Awards
Fouad Dakwar, Dan Fishback, Scott Gilmour, Claire McKenzie, More Receive 2025 Jonathan Larson Grants
The esteemed prize is annually awarded to exceptional emerging musical theatre writers.
February 19, 2026 By Margaret Hall
The American Theatre Wing (ATW), led by President and CEO Heather Hitchens, has revealed the recipients of the 2025 Jonathan Larson Grant program.
The esteemed prize is annually awarded to exceptional emerging musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams.
This year’s winners include multimedia artist (and Playbill Songwriter Series alum) Fouad Dakwar for Fouad of Nazareth; playwright and songwriter Dan Fishback for Rubble Rubble; award-winning writing partners Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie for Ceildh; composer, lyricist, and librettist, Adam J. Rineer for A Trip to the Moon; and playwright, songwriter, and educator abs wilson for Lighthouse The Musical.
The 2025 recipients were selected by an expert panel consisting of Tony Award-winning Broadway Producer Patrick Catullo; creative director, designer, and producer Clint Ramos; and actress, singer, writer, and teacher Grace McLean.
Each person/duo is awarded a $20,000 unrestricted grant in addition to a $2,500 Saw Island Foundation Recording Grant to support the production of new demo recordings that better represent the artist’s vision. Two special presentations, showcasing the work of this year’s artists will be held March 23 at Joe’s Pub.
Past Jonathan Larson Grant winner Rona Siddiqui will host this year's celebration, with Patrick Sulken music directing. The concert producer is Jenny Gorelick. Tickets can be purchased here.
The grants—named for seminal composer Jonathan Larson, who posthumously won a Pulitzer Prize and two Tony Awards for Rent—regularly serve as an indicator of who will be the next great theatre-makers and culture-shapers. Past recipients include Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land), Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop), Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Shaina Taub (Suffs), Chad Beguelin and Matt Sklar (The Prom, Elf), Amanda Green (Bring it On, Mr. Saturday Night), Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Legally Blonde), Matt Gould (Lempicka, Invisible Thread), Laurence O’Keefe (Heathers, Legally Blonde), Dave Malloy (The Great Comet), Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square), Steven Lutvak (A Gentleman’s Guide), Glenn Slater (Sister Act, School of Rock), Joe Iconis (Be More Chill), Kait Kerrigan (The Great Gatsby), Bree Lowdermilk (The Mad Ones), and more.
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