Theatre Awards

Several prestigious awards recognize achievement in professional theatre. In the United States, the major awards honor outstanding work in both performance and design/technical categories in Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions. The Tony Awards recognize Broadway theatre and are considered Broadway’s highest honor. Similarly, the Obie Awards honor Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway productions and are considered the most prestigious award for productions not on Broadway. The Drama Desk Awards honor Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway. Other theatre awards in the United States include the Lucille Lortel Awards for Off-Broadway and the Drama League Awards for Broadway and Off-Broadway.

The Jimmy Awards honor outstanding performances by high school students throughout the United States. They are given annually to one male and one female student selected from regional competitions.

In London, the Olivier Awards recognize achievement in West End productions. The Olivier Awards are considered the equivalent of the Tony Awards in the United States in that they both honor achievement in professional theatre at the highest level in their respective countries. The Evening Standard Theatre Awards also recognize achievement in London theatre. They are seen as the equivalent of the Drama Desk Awards.

Terminology

• Broadway: Denoting or taking place in a New York City theatre with at least 500 seats in the Broadway theatre district.
• Off-Broadway: Denoting or taking place in a New York City theatre that is smaller than those in the Broadway theatre district and typically stages less expensive/commercial productions.
• Off-Off-Broadway: Denoting or taking place in a New York City theatre that is smaller than Broadway and off-Broadway venues and typically stages experimental/less commercial productions.
• West End: Mainstream professional theatre produced in large venues in London. It is considered the equivalent to Broadway in the United States.

Key Dates & Events

• April 6, 1947 - The first Tony Awards ceremony is held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City.
• 1955 - The Drama Desk organization awards its first awards, named the Vernon Rice Awards.
• 1963 - The Vernon Rice Awards are officially renamed the Drama Desk Awards.
• March 26, 1967 - The Tony Awards are broadcast on national television for the first time.
• 1974 - The Drama Desk is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization.
• December 1976 - The Society of London Theatre awards the first Society of West End Theatre Awards.
• 1984 - The Society of West End Theatre Awards are renamed the Olivier Awards after actor Laurence Olivier.
• 2001 - The Producers wins 12 Tony Awards, the most ever given to a single production.
• 2017 - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child wins nine Olivier Awards, the most in the history of the awards.