Washington, DC – Tonight before a crowd of 1200 theatre-makers and theatre-lovers at the historic Lincoln Theatre, theatreWashington celebrated excellence on Washington stages at the 2015 Helen Hayes Awards. The awards celebration was a night of excitement and surprise as 57 Washington theatre artists, theatres, and ensembles received honors in 47 categories for their outstanding accomplishments during the 2014 theatre season.

The 2015 Awards are the first for which eligible productions were adjudicated under a new system intended to further improve the quality, consistency, and credibility of the Awards process. First, each judge was chosen by all qualifying theatres’ artistic directors. In addition, after extensive dialogue with the theatre community, theatreWashington assigned each production to one of two purely administrative divisions — designated “HELEN” and “HAYES” — depending on the ratio of actors working in the production under an Actors’ Equity contract. Because the distinction is production-specific, a theatre company’s range of work may be nominated in both categories over the course of the year.

Special honors went to National New Play Network, which received The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership and Flying V, which received The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company.

Leading players in Washington theatre presented awards in 47 categories for outstanding achievement, including Kathryn Chase Bryer, Priscilla Cuellar, Felicia Curry, Derek Goldman, Frank Labovitz, Jon Hudson Odom, James Whalen, Doug Wilder, and Rachel Zampelli.

During the 2014 season, 50 theatres produced 188 productions that met eligibility requirements in the January 1 – December 31 judging cycle. These productions were seen by a pool of 47 Helen Hayes Awards Judges going on five individual panels who submitted 26,183 scores for 2,435 pieces of work, 1,417 of which were acting performances alone. From these shows, 264 artists, ensembles and productions from 31 theatres were recognized with Helen Hayes Awards nominations.

Click HERE for full list of nominees.

Full List of Recipients for the 2015 Helen Hayes Awards

Outstanding Performer, Visiting Production

Tovah Feldshuh, Golda’s Balcony, Theater J

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play-HELEN Production

Maggie Erwin, Failure: A Love Story, The Hub Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play-HAYES Production

Erin Weaver, Mother Courage and Her Children, Arena Stage

The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play-HELEN Production

Wayne Bennett, Seven Guitars, No Rules Theatre Company

The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play-HAYES Production

Zachary Fine, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Folger Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical-HELEN Production

David Jennings, Spamalot, Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical-HAYES Production

Matthew A. Anderson, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ford’s Theatre

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical-HELEN Production

Miranda Medugno, Visible Language, WSC Avant Bard

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical-HAYES Production

Erin Weaver, Ordinary Days, Round House Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical-HELEN Production

Alan Naylor, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris, Creative Cauldron

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical-HAYES Production

Sam Ludwig, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical-HELEN Production

Barbara Walsh, Carrie: The Musical, Studio Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical-HAYES Production

Brynn O’Malley, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play-HELEN Production

Nanna Ingvarsson, The Amish Project, Factory 449

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play-HAYES Production

Kimberly Gilbert, Marie Antoinette, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play-HELEN Production

Doug Wilder, One Man, Two Guvnors, 1st Stage

The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play-HAYES Production

Rick Foucheux, Freud’s Last Session, Theater J

Outstanding Sound Design-HELEN Production

Matthew M. Nielson and Christopher Baine, The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Sound Design-HAYES Production

Christopher Baine, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Lighting Design-HELEN Production

John Burkland, The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Lighting Design-HAYES Production

Philip S. Rosenberg, Private Lives, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Costume Design-HELEN Production

Kendra Rai, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Synetic Theater

Outstanding Costume Design-HAYES Production

Paul Tazewell, Side Show, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Set Design-HELEN Production

Dan Conway, Tiny Tim’s Christmas Carol, Adventure Theatre MTC

Outstanding Set Design-HAYES Production

Eric J. Van Wyk, The BFG, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Choreography in a Play-HELEN Production

Irina Tsikurishvili (Choreographer) and Ben Cunis (Fight Choreographer), Twelfth Night, Synetic Theater

Outstanding Choreography in a Play-HAYES Production

Ben Cunis (Fight & Movement Choreographer) and Christopher D’Amboise (Choreographer), Colossal, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical-HELEN Production

Mark Minnick, Spamalot, Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Outstanding Choreography in a Musical-HAYES Production

Susan Stroman, Little Dancer, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Musical Direction-HELEN Production

e’Marcus Harper-Short, Black Nativity, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Musical Direction-HAYES Production

Jon Kalbfleisch, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Director of a Musical-HELEN Production

Steven Royal, Bat Boy: The Musical, 1st Stage

Outstanding Director of a Musical-HAYES Production

Matthew Gardiner, Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Director of a Play-HELEN Production

Colin Hovde and Nathaniel Mendez, The Wonderful World of Dissocia,Theater Alliance

Outstanding Director of a Play-HAYES Production

Will Davis, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical-HELEN Production

Black Nativity, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical-HAYES Production

Side Show, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play-HELEN Production

Twelfth Night, Synetic Theater

Outstanding Ensemble in a Play-HAYES Production

The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Folger Theatre

The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play or Musical

Andrew Hinderaker, Colossal, Olney Theatre Center

Outstanding Play or Musical Adaptation

Patrick McDonnell, Aaron Posner, and Erin Weaver; Andy Mitton (Music & Lyrics), The Gift of Nothing, The Kennedy Center

Outstanding Visiting Production

Brief Encounter, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences

The BFG, Imagination Stage

Outstanding Musical-HELEN Production

Black Nativity, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Musical-HAYES Production

Side Show, The Kennedy Center

Sunday in the Park With George, Signature Theatre

Outstanding Play-HELEN Production

The Wonderful World of Dissocia, Theater Alliance

Outstanding Play-HAYES Production

C**k, Studio Theatre

The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company

Flying V

The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in Theatre Community

National New Play Network