The list of honourees has just been released for the 77th Annual Theatre World Awards, one of the most celebrated and long-running award ceremonies in all of Broadway. With the ceremony slated for June 5th, the array of performers being honoured this year is a vibrant example of Broadway’s current programming.

 

The Theatre World Awards honour twelve performers each year at the end of the theatre season, and have been doing so for the better part of a century now. The program was founded by former Theatre World editor-in-chief John Willis, and with its specific focus on awarding debut performances, it has long been seen as a community-affirming and -growing endeavour. Across the decades, and across varying points in their careers, these awards have been given to the likes of Meryl Streep, Bryan Cranston, Julie Andrews, and Marlon Brando.

 

This year’s list of honourees is as follows:

 

-Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topdog/Underdog

-Hiran Abeysekera, Life of Pi

-Amir Arison, The Kite Runner

-D’Arcy Carden, The Thanksgiving Play

-Jodie Comer, Prima Facie

-Callum Francis, Kinky Boots

-Lucy Freyer, The Wanderers

-Caroline Innerbichler, Shucked

-Ashley D. Kelley, Shucked

-Casey Likes, Almost Famous

-Emma Pfitzer Price, Becomes A Woman

-John David Washington, The Piano Lesson

 

To much celebration, Julie Benko is also receiving the Dorothy Louden Award (an honour for outstanding performance) for her portrayal of the iconic Fanny Brice in the current revival of Funny Girl.

 

The 77th Annual Theatre World Awards will be, as is tradition, presented with twelve prior recipients as the hosts. While it is a private invitational event, there are certain to be a number of memorable tales and performances to surface come June 5th.