The Toronto Theatre Critics Awards are annual awards, presented by a committee of theatre critics in the media of Toronto, Ontario, to honour achievements in the city's theatre production in the previous year.
The awards were launched in 2011 by John Colbourn of the Toronto Sun, Richard Ouzounian of the Toronto Star, Robert Cushman of the National Post and J. Kelly Nestruck of The Globe and Mail, as the first new opportunity for Toronto theatre critics to vote on or present awards since the discontinuation of the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 2001.J. Kelly Nestruck, "The Tonys, the Doras - now the critics weigh in on the best of the theatre season". The Globe and Mail, June 7, 2011.
The awards went on hiatus after 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatre production.J. Kelly Nestruck, "Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards laud Natasha and Pierre, The Master Plan and Casey and Diana". The Globe and Mail, June 11, 2024. They returned in 2024.Liam Donovan, "Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards announce 2024 winners". Intermission, June 11, 2024.
Awards Best New Canadian Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2012 Ins Choi Kim's Convenience Rachel Phan, "Five thumbs up for these plays; A matter of Kim's Convenience for Toronto Theatre Critics Awards". National Post, May 31, 2012. 2013 Hannah Moscovitch This Is War J. Kelly Nestruck, "Mirvish posts big and small wins at Toronto critics' awards". The Globe and Mail, May 23, 2013. 2014 Robert Lepage Needles and Opium Glenn Sumi, "Critics’ choice". Now, May 22, 2014. 2015 Michel Marc Bouchard Tom at the Farm J. Kelly Nestruck, "Toronto theatre critics name their favourites of the year". The Globe and Mail, May 27, 2015. 2016 Jordan Tannahill Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom J. Kelly Nestruck, "Kinky Boots takes top honour at the Toronto Theatre Critics Awards". The Globe and Mail, May 27, 2016. 2017 Norah Sadava, Amy Nostbakken Mouthpiece Karen Fricker, "Come From Away wins Toronto Theatre Critics Awards". Toronto Star, May 25, 2017. 2018 Hannah Moscovitch Bunny J. Kelly Nestruck, "Fun Home, Mr. Shi and His Lover top Toronto Theatre Critics Awards". The Globe and Mail, May 24, 2018. Matthew MacKenzie Bears 2019 Ho Ka Kei Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) J. Kelly Nestruck, "Old Stock, School Girls are big winners at first gender-neutral Toronto Theatre Critics Awards". The Globe and Mail, May 22, 2019. 2020 Anthony MacMahon, Thomas McKechnie The Jungle Glenn Sumi, "Toronto theatre critics acknowledge best of a shortened season". Now, June 3, 2020. 2024 Nick Green Casey and Diana Michael Healey The Master Plan 2025 Miriam Fernandes, Ravi Jain Mahabharata Liam Donovan, "Announcing the winners of the 2025 Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards". Intermission, May 9, 2025. Veronica Hortigüela, Annie Luján Monks
Best New International Play To be eligible for this award, a play only has to have received its first production in the Toronto market within the eligibility period, and does not necessarily have to be a world debut.
Year Recipient Play Ref 2012 Roland Schimmelpfennig The Golden Dragon 2013 Mark O'Rowe Terminus 2014 Sarah Ruhl Passion Play 2015 Stephen Adly Guirgis The Motherfucker with the Hat 2016 None presented 2017 Annie Baker John 2018 Stephen Karam The Humans 2019 Tarell Alvin McCraney The Brothers Size 2020 Annie Baker The Flick 2024 Natalya Vorozhbit (Sasha Dugdale, translator) Bad Roads 2025 Annie Baker Infinite Life Heidi Schreck What the Constitution Means to Me
Best New Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2012 Jacob Richmond, Brooke Maxwell Ride the Cyclone 2016 Red One Theatre Collective The Chasse-Galerie 2019 Hannah Moscovitch, Christian Barry, Ben Caplan Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
Best Production of a Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Theatre Passe Muraille, Canadian Stage The Middle Place 2012 Tarragon Theatre The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs 2013 Mirvish Productions Terminus 2014 Soulpepper Theatre Angels in America Tarragon Theatre Lungs 2015 Mirvish Productions Arcadia Outside the March Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play 2016 Butcher's Block Collective, Why Not Theatre Butcher 2017 The Company Theatre John Ex Machina, Canadian Stage 887 2018 Canadian Stage The Humans 2019 Obsidian Theatre, Nightwood Theatre School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play 2020 Outside the March, Crow's Theatre The Flick 2024 Canadian Stage The Inheritance 2025 Why Not Theatre, Canadian Stage Mahabharata
Best Production of a Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Lincoln Centre South Pacific 2012 Acting Up Stage Company Caroline, or Change 2013 Mirvish Productions The Book of Mormon 2014 Canadian Stage London Road 2015 Soulpepper Theatre Spoon River 2016 Mirvish Productions Kinky Boots 2017 Mirvish Productions Come from Away 2018 Musical Stage Company Fun Home 2019 Young People's Theatre Mary Poppins 2020 Orin Wolf, Stylesfour Productions, Evamere Entertainment, Atlantic Theater Co. The Band's Visit 2024 Crow’s Theatre, Musical Stage Company Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 2025 Soulpepper Theatre, Musical Stage Company, Crow’s Theatre, TO Live A Strange Loop
Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 David Ferry Blasted Yanna McIntosh Ruined 2012 Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Kim's Convenience Nicole Underhay The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs 2013 Stuart Hughes The Crucible Michelle Monteith Little One 2014 Damien Atkins Angels in America Carly Street Venus in Fur 2015 David Ferry Blackbird Fiona Reid Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike 2016 Kawa Ada Bombay Black Laura Condlin An Enemy of the People 2017 Dawn Jani Birley Prince Hamlet André Sills "Master Harold"...and the Boys 2018 Lovell Adams-Gray Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools 2019 Eric Peterson The Father 2020 Daren A. Herbert Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Amy Rutherford A Streetcar Named Desire 2024 Sean Arbuckle Casey and Diana Amaka Umeh Sizwe Banzi Is Dead 2025 Ins Choi Kim's Convenience Noah Reid A Case for the Existence of God
Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Louise Pitre A Year with Frog and Toad Tony Sheldon Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2012 Sahr Ngaujah Fela! Arlene Duncan Caroline, or Change 2013 Bruce Dow Of a Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical Bree Greig Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata 2014 Ramin Karimloo Les Misérables Chilina Kennedy The Little Mermaid 2015 Daren A. Herbert The Wild Party Trish Lindstrom Once 2016 Alan Mingo Jr. Kinky Boots Carly Heffernan One Night Only 2017 Beau Dixon Passing Strange Patricia Cano The (Post) Mistress 2018 Jordan Cheng Mr. Shi and His Lover Hannah Levinson, Sara Farb, Laura Condlln Fun Home 2019 Robert Markus Dear Evan Hansen 2020 Jully Black Caroline, or Change Chilina Kennedy The Band's Visit 2024 Damien Atkins De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail 2025 Malachi McCaskill A Strange Loop
Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Richard McMillan After Akhmatova Cara Ricketts Eternal Hydra 2012 Kelli Fox The Penelopiad Philip Riccio The Test 2013 Maev Beaty Proud Alon Nashman THIS 2014 Ian D. Clark Cock Nancy Palk Angels in America 2015 Juan Chioran The Motherfucker with the Hat Beatriz Pizano Blood Wedding 2016 Anna Chatterton Independent Aunties Danny Ghantous A Line in the Sand 2017 James Daly Nora McLellan John 2018 Carolyn Fe Calpurnia Maxwell Haynes The Aliens 2019 Akosua Amo-Adem School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play Sabryn Rock The Royale 2020 Sarah Dodd Marjorie Prime 2024 Jadyn Nasato Four Minutes Oyin Oladejo Three Sisters 2025 Nancy Palk Infinite Life Dan Mousseau There Is Violence and There Is Righteous Violence and There Is Death, or, The Born-Again Crow
Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Oliver Dennis The Fantasticks Kate Hennig Billy Elliot the Musical 2012 Deborah Hay Caroline, or Change Elliott Loran Ride the Cyclone 2013 Darrin Baker Falsettos Bryn McAuley Snow White: The Deliciously Dopey Family Musical 2014 James Monroe Iglehart Aladdin Lana Carillo The Little Mermaid 2015 Susan Gilmour The Wild Party Jacob MacInnis James and the Giant Peach 2016 Justin Bolt The Wizard of Oz AJ Bridel Kinky Boots 2017 Dan Chameroy Matilda the Musical Vanessa Sears Passing Strange 2018 Cynthia Dale Fun Home Derek Kwan Mr. Shi and His Lover 2019 Mary Fay Coady Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story Jessica Sherman Dear Evan Hansen Ephraim Sykes Ain't Too Proud 2020 Vanessa Sears Caroline, or Change 2024 George Krissa Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Heeyun Park 2025 Julia Pulo Life After
Best Ensemble Performance in a Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2019 Rachel Cairns, Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Annelise Hawrylak, Ula Jurecka, Brittany Kay, Heath V. Salazar, Hallie Seline, Amaka Umeh, Robyn Stevan The Wolves 2020 Colin Doyle, Amy Keating, Durae McFarlane, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett The Flick Kaleb Alexander, Mazin Elsadig, Alex McCooeye Pass Over 2024 Christopher Allen, Ben Carlson, Philippa Domville, Peter Fernandes, Tara Nicodemo, Yanna McIntosh, Mike Shara The Master Plan 2025 Kragva, Moog, Wug Goblin: Macbeth
Best Ensemble Performance in a Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2019 Rielle Braid, Peter Deiwick, Bruce Dow, Donna Garner, Kira Guloien, David Fox, Britta Johnson, Dave Autar, Mia Johnson, Zahra Khan, Abi Lee, Liam Lockhart-Rush, Alejandra Nunez, James Parchment, Danté Prince, Emmett Young, Jill Wood Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life 2020 Beau Dixon, Hailey Gillis, Kira Guloien, Andrew Penner Ghost Quartet 2024 Dave Ball, Joel Cumber, Eva Foote, Peter Fernandes, Mike Jackson, Julia McLellan, Jessica Sherman, Margaret Thompson, Kelsey Verzotti, Jeremy Walmsley Kelly v. Kelly 2025 Charlie Clark, Sierra Holder, Nathanael Judah, David Lopez, Marcus Nance, Matt Nethersole, David Andrew Reid, and Amaka Umeh A Strange Loop
Best Solo Performance in a Play or Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2025 Haley McGee Age Is a Feeling
Best Director of a Play Year Recipient Play Ref 2011 Gina Wilkinson Wide Awake Hearts 2012 Weyni Mengesha The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs 2013 Mitchell Cushman Terminus 2014 Albert Schultz Of Human Bondage 2015 Soheil Parsa Blood Wedding 2016 Ravi Jain Salt-Water Moon 2017 Philip Akin "Master Harold"...and the Boys 2018 Erin Brubacher Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools Jani Lauzon The Monument 2019 Nina Lee Aquino School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu The Brothers Size 2020 Philip Akin Actually Pass Over 2024 Andrew Kushnir Bad Roads Leora Morris The Sound Inside 2025 Dylan Trowbridge Cock
Best Director of a Musical Year Recipient Play Ref 2012 Britt Small, Jacob Richmond Ride the Cyclone 2013 Casey Nicholaw, Trey Parker The Book of Mormon 2014 Jackie Maxwell London Road 2015 Albert Schultz Spoon River 2016 Tyrone Savage The Chasse-Galerie 2017 Christopher Ashley Come from Away 2018 Robert McQueen Fun Home 2019 Christian Barry Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story 2020 Marie Farsi Ghost Quartet Conor McPherson Girl from the North Country 2024 Gregory Prest De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail 2025 Ilana Khanin I Was Unbecoming Then
Best Design of a Play or Musical