Obie_award

Obie Award

Obie Award

Annual theater awards in New York City


The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by The Village Voice newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after the 2014 ceremony, the American Theatre Wing became the joint presenter and administrative manager of the Obie Awards. The Obie Awards are considered off-Broadway's highest honor, similar to the Tony Awards for Broadway productions.[1][2]

Quick Facts Awarded for, Location ...

Background

Julie Bovasso, Shelley Winters and Jason Robards at the first Obie Awards (1956)

The Obie Awards were initiated by critic Jerry Tallmer and Edwin (Ed) Fancher, publisher of The Village Voice, who handled the financing and business side of the project. They were first given in 1956 under the direction of Tallmer. Initially, only off-Broadway productions were eligible; in 1964, off-off-Broadway productions were made eligible. The first Obie Awards ceremony was held at Helen Gee's cafe.[3]

With the exception of the Lifetime Achievement and Best New American Play awards, there are no fixed categories at the Obie Awards, and the winning actors and actresses are all in a single category titled "Performance." There are no announced nominations.[4][5] Awards in the past have included performance, direction, best production, design, special citations, and sustained achievement. Not every category is awarded every year. The Village Voice also awards annual Obie grants to selected companies; in 2011, these grants were $2,000 each to Metropolitan Playhouse and Wakka Wakka Productions.[6] There is also a Ross Wetzsteon Grant, named after its former theater editor, in the amount of $2,000 (in 2009; in 2011 the grant was $1,000), for a theatre that nurtures innovative new plays.[7]

The first awards in 1955-1956 for plays and musicals were given to Absalom (Lionel Abel) as Best New Play, Uncle Vanya, Best All-Around Production and The Threepenny Opera as Best Musical.[8]

Other awards for off-Broadway theatre are the Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, the Drama League Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

As of September 2014, the Obie Awards are jointly presented by the American Theatre Wing and the Village Voice, with the Wing having "overall responsibility for running" the Awards.[9]

In 2021, American Theatre Wing took over as sole presenter of the Obie Awards and continue to present the honors for off and off-off Broadway theatre.[10]

Award categories

  • Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress
  • Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor
  • Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble
  • Sustained Achievement Award
  • Best New American Theatre Work Award
  • Playwriting Award
  • Design Award
  • Special Citations
  • Obie Grants
  • The Ross Wetzsteon Award

Ceremony history

More information Year, Host ...


Notable winners

2000s

More information Year, Recipients ...

2010s

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2020s

More information Year, Recipients ...

Grants

Obie Grants are awarded each year to select theatre companies. Previous recipients include:

More information Year, Recipient ...

Ross Wetzsteon Award is a $2,000 grant awarded to a theatre that nurture innovative new plays. Previous recipients include:

More information Year, Recipient ...



References

  1. "American Theatre Wing and Village Voice Will Co-Present Annual Obie Awards". Playbill.
  2. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1999-06-26.
  3. Aletti, Vince, "Helen Gee 1919–2004", Village Voice (New York City), 12 October 2004, accessed on 21 November 2013
  4. Healy, Patrick. "'Ruined' Wins Obie Awards" The New York Times, May 18, 2009
  5. Cox, Gordon.Off Broadway event Archived 2009-05-21 at the Wayback Machine Variety, May 18, 2009
  6. "1955–1956 Obie Awards" infoplease.com, accessed May 21, 2013
  7. obieawards.com, March 9, 2021
  8. "Obie-Won". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  9. "2003-2004 OBIE Awards Bestowed at Webster Hall". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  10. "OBIE Awards 2005 - 2006 - six of the award presenters named". New York Theater Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  11. "T.R. Knight and Cynthia Nixon to Host Obie Awards". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  12. BWW News Desk. "2007 Village Voice Obie Awards Winners Announced". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  13. BWW News Desk. "2008 Obie Awards Winners Announced". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  14. "2011 Obie Award Winners Announced". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  15. "The 2012 Obie Award Winners". Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  16. "Inside the 2015 Obie Awards". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  17. Cox, Gordon (2015-05-19). "'Hamilton,' Henderson and Houghton Win 2015 Obie Awards (FULL LIST)". Variety. Retrieved 2017-11-07.
  18. "Go Inside the 2017 Obie Awards | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  19. McPhee, Ryan (January 17, 2018). "John Leguizamo Will Host the 2018 Obie Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  20. Land, Brent (April 3, 2019). "'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Creator Rachel Bloom to Host Obie Awards (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
  21. McPhee, Ryan (2020-07-14). "Heroes of the Fourth Turning, A Strange Loop Among 2020 Obie Award Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  22. Masserson, Meg (2023-02-24). "Winners of 66th Obie Awards, Celebrating 2020-2022 Seasons, Announced". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  23. Wild, Stephi (February 13, 2023). "'Crystal Lucas-Perry Will Host the 66th Annual Obie Awards". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  24. "Obie Awards". infoplease.com. 2022-09-09. Archived from the original on 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  25. Gans, Andrew (2016-05-23). "Winners Announced for 61st Annual Obie Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2016-05-25.
  26. Gans, Andrew (2017-05-22). "Oslo and The Band's Visit Among 2017 Obie Award Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2017-05-31.
  27. Skethway, Nathan (2019-05-21). "Take a Look Inside the 2019 Obie Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2023-07-05.

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