Ann-Margret Will Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at 2026 Chita Rivera Awards

Golden Globe and Emmy winner Ann-Margret will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards, set for May 18 at the NYU Skirball Center.

The stage and screen star is being honored for her lifelong commitment to dance on the big screen and on stages around the world.

Nominations for the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards—celebrating dance and choreographic excellence, past, present, and future—will be announced April 30, and the “Meet the Nominees” press event will take place May 4. This year’s cut-off for nominators to see eligible shows is April 26.

“Ann-Margret is a singular icon whose electrifying presence has defined ‘triple threat’ for stage, film, and television,” said Joe Lanteri, founder and executive director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc., who is producing the upcoming award ceremony with Patricia Watt. “She has inspired generations of dancers to perform with the same passion and vivacious spirit that has defined her remarkable six-decade career. We are excited to celebrate her at this year’s Awards and know our audience is in for a treat.”

Ann-Margret rose to prominence with standout performances in films such as Bye Bye Birdie and Viva Las Vegas, the latter opposite Elvis Presley. Throughout the 1970s, she earned critical acclaim for her work in Carnal Knowledge and Tommy. Her performance in Grumpy Old Men and its sequel introduced her to new generations of audiences. The famed performer has received five Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, and numerous other honors recognizing her contributions to film, television, and music. She has also maintained a successful recording career spanning genres from pop to gospel, earning Grammy nominations and critical praise. 

Nominators for the Chita Rivera Awards, named for the late, iconic Broadway star, will consider outstanding choreography, featured dancers and ensembles in productions on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as outstanding choreography in film, that opened in the 2025-2026 season. The Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show category is gender-free, and this category will have twice as many nominees as the former gendered categories. There will be two winners.

This year's Awarding Committee comprises Sylviane Gold, Gary Chryst, Robert LaFosse, Donna McKechnie, Wendy Perron, Stephanie Pope, and Lee Roy Reams. The Broadway Nominating Committee includes Melinda Atwood, Caitlin Carter, Gary Chryst, Don Correia, Sandy Duncan, Peter Filichia, Dr. Louis Galli, Sylviane Gold, Jonathan Herzog, Robert La Fosse, Joe Lanteri, Donna McKechnie, Michael Milton, Mary Beth O'Connor, Wendy Perron, Stephanie Pope, Lee Roy Reams, Desmond Richardson, Andy Sandberg, and Randy Skinner; while Jonathan C. Herzog, Steven Caras, Wilhelmina Frankfurt, Mary Beth O’Connor, and Andy Sandberg serve on the Film Nominating Committee.

The NYC Dance Alliance Foundation College Scholarship Program is the beneficiary of the event. Since the inception of the Foundation, over $5.4 million has been awarded to over 600 dancers attending 50 of the most prestigious college dance programs in the country.

Tickets to the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards are currently on sale by clicking here.