The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. The Obie Awards are considered off-Broadway's highest honor, similar to the Tony Awards for Broadway productions. The awards were presented by The Village Voice from 1956 to 2020, and have been presented by the American Theatre Wing since 2014.
Background
The Obie Awards were initiated by critic Jerry Tallmer and Edwin (Ed) Fancher, publisher of The Village Voice, who handled the financing and business side of the project. They were first given in 1956 under the direction of Tallmer. Initially, only off-Broadway productions were eligible; in 1964, off-off-Broadway productions were made eligible. The first Obie Awards ceremony was held at Helen Gee's cafe.Aletti, Vince, , Village Voice (New York City), 12 October 2004, accessed on 21 November 2013.
With the exception of the Lifetime Achievement and Best New American Play awards, there are no fixed categories at the Obie Awards, and the winning actors and actresses are all in a single category titled "Performance." There are no announced nominations.Healy, Patrick. "'Ruined' Wins Obie Awards" The New York Times, May 18, 2009.Gans, Andrew. "Camp, Harris, Merkerson, Marvel and White to Present at Obies; Passing Strange to Perform" , playbill.com, April 17, 2008. Awards in the past have included performance, direction, best production, design, special citations, and sustained achievement. Not every category is awarded every year. The Village Voice also awards annual Obie grants to selected companies; in 2011, these grants were $2,000 each to Metropolitan Playhouse and Wakka Wakka Productions.Gans, Andrew." 'Chad Deity', Ethan Hawke, Laurie Metcalf, Thomas Sadoski, Charlayne Woodard Win Obie Awards" playbill.com, May 16, 2011. There is also a Ross Wetzsteon Grant, named after its former theater editor, in the amount of $2,000 (in 2009; in 2011 the grant was $1,000), for a theatre that nurtures innovative new plays.Cox, Gordon.Off Broadway event Variety, May 18, 2009.
The first awards in 1955-1956 for plays and musicals were given to Absalom (Lionel Abel) as Best New Play, Uncle Vanya, Best All-Around Production and The Threepenny Opera as Best Musical."1955–1956 Obie Awards" infoplease.com, accessed May 21, 2013.
In September 2014, the American Theatre Wing joined the Village Voice as co-presenters, with the Wing having "overall responsibility for running" the Awards.Gans, Andrew. "American Theatre Wing and Village Voice Will Co-Present Annual Obie Awards" playbill.com, September 9, 2014. In 2021, the Wing took over as sole presenter of the Obie Awards.
Award categories Outstanding New Play Distinguished Performance Distinguished Playwriting Distinguished Directing Distinguished Design Sustained Achievement in Theatre Sustained Achievement in Directing Sustained Achievement in Performance Sustained Achievement in Design Special Citations Lifetime Achievement Ross Wetzsteon Award Michael Feingold Award Morgan Jenness Award
Retired categories Distinguished Performance by an Actress Distinguished Performance by an Actor Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble Best Musical
Ceremony history YearHostVenuePresenters1956Shelley WintersLimelight Cafe1957Geraldine Page[Limelight Cafe]1958Maureen Stapleton1959Kim StanleyVillage Gate1960Anne Bancroft1961Julie Harris1962Lotte Lenya1963Uta Hagen1964Colleen Dewhurst1965Gloria Foster1966Anne Jackson1967Barbara Harris1968Estelle Parsons1969Julie Bovasso1970Dustin Hoffman1971Elaine May1972Groucho Marx1973Sylvia Milesunknown venue1974Madeleine Le Rouxunknown venue1975Godfrey CambridgeVillage Gate1976no formal hostLincoln Center1977Paul Sorvino, Gilda Radner, Marilyn SokolThe Bottom Line1978Dustin Hoffman1979Ron Leibman1980no formal hostRoxy NYC1981Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver1982Swoosie Kurtz, Tommy TuneSavoy1983Harvey Fierstein, Julie BovassoFirst City Cabaret1984no formal hostCat Club1985Ellen Stewart, Harvey FiersteinPuck Building1986Christopher Durang, Swoozie Kurtzunknown venue1987Morgan Freeman, Christine Lahtiunknown venue1988Morgan Freeman, Lee Breuerunknown venue1989no formal hostunknown venue1990Julie Bovasso, Olympia Dukakisunknown venue1991Stockard Channing, Alan ArkinPalladium Ballroom1992Jerry Zaks, Kate Nelligan1993no formal hostunknown venue1994Mary McDonnell, James McDanielunknown venue1995Hector Elizondo, Anne Mearaunknown venue1996Nicky Silverunknown venue1997no formal hostunknown venueFyvush Finkel, Kathleen Chalfant, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Peter Francis James, Shirley Knight, Camryn Manheim, Mary Louise Parker, Roger Guenveur Smith, Julie Taymor, Marisa Tomei, Rip Torn, Ming Cho Lee, Karin Coonrod, and Scott Elliot1998Eric Bogosian, Kristen JohnsonWebster HallDanny Hoch, Woodie King Jr., Mac Wellman, Mary Louise Wilson, Lea DeLaria, Ellie Covan, Tsai Chin, Greg Germann, and Liz Diamond1999Lea DeLaria, Paul RudnickBetty Buckley, Kathleen Chalfant, Stephen DeRosa, David Henry Hwang, Swoosie Kurtz, Elizabeth Marvel, John Cameron Mitchell, Everett Quinton, Phylicia Rashad, and Roger Rees2000Claudia Shear, Mary TestaPing Chong, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cynthia Nixon, Frances Sternhagen, Mary Testa, Carmelita Tropicana, James Urbaniak2001Brian Murray, Marian SeldesDarius De Haas, David Gallo, Linda Lavin, Marion McClinton, Debra Monk, Mark Russell, J. Smith-Cameron, and Daphne Rubin-Vega2002Karen Evans Kandel, Ruben Santiago-HudsonElizabeth Franz, Mary Louise Parker, Ellen McLaughlin, Rinde Eckert, Richard Maxwell, Suzan-Lori Parks, and George C. Wolfe2003Bill Irwin, Charlayne WoodardEdward Albee, Linda Emond, Juliana Francis, Martha Plimpton, Jackie Hoffman, Eddie Izzard, John Ortiz, and Liev Schreiber2004Swoosie Kurtz, Raul EsparzaViola Davis, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, and Denis O'Hare2005Stockard Channing, Brian F. O'ByrneElaine Stritch and Frances Sternhagen2006Lili Taylor, Eric BogosianSkirball Center for the Performing ArtsChristine Lahti, Christine Ebersole, Edward Hibbert, Douglas Carter Beane, Phylicia Rashad, and Oskar Eustis2007Cynthia Nixon, T.R. KnightMichael Cerveris, Angela Lansbury, William Ivey Long, Camryn Manheim, Stephanie March, Terrence McNally, Liev Schreiber, and Anika Noni Rose2008Elizabeth Marvel, Bill CampWebster HallJonathan Groff, Priscilla Lopez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marisa Tomei, Julie White and Bradley Whitford2009Daniel Breaker, Martha PlimptonAnne Hathaway, Brian d'Arcy James, Gavin Creel, John Shea, Karen Olivo, Kate Mulgrew, Marc Kudisch, and Nilaja Sun2010Anika Noni-Rose and Michael CerverisJ. Smith-Cameron, Marin Ireland, Linda Lavin, Hamish Linklater, Michael Shannon and Jennifer Westfeldt2011S. Epatha Merkerson and David Hyde PierceNina Arianda, Alec Baldwin, Margaret Colin, Mamie Gummer, Rose Hemingway, John Larroquette, Patina Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Arian Moayed, Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Wood2012no formal hostEric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Justin Bartha, Leslie Odom Jr., Lily Rabe, Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, Topher Grace, and Tracee Chimo2013Jessica Hecht and Jeremy ShamosGans, Andrew. "'Detroit', 'Grimly Handsome', Eisa Davis, John Rando, Shuler Hensley and More Are Obie Winners" playbill.com, May 20, 2013.Bobby Cannavale, Tracee Chimo, Cyndi Lauper, Judith Light, Krysta Rodriguez, Duncan Sheik, Meryl Streep, and Courtney B. Vance2014Tamara Tunie and Hamish LinklaterGans, Andrew."59th Annual Obie Award Winners Announced; Sydney Lucas Is Youngest Winner in Obie History" playbill.com, May 19, 2014.Betsy Aidem, Harvey Fierstein, Lena Hall, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Andy Karl, David Bar Katz, Cristin Milioti, Kelli O'Hara, Lily Rabe, and Stephen Trask2015Lea DeLariaSting, Jessie Eisenberg, Stockard Channing, Billy Crudup, Tony Kushner, Lisa Kron, and William Ivey Long2016Lea DeLariaSavion Glover, Elizabeth Marvel, Colman Domingo, Danai Gurira, Tovah Feldshuh, Lisa Kron, Maura Tierney, Kate Burton, Carrie Preston, Norm Lewis, and Marlo Thomas2017Lea DeLariaChris Cooper, Rose Byrne, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Jayne Houdyshell, Lena Hall, Jefferson Mays, LaChanze, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Taylor Mac, Darius de Haas, Mike Faist, J. Smith-Cameron, David Henry Hwang, Derek McLane, William Ivey Long, Emilio Sosa, Peter Barbey2018John LeguizamoTerminal 5 Andrew Garfield, Lucy Liu, Matthew Broderick, Oliver Platt, Laura Benanti, Laura Osnes, Beth Malone, David Morse, Itamar Moses, Arian Moayed, Stephen Trask, Gideon Glick, Rebecca Taichman, William Ivey Long, Natasha Katz, David Henry Hwang, David Zinn, Emilio Sosa, Lilli Cooper, Pixie Aventura, Heather Hitchens, Peter Barbey, Michael FeingoldAndrew Gans, "Andrew Garfield, Laura Benanti, Laura Osnes Among Presenters for 2018 Obie Awards", Playbill, May 14, 2018.2019Rachel BloomTerminal 5 Eric Bogosian, Julie White, Kristine Nielsen, Beowulf Boritt, Patti LuPone, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Heather Hitchens, David Henry Hwang, Billy Crudup, Margo Seibert, Michael John LaChiusa, Liesl Tommy, Damon Daunno, Rachel Chavkin, Rebecca Taichman, Luke Cresswell, Riccardo Hernandez, Mimi Lien, Marc KudischOlivia Clement, "Liesl Tommy, Patti LuPone, Rachel Chavkin, and More to Present at the 2019 Obies", Playbill, May 16, 2019.2020Cole EscolaYouTube(virtual, due to COVID-19) Clint Ramos, Craig Lucas, Cynthia Erivo, Dominique Morisseau, Eisa Davis, Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, Heidi Schreck, Katrina Lenk, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Liesl Tommy, Malcolm Gets, Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Hauck, Sahr Ngaujah, Sam Pinkleton, Saycon Sengbloh"The 2020 Obie Awards, Celebrating the Best of Off-Broadway, Stream July 14", Playbill, July 14, 2020.2021due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 66th Obie Awards were not held until 2023, collectively honouring productions of the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 theater seasons20222023Crystal Lucas-PerryTerminal 5 Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, J. Allen Suddeth, Melissa Rose Bernardo, David Mendizábal, Rachel Chavkin,2024Kara Young and Frank DiLellaNY1 Presented on Air by Hosts2025Marla Mindelle, Ryan J. Haddad and Frank DiLellaNY1 Presented on Air by Hosts2026Michael Urie and Frank DiLellaNY1 Presented on Air by Hosts
Notable winners 2000s