The Drama League has announced the winners of the 2024 Drama League Awards. The in-person ceremony, hosted by Emmy-winning NY1 reporter Frank DiLella, was held today, Friday, May 17, 2024 at The Ziegfeld Ballroom (141 W 54th St, New York, NY).
Sarah Paulson won the Distinguished Performance Award for her work in Appropriate; the well-respected honor can only be won once during the career of an actor. Stereophonic took home the Award for Outstanding Production of a Play, while Appropriate won for Outstanding Revival of a Play. Hell’s Kitchen and Merrily We Roll Along earned honors for Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Revival of a Musical, respectively. In the directing categories, Daniel Aukin took home the Outstanding Direction of a Play award for Stereophonic and Maria Friedman took home Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Merrily We Roll Along.
The competitive awards were presented by Lear DeBessonet, Alfred Molina, Bebe Neuwirth and Ben Platt. LaTanya Richardson Jackson presented The Gratitude Award to Kandi Burress; Thomas Schumacher presented The Founders Award for Excellence in Directing to Schele Williams; Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez presented The Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award to Jonathan Groff; and Jim Parsons presented the Contribution to Theatre Award to Jessica Lange.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theater awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community — specifically, by the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences, and critics who are Drama League Members nationwide.
The Drama League Awards Event Co-Chairs are Bonnie Comley and Darin Oduyoye. The Steering Committee is Trish Chambers, Jonathan Demar, Irene Gandy, Sarah Hutton, Kirk Iwanowski, Mary Jain, Paula Kaminsky Davis, Fred Siegel, and Kumiko Yoshii.
First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theater awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community — the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences, and critics who are Drama League members nationwide. For more information about membership or The Drama League Awards, please call (212) 244-9494 x101 or visit www.dramaleague.org.
The full list of nominations can be found below, with the winners in bold, as well as at dramaleague.org/2024awards.
2024 DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
Stereophonic *****Winner*****
John Golden Theatre/Playwrights Horizons
Written by David Adjmi
Directed by Daniel Aukin
Produced by Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Seaview, Sonia Friedman Productions, Linden Productions, Ashley Melone, Nick Mills; Co-Produced by Jillian Robbins, Stella La Rue, Alex Levy & David Aron, Dori Berinstein, James Bolosh, Burnt Umber Productions, The Cohn Sisters, Cathy Dantchik, Alexander R. Donnelly, Emerald Drive, Federman Koenigsberg, Dann Fink, Ruth Hendel, Larry Hirschhorn, Jenen Rubin, John Gore Organization, Willette & Manny Klausner, LAMF Protozoa, Katrina McCann, Stephanie P. McClelland, No Guarantees, Marissa Palley & Daniel Aron, Anna Schafer, Soto Productions, Sean Walsh, Bruce & Peggy Wanta, Hillary Wyatt, deRoy Howard, Winkler & Smalberg, 42nd.CLUB, Craig Balsam, Concord Theatricals, Creative Partners Productions, Jonathan Demar, Douglas Denoff, DJD Productions, Echo Lake Entertainment, Faliro House, FilmNation Entertainment, Roy Gabay, Gfour Productions, Candy Kosow Gold, and Wes Grantom; and Playwrights Horizons (Adam Greenfield, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director; Carol Fishman, General Manager); Associate Producer: Zachary Baer
The Comeuppance
Flex
Grief Hotel
The Hunt
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Mother Play
Oh, Mary!
Patriots
Prayer For The French Republic
Wet Brain
Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play
Appropriate *****Winner******
Second Stage Theater/Belasco Theatre
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Lila Neugebauer
Produced by Second Stage Theater (Carole Rothman, President and Artistic Director; Lisa Lawer Post, Executive Director); Produced in association with Ambassador Theatre Group, Amanda Dubois, Annapurna Theatre, and Bad Robot Live
An Enemy Of The People
Danny And The Deep Blue Sea
Doubt: A Parable
The Effect
Mary Jane
Our Class
Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch
Uncle Vanya
The White Chip
Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical
Hell’s Kitchen *****Winner*****
The Public Theater/Shubert Theatre
Book by Kristoffer Diaz
Music and Lyrics by Alicia Keys
Directed by Michael Greif
Choreography by Camille A. Brown
Produced by AK Worldwide Media, Roc Nation, DML Productions, Julie Yorn, Mandy Hackett, The Jacobs Family, Sharpton Swindal Productions, John Gore Organization, Terria Joseph, Andy Nahas, James L. Nederlander, Clara Wu Tsai, Grove Entertainment, Independent Presenters Network, Della Pietra Spark Theatricals, and The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director); Associate Producer Ana Lara
Buena Vista Social Club
Dead Outlaw
Harmony
The Heart Of Rock And Roll
Illinoise
Lempicka
The Notebook
The Outsiders
Suffs
Teeth
Water For Elephants
Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical
Merrily We Roll Along *****Winner*****
Hudson Theatre
Book by George Furth
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Maria Friedman
Choreography by Tim Jackson
Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Patrick Catullo, Jeff Romley, Debbie Bisno, Lang Entertainment Group, OHenry Productions, Winkler & Smalberg, Stephanie P. McClelland, Timothy Bloom, Creative Partners Productions, Eastern Standard Time, Fakston Productions, Marc David Levine, No Guarantees, Ted & Mary Jo Shen, Gilad Rogowsky, Playing Field, Key to the City Productions, Richard Batchelder/Trunfio Ryan, FineWomen Productions/Henry R. Muñoz III, Thomas Swayne/Lamar Richardson, Abrams Cor Mary Maggio, Osh Ashruf/Brenner-Ivey, Craig Balsam/PBL Productions, deRoy DiMaurio Productions/Medley Houlihan, Andrew Diamond/Katler-Solomon Productions, Dodge Hall Productions/Carl Moellenberg, Friedman Simpson/Vernon Stuckelman, William Frisbie/J.J. Powell, Robert Greenblatt/Jonathan Littman, Cleveland O'Neal III/Tom Tuft, Roth-Manella Productions/Seaview, and New York Theatre Workshop (Patricia McGregor, Artistic Director; Jeremy Blocker, Executive Director); Based on the production by The Menier Chocolate Factory
Cabaret
Gutenberg! The Musical!
Here Lies Love
I Can Get It For You Wholesale
Spamalot
The Who’s Tommy
The Wiz
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic *****Winner*****
Tara Ahmadinejad, Grief Hotel
Sam Gold, An Enemy of The People
Rupert Goold, The Hunt
Rupert Goold, Patriots
Jamie Lloyd, The Effect
Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate
Lila Neugebauer, Uncle Vanya
Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary!
Eric Ting, The Comeuppance
Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Maria Friedman, Merrily We Roll Along*****Winner*****
Saheem Ali, Buena Vista Social Club
Sarah Benson, Teeth
David Cromer, Dead Outlaw
Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret
Des McAnuff, The Who’s Tommy
Leigh Silverman, Suffs
Alex Timbers, Gutenberg! The Musical!
Alex Timbers, Here Lies Love
Distinguished Performance Award
Sarah Paulson, Appropriate *****Winner*****
Betsy Aidem, Prayer for the French Republic
Shoshana Bean, Hell's Kitchen
Gabby Beans, Jonah
Joshua Boone, The Outsiders
Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Who’s Tommy
Steve Carell, Uncle Vanya
Jenn Colella, Suffs
Danny DeVito, I Need That
Caleb Eberhardt, The Comeuppance and An Enemy of the People
Alex Edelman, Just for Us
Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Eden Espinosa, The Gardens of Anuncia and Lempicka
Paapa Essiedu, The Effect
Melissa Etheridge, Melissa Etheridge: My Window
Laurence Fishburne, Like They Do in the Movies
Josh Gad, Gutenberg! The Musical!
Eli Gelb, Stereophonic
Brody Grant, The Outsiders
Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
Dorian Harewood, The Notebook
Willam Jackson Harper, Primary Trust and Uncle Vanya
Amber Iman, Lempicka
Eddie Izzard, Hamlet
Nikki M. James, Suffs
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Spamalot
Jessica Lange, Mother Play
Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen
Nichelle Lewis, The Wiz
Maribel Martinez, Bees and Honey
Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane
Lindsay Mendez, Merrily We Roll Along
Tobias Menzies, The Hunt
Cynthia Nixon, The Seven Year Disappear
Eva Noblezada, The Great Gatsby
Kelli O'Hara, Days of Wine and Roses
Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious, A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch
Patrick Page, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented The Villain
Nicole Ari Parker, The Refuge Plays
Jim Parsons, Mother Play
Sarah Pidgeon, Stereophonic
Aubrey Plaza, Danny and The Deep Blue Sea
Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook
Daniel Radcliffe, Merrily We Roll Along
Gayle Rankin, Cabaret
Andrew Rannells, Gutenberg! The Musical!
Eddie Redmayne, Cabaret
Conrad Ricamora, Here Lies Love and Oh, Mary!
Corey Stoll, Appropriate
Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots
Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People
Zenzi Williams, Jaja's African Hair Braiding
Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through The Cotton Patch
Jehan O. Young, The Cotillion
The Drama League also wishes to acknowledge the previous recipients of the Distinguished Performance Award who appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway productions this season. As the Award can only be won once in a performer’s lifetime, they are ineligible to be nominated; however, their exemplary work is recognized and applauded.
Alfred Molina, Uncle Vanya
Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret
Liev Schreiber, Doubt: A Parable
ABOUT THE DRAMA LEAGUE:
The Drama League advances the American theater by providing lifelong artistic resources for directors and a platform for dialogue with audiences. Founded in 1916, we are one of the longest-running arts service organizations in the country. We enable directors to make the most powerful, impactful work possible across multiple mediums reaching ever-wider audiences, and build sustainable careers. Uplifting directors of all economic classes, races, abilities, genders, and identities is a cornerstone of this mission. We provide support to directors throughout their artistic life, and our work in education offers both continued learning to professionals and introduces the skills of directing to young people. Underpinning our work is the support of our members, a community of ardent theater fans and industry professionals whose commitment to advancing the art form helps develop the careers of the talented directors we champion.
More information about The Drama League’s programs, alumni, and the Awards history can be found at www.dramaleague.org.
www.dramaleague.org / Instagram: @dramaleague / Facebook: The Drama League