shona Reppe Puppets
- Kes, Catherine Wheels in association with Brunton Theatre
- Tall Tales for Small People, National Theatre of Scotland and Communicado
- Too Many Penguins, Frozen Charlotte and the MacRobert, Stirling
Best New Play
Sponsored by W&P Longreach – Theatre Insurance Brokers
- David Harrower, A Slow Air, Tron Theatre Company
- Kieran Hurley, BEATS, the Arches
- Ronan O’Donnell, Angels, A Play, a Pie and a Pint
- Andrew O’Hagan, Vicky Featherstone, John Tiffany, Paul Flynn, Deborah Orr and Ruth Wishart, Enquirer, National Theatre of Scotland and the London Review of Books
Best Production
- A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland
- Further than the Furthest Thing, Dundee Rep Theatre
- King Lear, Citizens Theatre Company
- The Salon Project, Traverse Theatre Company and Untitled Projects
The CATS judging panel for 2012 was made up of: Mary Brennan (The Herald), Anna Burnside (The Independent), Mark Brown (The Sunday Herald and the Daily Telegraph), Neil Cooper (The Herald), Michael Cox (acrossthearts.co.uk), Robert Dawson Scott (The Times), Thom Dibdin (The Stage), Mark Fisher (The Guardian), Joyce McMillan (The Scotsman), Allan Radcliffe (The List), Gareth K Vile (The Skinny) and Joy Watters (acrossthearts.co.uk).