The Antonyo Awards have set a live ceremony for their second annual honors, to be presented October 10 at Harlem's Apollo Theater. The evening will see Black theatre artists recognized for their work in the 2021-22 theatre season in NYC across 29 competitive categories and five honorary categories, along with performances and guest appearances.
"The Antonyo Awards were born to remind ourselves of the joy that Black theatre artists have created in a fractured country," says Broadway Black's Drew Shade, who conceived the awards in 2020. "For almost 10 years, Broadway Black has championed Black voices in many different ways, and we are thrilled to move from the well-received initial streaming broadcast in our first year to a fully produced awards ceremony at the legendary Apollo Theater, the centerpiece of live performance in Harlem."
This year's nominees were selected by a committee of industry professionals including Alaina Newell, Ayanna Prescod, Brittani Samuel, Juan Michael Porter II, Eric Emauni, Drew Shade, Judith Lovell, and Cody Renard Richard.
Among this year's nominees for Best Play are Lynn Nottage's Clyde's, Dominique Morriseau's Confederates, Erika Dickerson-Despenza's Cullud Wattah, Jocelyn Bioh's Nollywood Dreams, Aleshea Harris' On Sugarland, Keenan Scott II's Thoughts of a Colored Man, and Aleshea Harris' What to Send Up When it Goes Down. Nominated for Best Musical are Black No More; Caroline, or Change; Intimate Apparel; MJ: The Musical; Paradise Square; and A Strange Loop.
Among this year's honorees are Leslie Uggams, who will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award; Esco Jouléy for their work in Wolf Play, receiving the Welcome Award or the Kyle Jean-Baptiste Award; Mansa Ra, receiving the Langston Hughes Award; Erika Dickerson-Despenza, receiving the Lorraine Hansberry Award; and Cleveland, Ohio's Karamu House, receiving the Doors of the Theatre Are Open Award or the Dr. Barbara Ann Teer Award.
The 2nd Annual Antonyo Awards are produced by Shade, Eric Emauni, Jennifer Friedland, LaChanze, Tituss Burgess, Shoshana Bean, Tina Johnson-Marcel, Rashad T. Bailey, National Black Theatre, and Level Forward, along with co-producers DeRay Mckesson, Ezra Ezzard, Alexander Robertson, Crissle West, and Ashley C. Ford.
Take a look at the nominees for The Second Annual Antonyo Awards:
Best Featured Actor in a Play, Off-Broadway
Abena, Merry Wives
Stephanie Berry, On Sugarland
Billy Eugene Jones, On Sugarland
Andrea Patterson, Confederates
Andrea Patterson, Cullud Wattah
Alicia Pilgrim, Cullud Wattah
Britton Smith, To My Girls
Best Featured Actor in a Play, Broadway
Ron Cephas Jones, Clyde's
Chuck Cooper, Trouble in Mind
Brandon J. Dirden, Skeleton Crew
Luke James, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Tendayi Kuumba, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Kenita R. Miller, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Kara Young, Clyde's
Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Off-Broadway
Justin Cooley, Kimberly Akimbo
Adrianne Danrich, Intimate Apparel
Alysha Deslorieux, The Visitor
Tamika Lawrence, Black No More
Ephraim Sykes, Black No More
Lillias White, Black No More
Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Broadway
Charity Angel Dawson, Mrs. Doubtfire
Sidney DuPont, Paradise Square
Ayana George, MJ: The Musical
Jared Grimes, Funny Girl
James Jackson Jr., A Strange Loop
L Morgan Lee, A Strange Loop
Tavon Olds-Sample, MJ: The Musical
Best Choreography
Bill T. Jones, Chloe Davis, Gelan Lambert, Paradise Square
Raja Feather Kelly, A Strange Loop
Darrell Grand Moultrie, Space Dogs
Adesola Osakalumi, Skeleton Crew
Ellenore Scott & Ayodele Casel, Funny Girl
Ellenore Scott & Jeffrey Alkins, Mr. Saturday Night
Best Direction, Off-Broadway
Saheem Ali, Merry Wives
Saheem Ali, Nollywood Dreams
Stori Ayers, Confederates
Candis C. Jones, Cullud Wattah
Awoye Timpo, Wedding Band
Whitney White, On Sugarland
Best Direction, Broadway
Lileana Blain-Cruz, The Skin of Our Teeth
Steve H. Broadnax III, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Camille A. Brown, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Zhailon Levingston, Chicken & Biscuits
Charles Randolph-Wright, Trouble in Mind
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Skeleton Crew
Best Lighting Design
Stacey Derosier, Wedding Band
Alan C. Edwards, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Best Scenic Design
Chris Cumberbatch, Gong Lum's Legacy
Lawrence E. Moten III, Chicken & Biscuits
Best Sound Design
Rena Anakwe, Wedding Band
Justin Ellington, Clyde's
Justin Ellington, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Jimmy Keys, Confederates
Twi McCallum, Little Girl Blue
Mikaal Sulaiman, On Sugarland
Best Costume Design, Off-Broadway
Dede M. Ayite, Merry Wives
Dede M. Ayite, Nollywood Dreams
Ari Fulton, Confederates
Kara Harmon, Cullud Wattah
Toni-Leslie James, Suffs
Qween Jean, On Sugarland
Best Costume Design, Broadway
Montana Levi Blanco, The Skin of Our Teeth
Sarafina Bush, Pass Over
Sarafina Bush, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Toni-Leslie James, Paradise Square
Emilio Sosa, Skeleton Crew
Paul Tazewell, MJ: The Musical
Best Wig/Hair Design, Broadway
Cookie Jordan, Clyde's
Cookie Jordan, The Skin of Our Teeth
Nikiya Mathis, Nollywood Dreams
Nikiya Mathis, Confederates
Earon Chew Nealey, Cullud Wattah
Earon Chew Nealey, On Sugarland
Best Digital Theater Production
After Midnight, Signature Theatre Streaming On Demand
The Last 5 Years, Out of the Box Theatrics and Holmdel Theatre Company
Semblance, New York Theatre Workshop
Best Audio Theater Production
Dreamgirls on Clubhouse, Leroy Church
The Lion King on Clubhouse, Noelle Chesnut Whitmore
Mugabe, My Dad & Me, Tonderai Munyevu, Audible Theater
Paradise Blue, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Audible Theater
Best Musical Ensemble
Black No More
Caroline, Or Change
Intimate Apparel
MJ: The Musical
Paradise Square
A Strange Loop
The Visitor
Best Play Ensemble
Clyde's
for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Skeleton Crew
The Skin of Our Teeth
Thoughts of a Colored Man
What To Send Up When It Goes Down
Wedding Band
Best Music in a Play
Starr Busby, On Sugarland
Justin Ellington, Tambo & Bones
Justin Hicks, Cullud Wattah
Alphonso Horne, Wedding Band
Te'La and Kamauu, & Keenen Scott II, Thoughts of a Colored Man
Jimmy Keys, Skeleton Crew
Bill Sims Jr., Lackawanna Blues
Best Orchestration
Joseph Joubert, Caroline, or Change
Daryl Waters, Black No More
Jason Michael Webb, MJ: The Musical
Best Original Score
Masi Asare, Paradise Square
Michael R. Jackson, A Strange Loop
James Posner, Daryl Waters, Anthony Tidd, Tariq Trotter, Black No More
Best Book of a Musical
Kwame Kweo-Armah, The Visitor
Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel
Lynn Nottage, MJ: The Musical
John Ridley, Black No More
*NOTE: A Strange Loop was ineligible, as it won this category in 2020. Productions are ineligible for nomination if they have previously won the category for the same work.
Best Solo Performance
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Lackawanna Blues
Laiona Michelle, Little Girl Blue
Best Actor in a Play, Off-Broadway
Kyle Beltran, Case for the Existence of God
Crystal A. Dickinson, Cullud Wattah
Susan Kelechi Watson, Merry Wives
Kiki Layne, On Sugarland
Kristolyn Lloyd, Confederates
Jacob Ming-Trent, Merry Wives
Daniel J. Watts, The Last of the Love Letters
Best Actor in a Play, Broadway
Uzo Aduba, Clyde's
Gabby Beans, The Skin of Our Teeth
Laurence Fishburne, American Buffalo
LaChanze, Trouble in Mind
Ruth Negga, Macbeth
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Namir Smallwood, Pass Over
Best Actor in a Musical, Off-Broadway
Justin Austin, Intimate Apparel
Kearstin Piper Brown, Intimate Apparel
Brandon Victor Dixon, Black No More
Britney Nicole Simpson, Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written
Bryonha Marie Parham, A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet
Tariq Trotter, Black No More
Best Actor in a Musical, Broadway
Sharon D. Clarke, Caroline, or Change
Myles Frost, MJ: The Musical
Joaquina Kalukango, Paradise Square
Jaquel Spivey, A Strange Loop
Best Revival
Macbeth
Skeleton Crew
Trouble in Mind
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
Merry Wives
The Skin of Our Teeth
*NOTE: for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf was ineligible, as it won this category in 2020. Productions are ineligible for nomination if they have previously won the category.
Best Play
Clyde's by Lynn Nottage
Confederates by Dominique Morisseau
Cullud Wattah by Erika Dickerson-Despenza
Nollywood Dreams by Jocelyn Bioh
On Sugarland by Aleshea Harris
Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II
What To Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris
Best Musical
Black No More
Caroline, or Change
Intimate Apparel
MJ: The Musical
Paradise Square
A Strange Loop
Lorraine Hansberry Award
This award is given to a Black female-identified or nonbinary femme playwright/book writer whose contributions to the stage have exemplified the balance of dynamic storytelling and social justice ideologies.
Erika Dickerson-Despenza
Langston Hughes Award
This award is given to a Black male-identified or nonbinary masc playwright/book writer whose contributions to the stage have exemplified the balance of dynamic storytelling and social justice ideologies.
Mansa Ra
The Doors of the Theatre Are Open Award, or The Dr. Barbara Ann Teer Award
This award is presented to a theatre company or brick-and-mortar theatre that has demonstrated a fervent commitment to celebrating and uplifting the full breadth of Black people’s humanity.
Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio
The Welcome Award, or The Kyle Jean-Baptiste Award
This award is presented to newcomers in the New York Black Theatre scene who show great promise to contribute a great deal to our community.
Esco Jouléy for their work in Wolf Play
The Lifetime Achievement Antonyo Award
Leslie Uggams
Shows with multiple nominations:
Black No More – 10
On Sugarland – 9
Cullud Wattah – 8
MJ: The Musical – 8
Skeleton Crew – 8
A Strange Loop - 7
Clyde’s – 7
Confederates – 7
Paradise Square – 7
Intimate Apparel – 6
Merry Wives – 6
The Skin of Our Teeth – 6
Thoughts of a Colored Man – 5
Wedding Band – 5
Caroline, or Change – 4
for colored girls... – 4
Nollywood Dreams – 4
Trouble in Mind – 4
Chicken & Biscuits – 2
Funny Girl – 2
Lackawanna Blues – 2
Little Girl Blue – 2
Macbeth – 2
Pass Over – 2
Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 – 2
The Visitor – 2
What to Send Up When It Goes Down – 2
After Midnight – 1
American Buffalo – 1
Case for the Existence of God - 1
A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet - 1
Dreamgirls on Clubhouse – 1
Gong Lum’s Legacy – 1
Kimberly Akimbo – 1
The Last 5 Years – 1
The Last of the Love Letters - 1
The Lion King on Clubhouse – 1
Penelope, or How the Odyssey Was Really Written - 1
Mr. Saturday Night – 1
Mrs. Doubtfire – 1
Mugabe, My Dad & Me – 1
Paradise Blue – 1
Semblance – 1
Space Dogs – 1
Suffs – 1
Tambo & Bones - 1
To My Girls – 1
Visit AntonyoAwards.com.
