The Drama League (Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director; Bevin Ross, Executive Director) announced the 2025 Special Recognition Honorees of the 91st Annual Drama League Awards, who will be celebrated for their outstanding lifetime contributions to the theater industry and to popular culture.
Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga will receive the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater for her outstanding work on stage as part of the musical theater community. Ms. Salonga, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, will be seen this spring in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway.
Director Whitney White will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing for her groundbreaking work, which this season in New York includes Walden at Second Stage, Liberation at Roundabout Theater Company, Macbeth in Stride at BAM, and The Last Five Years on Broadway.
The Gratitude Award will be presented to lead producers of this season’s new Broadway musical SmashRobert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, in recognition of their vibrant creative achievements, leadership, and commitment to the American theater.
Audible Theater and Kate Navin will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award, for their unwavering commitment to furthering the art of the American theater, including the premiere of Dead Outlaw, which moves to Broadway this spring.
These awards will be presented during the famed luncheon ceremony at The Ziegfeld Ballroom (141 W 54th St, NYC) on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 12:00PM. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella (NY1 “On Stage”; PBS Great Performances “Reopening: The Broadway Revival”).
Nominations for the 2024-25 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be announced on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 10:00am, at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (111 Amsterdam Avenue at 64th Street). Honoring the outstanding accomplishments of the theatrical community, The Drama League Awards will be bestowed in the following categories:
- Distinguished Performance Award
- Outstanding Production of a Play
- Outstanding Production of a Musical
- Outstanding Revival of a Play
- Outstanding Revival of a Musical
- Outstanding Direction of a Play
- Outstanding Direction of a Musical
- Founders Award for Excellence in Directing
- Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater
- Contribution to the Theater Award
- The Gratitude Award
Broadway and Off-Broadway productions must have started previews between April 21, 2024 – April 20, 2025 to be eligible for this season’s Drama League Awards.
First presented in 1922 and formalized in 1935, the Drama League Awards are a core service to the theater community of The Drama League, an arts organization that has provided vital support to the field and its artists for over a century. The organization’s mission provides the nation’s only full-time, lifelong creative home for stage directors and the audiences that enjoy their work around the world. Last year’s dynamic 2024 Awards Ceremony brought out the industry’s best and brightest with Daniel Radcliffe, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Groff, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Redmayne & more, dazzling the audience of more than 500 people. Appropriate star Sarah Paulson took home the 2024 Distinguished Performance Award, which artists can only win once in their career, and Hell’s Kitchen and Stereophonic won Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical and Play, respectively. The 2024 Drama League Awards also saw the third year of new categories for Outstanding Direction of a Play (recipient Daniel Aukin for Stereophonic and Outstanding Direction of a Musical (recipient Maria Friedman forMerrily We Roll Along), which honor the vital mission of The Drama League. For a complete list of productions and performers that have won Drama League Awards in the event’s history, as well as all past honorees, click here.
Drama League members have voting privileges in the competitive award categories. Drama League memberships are open to industry professionals, artists, and audience members. They are tax-deductible and support The Drama League’s programs that provide vital career support for directors. Members enjoy access to exclusive members-only events, house seats to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, and more. Members must be in good standing by April 15, 2025, in order to vote on this year’s Awards. To become a voting member, visit dramaleague.org/membership or call (212) 244-9494, ext. 101.
The Drama League is grateful for support from its generous donors and current Drama League Awards Sponsors. More information on sponsoring the luncheon can be found at dramaleague.org/2025awards.