The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and the Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive honorary awards, and the titles have changed over the years. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre is to "honor an individual for the body of their work.""The Award Categories" tonyawards.com, accessed April 7, 2011 The Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event was a competitive award, given from 2001 to 2009. Another non-competitive Tony award is the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, to "recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations that do not fit into any of the competitive categories."
Award winners 1940s Year Recipient Reason 1947 Dora Chamberlain Unfailing courtesy as treasurer of the Martin Beck Theatre Ira and Rita Katzenberg Enthusiasm as inveterate first-nighters Jules Leventhal Being the season's most prolific backer and producer Burns Mantle The annual publication of The Ten Best Plays P. A. MacDonald Intricate construction for the production of If the Shoe Fits Vincent Sardi Sr. Providing a transient home and comfort station for theatre folk at Sardi's for 20 years 1948 Rosalind Gilder Contribution to theatre through a publication for Theatre Arts Vera Allen Distinguished wing volunteer worker through the war and after Paul Beisman Progressive Theatre Operators to Operator of the American Theatre, St. Louis Joe E. Brown Spreading theatre to the country in Harvey, while the originals perform in New York Cast of The Importance of Being Earnest Outstanding Foreign Company Robert W. Dowling Progressive theatre operators to President of City Investing Company, St. Louis Experimental Theatre Inc. Experiment in theatre June Lockhart Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for For Love or Money Mary Martin Spreading theatre to the country in Annie Get Your Gun, while the originals perform in New York George Pierce Twenty-five years of courteous and efficient service as a backstage doorman at the Empire Theatre James Whitmore Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for Command Decision 1949 colspan="2"
1950s Year Recipient Reason 1950 Maurice Evans Special recognition for guiding the City Center Theatre Company through a highly successful season Philip Faversham Representing those workers from the American Theatre Wing's hospital program who had performed hospital volunteer work outside of New York Brock Pemberton Founder of awards and its original chairman 1951 Ruth Green Her services as a volunteer in arranging reservation and seating for the five Tony Awards 1952 Charles Boyer His performance in Don Juan in Hell, thereby assisting in a new theatre trend Judy Garland An important contribution to the revival of vaudeville through her recent stint at the Palace Theatre Edward Kook His contributing to and encouraging the development of stage lighting and electronics 1953 Danny Kaye Heading a variety bill at the Palace Theatre. Equity Community Theatre Beatrice Lillie Her performance in An Evening with Beatrice Lillie 1954 colspan="2" 1955 Proscenium Productions Presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin for high quality and viewpoints shown in The Way of the World and Thieves Carnival 1956 Fourth Street Chekov Theatre City Center The New York Public Library Theatre Collection Presented to founder George Freedley for its distinguished service to the theatre The Shakespearewrights The Threepenny Opera Presented to producer Carmen Capalbo for her distinguished Off-Broadway production 1957 American Shakespeare Festival Jean-Louis Barrault Robert Russell Bennett William Hammerstein Joseph Harbuck His performance in Auntie Mame Paul Shyre 1958 Louise Heims Beck Fifteen years of untiring dedication to the American Theatre Wing, which she served as treasurer, secretary and chairman of the board of directors New York Shakespeare Festival Presenting free performances in Central Park and the Hecksher Theater 1959 Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay A collaboration that lasted longer than Gilbert and Sullivan John Gielgud Contribution to theatre for his extraordinary insight into the writings of Shakespeare as demonstrated in his one-man play, Ages of Man Cast of La Plume de Ma Tante Contribution to the theatre
1960s Year Recipient Reason 1960 Burgess Meredith and James Thurber Their production of A Thurber Carnival John D. Rockefeller III Vision and leadership in creating the Lincoln Center, a landmark of theatre encompassing the performing arts 1961 David Merrick In recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years The Theatre Guild Organizing the first repertory to go abroad for the State Department; presented to Warren Caro 1962 Brooks Atkinson His influential theatre critique in The New York Times Richard Rodgers All he has done for young people in the theatre and for taking the men of the orchestra out of the pit and putting them on stage in No Strings Franco Zeffirelli His designs and direction of the Old Vic's Romeo and Juliet 1963 Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore Their brilliance in Beyond the Fringe, which has shattered all the old concepts of comedy Irving Berlin His distinguished contribution to the musical theatre for these many years W. McNeil Lowry On behalf of the Ford Foundation for his and their distinguished support of the American Theatre 1964 Eva Le Gallienne Celebrating her 50th year as an actress, honored for her work with the National Repertory Theatre 1965 Gilbert Miller Producing 88 plays and musicals and for his perseverance which has helped to keep New York and theatre alive Oliver Smith 1966 Helen Menken A lifetime of devotion and dedicated service to the Broadway theatre 1967 colspan="2" 1968 APA-Phoenix Theatre Pearl Bailey Carol Channing Maurice Chevalier Marlene Dietrich Audrey Hepburn David Merrick 1969 Leonard Bernstein Carol Burnett Rex Harrison The National Theatre of Great Britain The Negro Ensemble Company
1970s Year Recipient Reason 1970 Noël Coward Multiple and immortal contributions to the theatre Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt New York Shakespeare Festival Pioneering efforts on behalf of new plays Barbra Streisand Star of the Decade 1971 Ingram Ash Decades of devoted service to the theatre Elliot Norton Distinguished theatrical commentary Playbill Chronicling Broadway through the years Roger L. Stevens 1972 Fiddler on the Roof Presented to Harold Prince for becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history Ethel Merman Richard Rodgers The Theatre Guild-American Theatre Society Its many years of service to audiences for touring shows; presented to Warren Caro 1973 John Lindsay (Mayor of New York City) Shubert Organization The Actor's Fund of America 1974 Actors' Equity Association A Moon for the Misbegotten An outstanding dramatic revival of an American classic Candide An outstanding contribution to the artistic development of the musical theatre Peter Cook and Dudley Moore Co-stars and authors of Good Evening Harold Friedlander Theatre Award '74 Bette Midler Adding lustre to the Broadway season Liza Minnelli Adding lustre to the Broadway season The Theatre Development Fund John F. Wharton Theatre Award '74 1975 Al Hirschfeld Fifty years of theatrical cartoons 1976 George Abbott Lawrence Langner Award Richard Burton Circle in the Square Twenty-five continuous years of quality productions Thomas H. Fitzgerald Gifted lighting in countless Broadway shows and many Tony telecasts Mathilde Pincus Outstanding service to the Broadway musical theatre 1977 Cheryl Crawford Lawrence Langner Award Equity Liberty Theatre Barry Manilow National Theatre of the Deaf Diana Ross Lily Tomlin 1978 Irving Berlin Lawrence Langner Award Stan Dragoti and Charles Moss To the creators of the I Love New York Broadway show tours and its sponsor, the New York State Department of Commerce 1979 Walter F. Diehl Being an active force in advancing the well-being of the Broadway theatre and of theatre nationally Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theater Center Henry Fonda Richard Rodgers Lawrence Langner Award
1980s Year Recipient Reason 1980 Richard Fitzgerald Installing the infrared system in Broadway theatres, thus bringing the compassion and dedication of making theatergoing for those with impaired hearing, rewarding and enjoyable Goodspeed Musicals Helen Hayes Lawrence Langner Award Mary Tyler Moore Her performance in Whose Life Is It Anyway? Hobe Morrison Theatre Award '80 1981 Lena Horne Her performance in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music 1982 Radio City Music Hall Theatre Award '82 The Actors' Fund of America Warner Communications Theatre Award '82 1983 colspan="2" 1984 A Chorus Line In honor of becoming Broadway's longest-running musical Peter Feller A master craftsman who has devoted forty years to theatre stagecraft and magic Al Hirschfeld Brooks Atkinson Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre La Tragedie de Carmen Outstanding achievement in musical theatre 1985 Yul Brynner Honoring his 4,525 performances in The King and I New York State Council on the Arts 1986 colspan="2" 1987 George Abbott On the occasion of his 100th birthday Jackie Mason His performance in The World According to MeRobert PrestonLawrence Langner Award (posthumously) 1988 Brooklyn Academy of Music 1989 colspan="2"
1990s Year Recipient Reason 1990 – 1992 colspan="2" 1993 Oklahoma! 50th anniversary 1994 Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy Lifetime Achievement 1995 Carol Channing Lifetime Achievement National Endowment for the Arts Tony Honor Harvey Sabinson Lifetime Achievement after 50 years in the theater 1996 colspan="2" 1997 Bernard B. Jacobs Lifetime Achievement 1998 Edward E. Colton Lifetime Achievement Ben Edwards 1999 Uta Hagen Lifetime Achievement Arthur Miller Isabelle Stevenson
2000s Year Recipient Reason 2000 Dame Edna: The Royal Tour Live Theatrical Presentation T. Edward Hambleton Lifetime Achievement 2001 Paul Gemignani Lifetime Achievement 2002 Julie Harris Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Robert Whitehead (theatre producer) 2003 Cy Feuer Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway Special Theatrical Event (Competitive) 2004 James M. Nederlander Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2005 Edward Albee Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2006 Sarah Jones Her performance in Bridge and Tunnel Harold Prince Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2007 colspan="2" 2008 Robert Russell Bennett In recognition of his contribution to the field of orchestrations Stephen Sondheim Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2009 Jerry Herman Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
2010s Year Recipient Reason 2010 Alan Ayckbourn Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Marian Seldes 2011Athol FugardLifetime Achievement in the TheatrePhilip J. Smith 2012 Actors' Equity Association Hugh Jackman 2013 Bernard "Bernie" Gersten Ming Cho Lee Paul Libin 2014 Jane Greenwood Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2015 John Cameron Mitchell Tommy Tune Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2016 Sheldon Harnick Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Marshall W. Mason National Endowment for the Arts Miles Wilkin 2017James Earl JonesLifetime Achievement in the Theatre 2018 Andrew Lloyd Webber Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Chita Rivera John Leguizamo Bruce Springsteen 2019 Rosemary Harris Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Terrence McNally Harold Wheeler New York City Fire Department Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 Marin Mazzie (posthumous) Jason Michael Webb Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company For the puppetry of the title character in King Kong
2020s