The Drama League has revealed the 2025 Special Recognition Honorees of the 91st Annual Drama League Awards, who will be celebrated for their outstanding lifetime contributions to the theater industry and to popular culture.
Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga will receive the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater for her outstanding work on stage as part of the musical theater community. Ms. Salonga, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, will be seen this spring in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway.
Director Whitney White will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing for her groundbreaking work, which this season in New York includes Walden at Second Stage, Liberation at Roundabout Theater Company, Macbeth in Stride at BAM, and The Last Five Years on Broadway.
The Gratitude Award will be presented to lead producers of this season’s new Broadway musical Smash Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, in recognition of their vibrant creative achievements, leadership, and commitment to the American theater.
Audible Theater and Kate Navin will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award, for their unwavering commitment to furthering the art of the American theater, including the premiere of Dead Outlaw, which moves to Broadway this spring.
These awards will be presented during the famed luncheon ceremony at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 12:00PM. The event will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella (NY1 “On Stage”; PBS Great Performances “Reopening: The Broadway Revival”).
Nominations for the 2024-25 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be announced on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 10:00am, at Lincoln Center’s New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (111 Amsterdam Avenue at 64th Street). Honoring the outstanding accomplishments of the theatrical community, The Drama League Awards will be bestowed in the following categories:
Distinguished Performance Award
Outstanding Production of a Play
Outstanding Production of a Musical
Outstanding Revival of a Play
Outstanding Revival of a Musical
Outstanding Direction of a Play
Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Founders Award for Excellence in Directing
Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater
Contribution to the Theater Award
The Gratitude Award
Broadway and Off-Broadway productions must have started previews between April 21, 2024 – April 20, 2025 to be eligible for this season’s Drama League Awards.
