Theater World Awards

Elliot Levey, Rachael Stirling and
John Lithgow in Giant.

Theater awards just keep pouring in. The winners and location of the 80th Theater World Awards for outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debut performances have been announced. The awards will be presented on June 2 at the Longacre Theater, home of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Theater journalist Peter Filichia will host. Rachael Stirling of Giant will receive the 17th annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in Theater. 

2026 Theatre World Award Honorees
For Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance
during the 2025-2026 theatrical season

Ben Ahlers, Death of a Salesman
LJ Benet, The Lost Boys
Madeline Brewer, Becky Shaw
Adrien Brody, The Fear of 13
Ayo Edebiri, Proof
Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw
Luke Evans, The Rocky Horror Show
Will Harrison, Punch
River Lipe-Smith, Caroline
Lesley Manville, Oedipus
Robert "Silk" Mason, Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

The Theatre World Award honorees are chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee which is comprised of Linda Armstrong (Amsterdam News), David Cote (The Observer), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Daily News, Emeritus), Peter Filichia (The Newark Star-Ledger, Emeritus), David Finkle (New York Stage Review), Elysa Gardner (USA Today, Emeritus), Cary Wong (Freelance), and Frank Scheck (The Hollywood Reporter).

Theater World Award Winners Announced

Louis McCartney, seen here at
the Outer Critics Circle's
75th Anniversary party,
is among this year's
Theater World Award winners.

The winners of the 79th annual Theater World Awards for outstanding performers making their Broadway or Off-Broadway debut have been announced. The awards will be presented on June 2 at the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square in a ceremony hosted by theater critic Peter Filichia. Here is a list of the winners:

Alana Arenas, Purpose
Kit Connor, Romeo & Juliet
Patsy Ferran, A Streetcar Named Desire
Tom Francis, Sunset Boulevard
Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat
Paul Mescal, A Streetcar Named Desire
Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Marjan Neshat, English
Jasmine Amy Rogers, Boop!
Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Boulevard
Helen J. Shen, Maybe Happy Ending
Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray

In addition, Tony winner Leslie Uggams will receive the 12th annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, Shailene Woodley (Cult of Love) will receive the 16th annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater, and George Clooney will receive a special TWA for his Broadway debut as performer and playwright for Good Night, and Good Luck.

The Theatre World Award honorees are chosen by the Theatre World Awards Committee which is comprised of Linda Armstrong (Amsterdam News), David Cote (The Observer), Joe Dziemianowicz (New York Theatre Guide), Peter Filichia (Broadway Radio), David Finkle (New York Stage Review), Elysa Gardner (The New York Sun), Harry Haun (Observer.com), Cary Wong (The Interested Bystander), and Frank Scheck (New York Stage Review/ The Hollywood Reporter).

Theater World Award Winners

A.J. Shively and David McElwee
in Philadelphia, Here I Come
Credit: Jeremy Daniel

Theater award season is in full swing. Yesterday, the Outer Critics Circle and New York Drama Critics Circle Award winners were announced. Today, the 78th annual Theater World Award winners for outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway debuts were announced. The awards will be presented on Mon. June 10 at 8:08pm at the Marquis Theater on the set of The Wiz. In addition to the honorees, A.J. Shively of Philadelphia, Here I Come will receive the 15th Annual Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater. As previously announced, Tony Award winner Len Cariou will receive the 11th Annual John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, and a 2024 TWA Special Award will be presented to theater journalist Peter Filichia, who has hosted the event for many years.

2024 Theatre World Award Honorees
For Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance
during the 2023-2024 theatrical season

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Who’s Tommy
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Michael Imperioli, Enemy of the People
Phillip Johnson Richardson, The Wiz
Will Keen, Patriots
Nichelle Lewis, The Wiz
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
Tom Pecinka, Stereophonic
Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
Chris Stack, Stereophonic

The Theater World Awards will present a logistical problem for several of the honorees. The Drama Desk Awards will be held the same day at 6:10pm at the NYU Skirball Center in Greenwich Village. At the DDs, Cole Escola is receiving the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award and Shively, Grant, Keen, McAdams, and Moon are nominees in the performance categories. In addition, Peckina, Pidgeon and Stack are part of the Outstanding Ensemble Award for Stereophonic. So if they plan to attend both events, they will need rapid transportation from downtown to Times Square.

Theater World and Drama Desks on the Same Date!

Uh-oh. Two major NY theater awards will be held on the same date. It was just announced the 78th annual Theater World Awards will be held on Mon. June 10. Yesterday the Drama Desk Awards had announced the same date for their 69th annual accolades. However, the Theater Worlds which are given for outstanding Broadway and Off-Broadway debut performances, listed 7PM as their start time. Last year and the year before, the DDs were held in the afternoon, so things may work out for winners who wish to attend both ceremonies. Neither event has listed a venue. Hopefully they will be close to each other so double attendees will have a short trip and time for a bite to eat.

Coronavirus Crisis Devastates Broadway

The COVID-19 or coronavirus outbreak has silenced Broadway and will likely have a devastating impact long after it has passed. To prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease, all theaters in New York City, and many across the country, are closed and two new productions have announced they will not be playing when the stages re-open. Martin McDonagh’s

Dan Stevens and Gaby French in Hangmen,
the first Broadway casualty of the COVID-19 crisis.
Credit: Joan Marcus

Hangmen and the revival of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? have officially been cancelled. Producers cited lack of funds and scheduling conflicts respectively as reasons for the shutterings. These will likely not be the only shows to face elimination. All 41 Broadway theaters were shut down on March 12 in response to an order from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to curtail all gatherings of 500 or more people. 

This followed reports of an usher who had worked at the Booth Theater where Virginia Woolf was playing, and the Brooks Atkinson, home of the rock musical Six, testing positive for the virus. Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, stated that theaters would re-open on April 12. But that date appears to be uncertain since the Center for Disease Control has issued guidelines that there should be no large public events for a total of eight weeks. That would mean the lights of the Great White Way would not shine again until May 7. Even that date is not for sure given the uncertainty of the virus’ course and the response of local, state and federal government. 

Theatre World Awards

Shalita Grant of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
at the Theatre World Awards

"This is a show!," exclaimed Alan Alda upon receiving the John Willis Lifetime Achievement Award at the 69th annual Theatre World Awards, held Mon. June 3 at the Music Box Theater where the hit revival of Pippin is currently playing. Alda then recalled the very different ceremony when he won his Theatre World Award for Fair Game for Lovers in 1964. "It was in an office that held maybe four people if they all stood up," he said. Instead of the handsome trophy presented to the 2013 winners, Alda received a piece of paper, but it was very important to him. The award, presented to newcomers to Broadway and off-Broadway, signified he was able to earn a living as an actor and didn't have to rely on income from driving a cab or serving as a doorman. The late John Willis was the publisher of the annual Theatre World volumes. 2013 marks the first year a lifetime achievement award bearing his name was presented.