The 83rd annual Drama League Awards, hosted by Audra McDonald and Will Swenson, were held May 19 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.
The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America, having been first presented in 1922 and subsequently formalized in 1935. At the center of the awards is the Distinguished Performance Award, which goes to one artist a year and can only be won once in an artist’s lifetime. This year's winner is Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt, who is the youngest actor to have ever won the award. (Click here to see the complete list of nominees for the Distinguished Performance Award.)
Since Bette Midler had been previously announced to receive this year's Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award, the Hello, Dolly! star was considered ineligible for the Distinguished Performance Award category. Several other performers who appeared on the New York stage this season were also deemed ineligible because they previously received the Distinguished Performance Award: Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard), Christine Ebersole (War Paint), Harvey Fierstein (Gently Down the Stream), Nathan Lane (The Front Page), Patti LuPone (War Paint), Mary-Louise Parker (Heisenberg), and Liev Schreiber (Les Liaisons Dangereuses).
The Unique Contribution to the Theater Award was presented to animal trainer Bill Berloni, and the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing went to Michael Grief.
Read More: BILL BERLONI TRAINED THE ORIGINAL SANDY FROM ANNIE—AND MADE A CAREER OUT OF DOING IT
Nominees for other the major categories follow, with winners names in bold:
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Améie
Anastasia
Bandstand
Come From Away
*Dear Evan Hansen
Groundhog Day
Hadestown
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
Ride the Cyclone
War Paint
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
A Dolls House, Part 2
Caught
Everybody
If I Forget
Indecent
A Life
*Oslo
The Play That Goes Wrong
Sweat
Tell Hector I Miss Him
The Wolves
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
Cats
Falsettos
*Hello, Dolly!
Miss Saigon
Sunset Boulevard
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweet Charity
(Note: At the producers' request, this season's revival of Sunday in the Park with George was not considered for award eligibility.)
OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A BROADWAY OR OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
A Doll's House/The Father
The Beauty Queen of Leenane
*Jitney
The Little Foxes
Master Harold and the Boys
Othello
Present Laughter
The Price
Six Degrees of Separation
Troilus and Cressida
Photos from the ceremony follow:
Check out footage from Dear Evan Hansen below:
