The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation, with additional support from the Theatre Development Fund.
Other awards for off-Broadway theatre (although not necessarily exclusive to off-Broadway theatre) include the Drama League Award, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama Desk Awards and the Obie Awards, as well as the Henry Hewes Design Awards presented by the American Theatre Wing.
Voting committee The voting committee is composed of representatives from the Off-Broadway League, Actors' Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, as well as theatre journalists, academics, and other Off-Broadway professionals.Hetrick, Adam. "'Fun Home', 'Here Lies Love', 'Buyer & Cellar' Win Lortel Awards" May 4, 2014
Ceremonies Season Ceremony Date Venue Notes Ref. 1990–1991 April 1, 1991 The Trophy Room at Gallagher's Host: Lynne MeadowSpecial Awards: Circle Repertory Theatre; Rosetta LeNoire 1991-1992 May 11, 1992 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Ernie Anastos, Special Awards: Terrence McNally; Blue Man Group; Ellen Stewart 1992-1993 May 17, 1993 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Ernie Anastos, Special Awards: John Lee Beatty; John Willis 1993-1994 May 16, 1994 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Bruce Weber, Special Awards: Theatre for a New Audience; A.R. Gurney; Irene Worth 1994-1995 April 24, 1995 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Wendy Wasserstein, Special Awards: Horton Foote; Uta Hagen; Signature Theatre Company 1995-1996 May 6, 1996 Lucille Lortel Theatre Hosts: Walter Cronkite and Wendy Wasserstein, Special Awards: Athol Fugard; Gene Feist; Edith Oliver 1996-1997 May 5, 1997 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Ernie Anastos, Special Awards: Gerard Alessandrini; Rob Fisher 1997-1998 May 4, 1998 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: Jane Alexander, Special Award: Arthur Miller 1998-1999 May 3, 1999 Lucille Lortel Theatre Hosts: Bea Arthur and Ossie Davis, Special Awards: Harold Pinter; Tom Jones; Harvey Schmidt; Jerry Orbach; Brooklyn Academy of Music; Classic Stage Company 1999-2000 May 1, 2000 Lucille Lortel Theatre Hosts: Joy Behar and Sam Harris, Special Awards: Eileen Heckart; Jason Robards; Charles Busch and Israel Horovitz 2000-2001 May 7, 2001 Lucille Lortel Theatre Hosts: Alan Cumming and Brooke Shields, Special Awards: Lanford Wilson; New York Theatre Workshop; Kitty Carlisle Hart 2001-2002 May 6, 2002 Lucille Lortel Theatre Hosts: Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon , Special Awards: Edward Albee; Ruby Dee; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Second Stage Theatre 2002-2003 May 5, 2003 Lucille Lortel Theatre Host: B.D. Wong, Special Awards: Marian Seldes; The Exonerated; Vineyard Theatre 2003-2004 May 3, 2004 Minetta Lane Theatre Hosts: Richard Thomas and Joanna Gleason, Special Awards: Kathleen Chalfant; The Public Theater; Noche Flamenca 2004-2005 May 2, 2005 Dodger's Stages Hosts: Julie Halston and Bruce Vilanch, Special Awards: Frances Sternhagen; Irish Repertory Theatre 2005-2006 May 1, 2006 New World Stages Hosts: Judy Gold and Brían F. O'Byrne, Special Awards: Wendy Wasserstein; John Patrick Shanley; Betty Corwin; Atlantic Theater Company 2006-2007 May 7, 2007 New World Stages Hosts: Bebe Neuwirth and Bobby Cannavale, Special Awards: Christopher Durang; Actors' Fund of America 2007-2008 May 5, 2008 Union Square Theater Host: Julie White, Special Awards: Theodore Mann; Primary Stages; New York Theatre Workshop's Horizon 2008–2009 May 3, 2009 Marriott Marquis Hotel Host: Kristen Johnston, Special Awards: Ira Weitzman; The Lark Play Development Center 2009–2010 May 2, 2010 Terminal 5 Hosts: Bryan Batt and Bebe Neuwirth, Special Awards: Daryl Roth; Lincoln Center Theatre 2010–2011 May 1, 2011 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Zach Braff, Samantha Bee, Special Awards: Lynne Meadow; Gary Glaser; Gatz 2011–2012 May 6, 2012 NYU Skirball Center Host: Mario Cantone, Special Awards: Richard Frankel; Richard Foreman; FDNY; Voca People 2012–2013 May 5, 2013 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Aasif Mandvi, Maura Tierney, Special Awards: Todd Haimes; Neil LaBute; Theatre Development Fund; Old Hats 2013–2014 May 4, 2014 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Special Awards: Robyn Goodman; Richard Nelson 2014–2015 May 10, 2015 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Anna Chlumsky, Special Awards: Terrence McNally; Jeanine Tesori; Nancy Nagel Gibb 2015–2016 May 8, 2016 NYU Skirball Center Host: Zachary Levi, Special Awards: Oskar Eustis; The Wooster Group 2016–2017 May 7, 2017 NYU Skirball Center Host: Taran Killam, Special Awards: David Hyde Pierce; Elevator Repair Service 2017–2018 May 6, 2018 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Laura Benanti and Jeremy Shamos, Special Awards: Kathleen Chalfant; The York Theatre Company 2018–2019 May 5, 2019 NYU Skirball Center Host: Mike Birbiglia, Special Awards: Edward Albee (posthumous); Page 73 Productions 2019–2020 Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2021 May 2, 2021 Virtual Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021–2022 May 1, 2022 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Jelani Alladin, Jared Grimes, Jeff Hiller, Krysta Rodriguez, Christopher Sieber and Jennifer Simard, Special Awards: Deirdre O'Connell; David Henry Hwang 2022–2023 May 7, 2023 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Kevin Cahoon, D'Arcy Carden, Crystal Lucas-Perry, Bonnie Milligan, Arian Moayed and Tamara Tunie, Special Awards: Stephen McKinley Henderson; Ntozake Shange 2023-2024 May 5, 2024 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Rosalind Chao, Jenn Colella, Michael Esper, Eden Espinosa, B.D. Wong and Nikki M. James, Special Awards: Ruben Santiago-Hudson; Dominique Morisseau; Ars Nova 2024-2025 May 4, 2025 NYU Skirball Center Hosts: Ilana Glazer, Maya Hawke, Stephanie Nur, and Alaska Thunderfuck, Special Awards: Alice Childress; New Federal Theatre; Carol Fishman 2025-2026 May 3, 2026 NYU Skirball Center Special Awards: Mia Katigbak; William Finn
Categories At the beginning, the Lead Actor/Actress and Featured Actor/Actress awards encompassed both plays and musicals. Starting in 2014, the acting awards were split into separate play and musical categories.
Starting with the 2022 awards, the acting categories were made gender-neutral.
Current categories Awards are given in the following categories:
Outstanding Play Outstanding Musical Outstanding Revival Outstanding Solo Show Outstanding Director Outstanding Choreographer Outstanding Lead Performer in a Play Outstanding Featured Performer in a Play Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical Outstanding Ensemble Outstanding Scenic Design Outstanding Costume Design Outstanding Lighting Design Outstanding Sound Design Outstanding Projection Design
Special categories Outstanding Alternative Theater Experience Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Outstanding Body of Work Playwrights’ Sidewalk Inductee Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence/Service to Off-Broadway
Retired Categories Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Award winners in key categories Source:
Production Awards Outstanding Play
1987: The Common Pursuit 1989: The Cocktail Hour 1991: Aristocrats 1992: Lips Together, Teeth Apart 1993: The Destiny of Me 1994: Three Tall Women 1995: Camping with Henry & Tom 1996: Molly Sweeney 1997: How I Learned to Drive 1998: Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde 1999: Wit 2000: Dinner With Friends 2001: Proof 2002: Metamorphoses 2003: Take Me Out 2004: Bug 2005: Doubt 2006: The Lieutenant of Inishmore 2007: Stuff Happens 2008: Betrayed 2009: Ruined 2010: The Orphans' Home Cycle
2011: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity 2012: Sons of the Prophet 2013: The Whale 2014: Bad Jews 2015: Between Riverside and Crazy 2016: Guards at the Taj 2017: Oslo 2018: Cost of Living and School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play 2019: Pass Over 2020: Heroes of the Fourth Turning 2022: English 2023: Wolf Play 2024: The Comeuppance 2025: Here There Are Blueberries 2026: Prince Faggot
Outstanding Musical
1991: Falsettoland 1992: And the World Goes Round… 1993: Forbidden Broadway 1994: Wings 1995: Jelly Roll! 1996: Floyd Collins 1997: Violet 2000: James Joyce’s The Dead 2001: Bat Boy: The musical 2002: Urinetown 2003: Avenue Q 2004: Caroline, or Change 2005: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 2006: The Seven 2007: In the Heights and Spring Awakening 2008: Adding Machine 2009: Fela! A New Musical 2010: The Scottsboro Boys
2011: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson 2012: Once 2013: Dogfight 2014: Fun Home 2015: Hamilton 2016: FUTURITY 2017: The Band's Visit 2018: KPOP 2019: Rags Parkland Sings the Songs of the Future 2020: Octet 2022: Kimberly Akimbo 2023: Titanique 2024: (pray) 2025: Three Houses 2026: Mexodus
Outstanding Revival
1991: Measure For Measure 1992: Boesman and Lena 1993: Henry V 1994: Owners, Traps 1995: Merrily We Roll Along 1996: Entertaining Mr. Sloan 1997: June Moon 1998: All My Sons 1999: The Mystery of Irma Vep 2000: The Torch-Bearers 2001: Tiny Alice 2002: Cymbeline 2003: Fifth of July 2005: Counsellor-At-Law 2006: The Trip to Bountiful 2007: Two Trains Running 2008: Ohio State Murders 2009: Our Town 2010: The Glass Menagerie
2011: Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes/Part 1: MillenniumApproaches, Part 2: Perestroika 2012: The Cherry Orchard 2013: The Piano Lesson 2014: Good Person of Szechwan 2015: Into the Woods 2016: The Robber Bridegroom 2017: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 2018: Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train 2019: Carmen Jones 2020: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf 2022: Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 2023: A Raisin in the Sun 2024: Translations 2025: Our Class 2026: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Honorary Awards Outstanding Lifetime Achievement
1988: Paul Libin 1991: Rosetta LeNoire 1992: Ellen Stewart 1993: Wynn Handman 1995: Uta Hagen 1996: Gene Feist 1997: Jane Alexander 1998: Arthur Miller 1999: Harold Pinter 2000: Jason Robards 2001: Kitty Carlisle Hart 2002: Edward Albee 2003: Stephen Sondheim 2006: Wendy Wasserstein 2007: Kevin Kline 2010: Daryl Roth
2011: Lynne Meadow 2012: Richard Frankel 2013: Todd Haimes 2015: Terrence McNally 2016: Robyn Goodman 2017: William Ivey Long 2018: Eve Ensler 2020: Tim Sanford 2022: Deirdre O’Connell 2023: Stephen McKinley Henderson 2024: Ruben Santiago-Hudson 2025: No award given. 2026: Mia Katigbak
Playwright Sidewalk Inductee(s)
1999: Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt 2000: Charles Busch & Israel Horowitz 2002: Romulus Linney 2004: Tony Kushner 2005: Charles Ludlam 2006: John Patrick Shanley 2007: Christopher Durang 2012: Richard Foreman 2013: Neil LaBute 2014: Richard Nelson 2015: Jeanine Tesori
2016: Suzan-Lori Parks 2017: Lynn Nottage 2018: Michael Friedman 2019: María Irene Fornés 2020: Anna Deavere Smith 2022: David Henry Hwang 2023: Ntozake Shange 2024: Dominique Morisseau 2025: Alice Childress 2026: William Finn
Outstanding Body of Work 2018: WP Theater 2019: Telsey + Company 2020: Not awarded 2021: Not awarded 2022: Not awarded 2023: The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York 2024: Ars Nova 2025: New Federal Theatre
See also Drama Desk Award Drama League Award Tony Awards
References
External links
List of winners and nominees