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This year, stage and screen legend and the recipient of five Golden Globe Awards and Emmy Award winner Ann-Margret will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards, for her lifelong commitment to dance on the big screen and on stages around the world.
This year’s Awards will take place on Monday, May 18 at NYU Skirball Center, and are produced by Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc. Lanteri produces in conjunction with Patricia Watt.
The nominations for the 2026 Chita Rivera Awards will be announced Thursday, April 30. This year’s cut-off for nominators to see eligible shows is Sunday, April 26.
“Ann-Margret is a singular icon whose electrifying presence has defined ‘triple threat’ for stage, film, and television,” said Joe Lanteri. “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.”
Carrying the name of one of the great dance icons of the American musical theater, the Chita Rivera Awards celebrate dance and choreographic excellence – past, present and future. The awards honor the superb achievement of each nominee, while recognizing the talents and passion of every theatrical choreographer and dancer. Additionally, through education and scholarships, the awards are committed to nurturing future generations, as well as preserving notable dance history.
Nominators 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. Nominations will be determined by the designated nominating committees. There are separate nominating committees for Broadway and Film. There is also an awarding committee for Broadway, which determines recipients that are received from the Broadway nominations committee.
The off-Broadway honors won’t have competitive categories with nominees, and as was the case last year, will be chosen by the Awarding committee.
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.
The awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and Humanities, as well as when tickets go on sale, will be announced in the coming weeks.
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.
