Vanessa Williams will be honored with Signature Theatre's 15th Stephen Sondheim Award during the Virginia company's black-tie Gala Benefit March 16 at The Anthem.

Emmy nominee Michael Urie, Williams' co-star on Ugly Betty, will host the evening, which will feature performances from Tony nominee Norm Lewis, who co-starred with Williams in Broadway's Sondheim on Sondheim, as well as Signature favorites Mark G. Meadows, Nova Y. Payton, and Awa Sal Secka. The performers will be accompanied by Jon Kalbfleisch and Mark G. Meadows. 

Signature’s Sondheim Award Gala honors individuals who have made important contributions to the American musical theatre. Williams earned a Tony nomination for her performance of the Witch in 2002’s revival of Into the Woods, directed by 2015 Stephen Sondheim Award honoree James Lapine. Williams also appeared in the 2010 original Broadway production of Sondheim on Sondheim and starred as Cora Hoover Hooper in the 2022 MasterVoices concert production of Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps best known for her Emmy-nominated performance as Wilhelmina Slater in ABC’s Ugly Betty, Williams is currently starring as another fashionista in the West End production of The Devil Wears Prada musical. Her additional Broadway credits include The Trip to Bountiful, After Midnight, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and POTUS.

“Vanessa Williams is an icon of stage and screen, and Signature is thrilled to celebrate her wonderful contributions to the American musical theatre at our 2026 Sondheim Award Gala this March,” said Signature Theatre Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner in a statement. “Across a remarkable Broadway career, Ms. Williams has brought depth, musicality, and star power to an extraordinary range of roles, earning a Tony Award nomination in 2002 for her acclaimed performance as the Witch in Into the Woods. Her artistic connection to the work of Stephen Sondheim has continued through celebrated appearances in Sondheim on Sondheim and in a special concert presentation of Anyone Can Whistle honoring his legacy. Ms. Williams now joins a distinguished group of honorees who have received this award. We look forward to celebrating her historic, varied career this spring with a joyous evening at The Anthem.”

READ: Vanessa Williams Will Return to NYC in The Comfort Zone

"I have admired Vanessa Williams throughout her career, and one unforgettable highlight is her sublime performance in Sondheim on Sondheim on Broadway," added Signature Theatre Managing Director Maggie Boland. “I was fortunate to be in the audience for that show when the Roundabout Theatre Company announced that they would rename the Henry Miller’s Theatre after Stephen Sondheim, and seeing Ms. Williams standing next to Mr. Sondheim on the stage as he reacted to the announcement was a truly transcendent moment. We’re thrilled to honor Ms. Williams with the Sondheim Award as we bring the community together to raise funds to support our mission while celebrating extraordinary artists who have had a tremendous impact on the musical theater canon. We couldn’t ask for a more worthy honoree, and we are immensely grateful to the many generous individuals and companies who will celebrate her with the whole Signature community at another wonderfully successful Gala this spring.”

More information about both Gala dinner reservations (starting at $1,500) and single performance-only tickets ($75) can be found online at SigTheatre.org.