The Drama League has announced its 2024 Special Recognition Honorees, who will be recognized at The 90th Annual Drama League Awards for their outstanding contributions to the theatre industry.
Two-time Tony nominee Jonathan Groff, currently on Broadway in the acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award. Director Schele Williams will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing; she is represented this season with the Broadway-bound revival of The Wiz and the new musical The Notebook (Williams co-directs the latter with Michael Greif).
The annual Gratitude Award will be presented to producer and performer Kandi Burruss (Chicago, The Wiz), in recognition of her leadership and commitment to the theatre industry, and Oscar and Tony winner Jessica Lange, who returns to Broadway this spring in Mother Play, will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award for her commitment to furthering the art of the American theatre.
As previously reported, the 2024 Drama League Awards, celebrating work on Broadway and off, will be held May 17 in Manhattan at the Ziegfeld Ballroom hosted by Emmy winner Frank DiLella. To be eligible for nomination, productions must open by April 20. Nominations for this year's awards will be revealed April 22 at 10 AM ET at the New York Library for the Performing Arts.
READ: Some Like It Hot, Annaleigh Ashford, Leopoldstadt, More Win 2023 Drama League Awards
The Drama League Awards are among the oldest theatrical honors in America, having been first presented in 1922 and subsequently formalized in 1935. It recognizes work playing Broadway and Off-Broadway. The awards are determined by Drama League members, a group that includes award-winning actors, designers, directors, playwrights, producers, industry veterans, critics, and dedicated audiences from across the nation.
The ceremony culminates in the presentation of the Distinguished Performance Award, which goes to one artist a year and can only be won once in an artist’s lifetime. Recent winners have included Annaleigh Ashford for Sweeney Todd, Glenda Jackson for Three Tall Women, Ben Platt for Dear Evan Hansen, and Lin-Manuel Miranda for Hamilton.
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