Obie Award

"Obie" redirects here. For other uses, see Obie (disambiguation).

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]

Obie Awards
Awarded for	Excellence in Off-Broadway theatre
Location	New York City, New York
Country	United States
Presented by	The Village Voice (1956–2020) American Theatre Wing (2014–present)
First award	1956; 69 years ago (1956)
Website	http://www.obieawards.com/

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]

In September 2014, the American Theatre Wing joined the Village Voice as co-presenters, with the Wing having "overall responsibility for running" the Awards.^[9] In 2021, the Wing took over as sole presenter of the Obie Awards.^[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

Year	Host	Venue	Presenters
1956	Shelley Winters	Limelight Cafe
1957	Geraldine Page	[Limelight Cafe]
1958	Maureen Stapleton
1959	Kim Stanley	Village Gate
1960	Anne Bancroft
1961	Julie Harris
1962	Lotte Lenya
1963	Uta Hagen
1964	Colleen Dewhurst
1965	Gloria Foster
1966	Anne Jackson
1967	Barbara Harris
1968	Estelle Parsons
1969	Julie Bovasso
1970	Dustin Hoffman
1971	Elaine May
1972	Groucho Marx
1973	Sylvia Miles	unknown venue
1974	Madeleine Le Roux	unknown venue
1975	Godfrey Cambridge	Village Gate
1976	no formal host	Lincoln Center
1977	Paul Sorvino, Gilda Radner, Marilyn Sokol	The Bottom Line
1978	Dustin Hoffman
1979	Ron Leibman
1980	no formal host	Roxy NYC
1981	Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver
1982	Swoosie Kurtz, Tommy Tune	Savoy
1983	Harvey Fierstein, Julie Bovasso	First City Cabaret
1984	no formal host	Cat Club
1985	Ellen Stewart, Harvey Fierstein	Puck Building
1986	Christopher Durang, Swoozie Kurtz	unknown venue
1987	Morgan Freeman, Christine Lahti	unknown venue
1988	Morgan Freeman, Lee Breuer	unknown venue
1989	no formal host	unknown venue
1990	Julie Bovasso, Olympia Dukakis	unknown venue
1991	Stockard Channing, Alan Arkin	Palladium Ballroom
1992	Jerry Zaks, Kate Nelligan
1993	no formal host	unknown venue
1994	Mary McDonnell, James McDaniel	unknown venue
1995	Hector Elizondo, Anne Meara	unknown venue
1996	Nicky Silver	unknown venue
1997	no formal host	unknown venue	Fyvush Finkel, Kathleen Chalfant, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Peter Francis James, Shirley Knight, Camryn Manheim, Mary Louise Parker, Roger Guenveur Smith, Julie Taymor, Marisa Tomei, Rip Torn, Ming Cho Lee, Karin Coonrod, and Scott Elliot[11]
1998	Eric Bogosian, Kristen Johnson[12]	Webster Hall	Danny Hoch, Woodie King Jr., Mac Wellman, Mary Louise Wilson, Lea DeLaria, Ellie Covan, Tsai Chin, Greg Germann, and Liz Diamond[13]
1999	Lea DeLaria, Paul Rudnick[14]		Betty Buckley, Kathleen Chalfant, Stephen DeRosa, David Henry Hwang, Swoosie Kurtz, Elizabeth Marvel, John Cameron Mitchell, Everett Quinton, Phylicia Rashad, and Roger Rees[15]
2000	Claudia Shear, Mary Testa[16]		Ping Chong, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Cynthia Nixon, Frances Sternhagen, Mary Testa, Carmelita Tropicana, James Urbaniak[17]
2001	Brian Murray, Marian Seldes[18]		Darius De Haas, David Gallo, Linda Lavin, Marion McClinton, Debra Monk, Mark Russell, J. Smith-Cameron, and Daphne Rubin-Vega[19]
2002	Karen Evans Kandel, Ruben Santiago-Hudson[20]		Elizabeth Franz, Mary Louise Parker, Ellen McLaughlin, Rinde Eckert, Richard Maxwell, Suzan-Lori Parks, and George C. Wolfe[21]
2003	Bill Irwin, Charlayne Woodard[22]		Edward Albee, Linda Emond, Juliana Francis, Martha Plimpton, Jackie Hoffman, Eddie Izzard, John Ortiz, and Liev Schreiber[23]
2004	Swoosie Kurtz, Raul Esparza[24]		Viola Davis, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, and Denis O'Hare[25]
2005	Stockard Channing, Brian F. O'Byrne		Elaine Stritch and Frances Sternhagen[26]
2006	Lili Taylor, Eric Bogosian[27]	Skirball Center for the Performing Arts	Christine Lahti, Christine Ebersole, Edward Hibbert, Douglas Carter Beane, Phylicia Rashad, and Oskar Eustis[28]
2007	Cynthia Nixon, T.R. Knight[29]		Michael Cerveris, Angela Lansbury, William Ivey Long, Camryn Manheim, Stephanie March, Terrence McNally, Liev Schreiber, and Anika Noni Rose[30]
2008	Elizabeth Marvel, Bill Camp[31]	Webster Hall	Jonathan Groff, Priscilla Lopez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Marisa Tomei, Julie White and Bradley Whitford[32]
2009	Daniel Breaker, Martha Plimpton[33]		Anne Hathaway, Brian d'Arcy James, Gavin Creel, John Shea, Karen Olivo, Kate Mulgrew, Marc Kudisch, and Nilaja Sun[34]
2010	Anika Noni-Rose and Michael Cerveris[35]		J. Smith-Cameron, Marin Ireland, Linda Lavin, Hamish Linklater, Michael Shannon and Jennifer Westfeldt[36]
2011	S. Epatha Merkerson and David Hyde Pierce[6]		Nina Arianda, Alec Baldwin, Margaret Colin, Mamie Gummer, Rose Hemingway, John Larroquette, Patina Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Arian Moayed, Jim Parsons, Andrew Rannells, Liev Schreiber, and Frank Wood[37]
2012	no formal host		Eric McCormack, Grace Gummer, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Justin Bartha, Leslie Odom Jr., Lily Rabe, Michael McKean, Tonya Pinkins, Topher Grace, and Tracee Chimo[38]
2013	Jessica Hecht and Jeremy Shamos[39]		Bobby Cannavale, Tracee Chimo, Cyndi Lauper, Judith Light, Krysta Rodriguez, Duncan Sheik, Meryl Streep, and Courtney B. Vance[40]
2014	Tamara Tunie and Hamish Linklater[41]		Betsy Aidem, Harvey Fierstein, Lena Hall, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Andy Karl, David Bar Katz, Cristin Milioti, Kelli O'Hara, Lily Rabe, and Stephen Trask[42]
2015	Lea DeLaria[43]		Sting, Jessie Eisenberg, Stockard Channing, Billy Crudup, Tony Kushner, Lisa Kron, and William Ivey Long[44]
2016	Lea DeLaria[45]		Savion Glover, Elizabeth Marvel, Colman Domingo, Danai Gurira, Tovah Feldshuh, Lisa Kron, Maura Tierney, Kate Burton, Carrie Preston, Norm Lewis, and Marlo Thomas[46]
2017	Lea DeLaria[47]		Chris Cooper, Rose Byrne, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Jayne Houdyshell, Lena Hall, Jefferson Mays, LaChanze, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Taylor Mac, Darius de Haas, Mike Faist, J. Smith-Cameron, David Henry Hwang, Derek McLane, William Ivey Long, Emilio Sosa, Peter Barbey[48]
2018	John Leguizamo[49]	Terminal 5	Andrew Garfield, Lucy Liu, Matthew Broderick, Oliver Platt, Laura Benanti, Laura Osnes, Beth Malone, David Morse, Itamar Moses, Arian Moayed, Stephen Trask, Gideon Glick, Rebecca Taichman, William Ivey Long, Natasha Katz, David Henry Hwang, David Zinn, Emilio Sosa, Lilli Cooper, Pixie Aventura, Heather Hitchens, Peter Barbey, Michael Feingold[50]
2019	Rachel Bloom[51]	Terminal 5	Eric Bogosian, Julie White, Kristine Nielsen, Beowulf Boritt, Patti LuPone, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater, Heather Hitchens, David Henry Hwang, Billy Crudup, Margo Seibert, Michael John LaChiusa, Liesl Tommy, Damon Daunno, Rachel Chavkin, Rebecca Taichman, Luke Cresswell, Riccardo Hernandez, Mimi Lien, Marc Kudisch[52]
2020	Cole Escola[53]	YouTube (virtual, due to COVID-19)[54]	Clint Ramos, Craig Lucas, Cynthia Erivo, Dominique Morisseau, Eisa Davis, Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, Heidi Schreck, Katrina Lenk, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Liesl Tommy, Malcolm Gets, Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Hauck, Sahr Ngaujah, Sam Pinkleton, Saycon Sengbloh[55]
2021	due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 66th Obie Awards were not held until 2023, collectively honouring productions of the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 theater seasons[56]
2022
2023	Crystal Lucas-Perry[57]	Terminal 5	Emilio Sosa, Heather Hitchens, J. Allen Suddeth, Melissa Rose Bernardo, David Mendizábal, Rachel Chavkin,
2024	Kara Young and Frank DiLella[58]	NY1	Presented on Air by Hosts

Notable winners

2000s

Year	Recipients[59]
2000	Cynthia Hopkins (Performance - Another Telepathic Thing); Byron Jennings (Performance Award - Waste); Maria Irene Fornes (Special Citation - Letters From Cuba); Susan Hilferty (Sustained Excellence in Costume Design)
2001	Brian d'Arcy James (Performance Award - The Good Thief); Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Special Citation - Lackawanna Blues); Justin Vivian Bond (Special Citation - Kiki and Herb: Jesus Wept); Kirsten Childs (Music and Lyrics Award - The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin); Neil Patel (Design Award - War of the Worlds, Resident Alien, Race, I Will Bear Witness); José Rivera (Playwrighting Award - References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot)
2002	Kevin Adams (Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design); Tony Kushner (Playwrighting Award - Homebody/Kabul); Caryl Churchill; Charles L. Mee
2003	Mac Wellman (Lifetime Achievement Award); Mos Def (Performance Award - Fucking A); Fiona Shaw (Performance - Medea); Edward Norton (Performance - Burn This); Denis O'Hare (Performance Award - Take Me Out); Christine Ebersole (Performance Award - Talking Heads); Kenneth Posner (Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design); David Greenspan (Special Citation - She Stoops to Comedy)
2004	Derek McLane; Moises Kaufman (Directing Award - I am My Own Wife); Viola Davis (Performance Award - Intimate Apparel); Sarah Jones (Performance Award - Bridge & Tunnel); Jefferson Mays (Performance Award - I am My Own Wife); Tony Kushner (Special Citation - Caroline, or Change); Jeanine Tesori (Special Citation - Caroline, or Change); Alex Timbers (Special Citation - A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant)
2005	LaChanze (Performance Award - Dessa Rose); Cherry Jones (Performance Award - Doubt); Deirdre O'Connell (Sustained Excellence in Performance Award); Rui Rita (Design Award - Engaged); Caryl Churchill (Playwrighting Award - A Number); Lynn Nottage (Playwriting Award - Fabulation); Ivo van Hove (Directing Award - Hedda Gabler)
2006	Dana Ivey (Performance Award - Mrs. Warren's Profession); Christine Ebersole (Performance Award - Grey Gardens); Allen Moyer (Sustained Excellence of Set Design); Robert O'Hara (Special Citation - In the Continuum); Danai Gurira (Special Citation - In the Continuum); Adam Rapp (Special Citation - Red Light Winter)
2007	Young Jean Lee (Obie Grant Award); Lin-Manuel Miranda (Music and Lyrics Award - In the Heights); Beowulf Boritt (Sustained Excellence in Set Design); Anne Kauffman
2008	Adrienne Kennedy (Lifetime Achievement Award); Annie Dorsen (Best New Theatre Piece - Passing Strange); Kate Mulgrew (Performance Award - Iphigenia 2.0); Jane Greenwood (Sustained Excellence of Costume Design Award); David Henry Hwang (Playwrighting Award - Yellow Face
2009	Lynn Nottage (Best American Play - Ruined); Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics Award - Road Show); Jonathan Groff (Performance Award - Prayer for my Enemy)

2010s

Year	Recipients	Ref.
2010	Sam Gold (Directing Award - Circle Mirror Transformation, The Alien); Reed Birney (Performance Award - Circle Mirror Transformation)
2011	Laurie Metcalf (Performance Award - The Other Place); Leigh Silverman (Directing Award - In the Wake, Go Back to Where You Are)
2012	Steven Hoggett, Martin Lowe, John Tiffany (Special Citations - Once); Mimi Lien (Set Design Award); Erin Courtney (Special Citation - A Map of Virtue)	[60]
2013	Dave Malloy and Rachel Chavkin (Special Citations - Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812); Annie Baker (Playwriting Award - The Flick)	[61]
2014	Sydney Lucas (Performance Award - Fun Home); Sonya Tayeh (Choreography Award)	[62]
2015	Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler (Best New American Theatre Work - Hamilton)	[63]
2016	Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul (Musical Theatre Award - Dear Evan Hansen); Ben Platt (Performance Award); Lupita Nyong'o (Performance Award)	[64]
2017	Lynn Nottage (Playwriting Award - Sweat); J.T. Rogers (Playwriting Award - Oslo); Matthew Broderick (Performance Award); Michael Urie (Performance Award)	[65]
2018	Rajiv Joseph (Best New American Play-Describe the Night); Will Swenson (Performance Award); Jessica Hecht (Performance Award); Billy Crudup (Performance Award); Donald Holder (Lighting Design Award)	[66]
2019	Heidi Schreck (Best New American Play - What the Constitution Means to Me); Daniel Fish, John Heginbotham, Daniel Kluger, Laura Jellinek, Terese Wadden, Scott Zielinski, Drew Levy, Joshua Thorson (Special Citations-Oklahoma!)	[67]

2020s

Year	Recipients	Ref.
2020	Writing: Will Arbery (Heroes of the Fourth Turning); Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop); Haruna Lee (Suicide Forest) Directing: JoAnne Akalaitis (MUD/Drowning); Kenny Leon (Much Ado About Nothing); Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord); Les Waters for Sustained Excellence in Direction Performance: Liza Colón-Zayas and Elizabeth Rodriguez (Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven); Emily Davis (Is This A Room); Edmund Donovan (Greater Clements); April Matthis (Toni Stone); Joe Ngo (Cambodian Rock Band); Deirdre O'Connell (Dana H.) Design: Yu-Hsuan Chen - set design (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord); Mikhail Fiksel - sound design (Dana H. and Cambodian Rock Band); Andrea Hood - costume design (Public Works); Arnulfo Maldonado for Sustained Excellence in Set Design; Jen Schriever for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design Choreography: Camille A. Brown for Sustained Excellence in Choreography Institutional Recognition: National Black Theatre for sustained excellence in production and continued advocacy on behalf of Black artists; Page 73 for providing extraordinary support for early career playwrights; The Tank for providing extraordinary support for emerging artists Special Citations: Entire creative team and ensemble of Heroes of the Fourth Turning; Entire creative team and ensemble of A Strange Loop; David Cale for the writing and performance of We're Only Alive For A Short Amount of Time; Dave Malloy, Or Matias and Hidenori Nakajo for their collaboration on the music and sound of Octet; David Neumann and Marcella Murray for creation and performance of Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed; Tina Satter for the conception and direction of Is This A Room; Alexandria Wailes for Sustained Excellence as an Artist and Advocate; Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC) for advocacy of equity, diversity and inclusion; Michael Feingold for Extraordinary Service to the Theater Lifetime Achievement: Tim Sanford; Vinie Burrows In addition, Michael Feingold, theatre critic for The Village Voice and former chair of the Obie Awards, became the first recipient of the new Michael Feingold Award, to be awarded annually for excellence in criticism, dramaturgy, translation, scholarship, mentorship, or education.	[54]
2021	due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, the 66th Obie Awards were not held until 2023, collectively honouring productions of the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 theater seasons	[56]
2022
2023	Best New American Play: Sanaz Toossi (English) Writing: Martyna Majok (Sanctuary City) Directing: Taylor Reynolds (Man Cave, Tambo & Bones) Awoye Timpo (Wedding Band) Saheem Ali for Sustained Excellence in Direction David Brimmer for Sustained Excellence in Direction Music Direction and Composition: Matt Ray (The Hang) Performance: Stephanie Berry (On Sugarland) Lizan Mitchell (On Sugarland) Brittany Bradford (Wedding Band) Kara Young (Twelfth Night) Arturo Luís Soria (Ni Mi Madre) Billy Eugene Jones for Sustained Achievement in Performance Andrea Patterson for Sustained Achievement in Performance Design: Reza Behjat (English and Wish You Were Here Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew for sustained achievement in lighting design Nikiya Mathis for sustained achievement in hair and wig design Machine Dazzle for sustained achievement in set and costume design Special Citation: Heather Christian (composer, vocal arrangements, orchestration) Ben Moss (music director, orchestration) Nick Kourtides (sound design) Musical team of Oratorio For Living Things Creative Team and Ensemble of Fat Ham (The Public Theater) – including James Ijames (playwright), Saheem Ali (director), Maruti Evans (set design), Dominique Fawn Hill (costume design), Stacey Derosier (lighting cesigner), Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design), Darrell Grand Moultrie (choreographer), Earon Chew Nealey (hair and wig design), Skylar Fox (illusions design), and ensemble members Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Calvin Leon Smith, Marcel Spears, Benja Kay Thomas Aya Ogawa for the creation, writing, and direction of The Nosebleed Qween Jean Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Michael Breslin, Patrick Foley, Ariel Sibert, Cat Rodríguez, and Rory Pelsue (creators, writers, directors) in collaboration with David Bengali (video designer) for Circle Jerk Laurie Woolery for directing in the adaptation of As You Like It Shaina Taub for music and lyrics in the adaptation of As You Like It Alex Edelman (Just For Us) Modesto Flako Jimenez (Taxilandia) Richard Nelson for the completion and producing of The Rhinebeck Panorama Digital+Virtual+Hybrid Production: Sarah Gancher (writer), Jared Mezzocchi and Elizabeth Williamson (directors) (Russian Troll Farm) Lifetime Achievement: Ping Chong Anne Bogart Ralph Lee Casey Compton Mettawee River Theater Company Michael Feingold Award: Maestra Music	[56]
2024	Best New American Play: Ryan J. Haddad (Dark Disabled Stories) Writing: Hansol Jung (Wolf Play) Bruce Norris (Downstate) Directing: Dustin Wills (Montag, West Brain, Wolf Play) Shayok Misha Chowdhury (Public Obscenities) Faye Driscoll (Weathering) Eric Ting for Sustained Excellence in Direction Pam MacKinnon for Sustained Excellence in Direction Performance: William Jackson Harper (Primary Trust) Marla Mindelle (Titanique) Zuleyma Guevera (Sancocho) Maryann Plunkett (Deep Blue Sound) Shannon Tyo for Sustained Achievement in Performance John Douglas Thompson for Sustained Achievement in Performance K. Todd Freeman for Sustained Achievement in Performance Design: Enver Chakartash - Costume Design Barbara Samuels - Lighting Design dots for Sustained Achievement in Design Mikaal Sulaiman for Sustained Achievement in Sound Design Special Citations: Ensemble: Ryan J. Haddad, Dickie Hearts, and Alejandra Ospina (Dark Disabled Stories) Design Team of West Brain: Kate Noll (Set), Cha See (Lights), Haydee Zelideth Antuñano (Costumes), Tei Blow (Co-Sound), John Gasper (Co-Sound), Nick Hussong (Projections) Ensemble of The Comeuppance: Brittany Bradford, Caleb Eberhardt, Susannah Flood, Bobby Moreno, Shannon Tyo Liza Birkenmeier (Writer) and Tara Ahmadinejad (Director) (Grief Hotel) Lead Actors: Ariana Venturi and Nadine Malouf (Montag) Ann C. James - Founder and Mentor of Intimacy Coordinators of Color Lifetime Achievement: Peggy Shaw and Lois Weaver, Writing and Performing Duo of Split Britches Carole Rothman, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Second Stage Theater Michael Feingold Award: Andrew Morrill - Director of Artistic Sign Language (Dark Disabled Stories) Alison Kopit - Access Dramaturgy (Dark Disabled Stories)	[68]

Grants

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

Year	Recipient
1985	Intar
	The Production Company
	The Richard Allen Center
	Spiderwoman Theatre
	The Split Britches Company
1986	P.S. 122
	Billie Holiday Theatre
	Mabou Mines
1987	The Irish Arts Center
	Brooklyn Arts and Cultural Association (BACA)
	The New Theatre of Brooklyn
1988	CSC Repertory
	Theatre for a New Audience
1989	Cucaracha Warehouse Theater
	The Living Theater
1990	Dixon Place
	Pregones Theater
	WOW Cafe
	BACA New Works Project
	52nd Street Project
1991	En Garde Arts
	Hearts and Voices
	Mettawee River Theater Company
1992	Downtown Art Company
	Franklin Furnace
	Soho Repertory Company
1993	Nuyorican Poets Cafe
	Pearl Theater
1994	Changing Scenes
	HERE Arts Center
1995	Archives at LaMama
	Blueprint Series at Ontologic-Hysteric Theatre
	Nada
1996	New George's
	The TEBA Group
1997	St.Paul's Community Baptist Church Drama Ministry
	Great Small Works
1998	Housing Works Theater Project
	Caught in the Act annual one-act festival presented (Threshold Theater Co.)
1999	The POINT Community Development Corporation
	National Asian American Theater
2000	Five Myles
	Circus Amok
	Big Dance Theater
2001	Soho Rep
	Clubbed Thumb
	Classical Theater of Harlem
	Mint Theater Company
2002	Ma-Yi Theater Company
	Salt Theater Company
2003	Collapsable Hole
	Galapagos
	The Immigrant Theatre Project
2004	The Civilians
	Musicals Tonight
	THAW (Theaters Against War)
2005	13P
	Epic Theatre Company
	Little Theater at Tonic
	Gina Gionfriddo Distinguished Emerging Playwright
	Margo Skinner Memorial Acting Scholarship
2007	Peculiar Works Project
	The Play Company
	Synapse Productions
	Transport Group
	Young Jean Lee
2008	Keen Company
	Theater of a Two-Headed Calf
2009	The Chocolate Factory
	The Classical Theatre of Harlem
	Lark Play Development Center
2010	Harlem School of the Arts
	Ontological Incubator
	Vampire Cowboys
2011	Metropolitan Playhouse
	Wakka Wakka
2012	Bushwick Starr
	The Debate Society
2013	Fulcrum Theater
	Half Straddle
2014	48 Hours in Harlem
	600 Highwaymen
2015	Horse Trade Theater Group / The Fire This Time Festival
	JACK (Arts Center)
2016	Bedlam Theatre
	Noor Theatre
	Prospect Theater Company
2017	Irish Repertory Theatre
	Pearl Theatre Company
	The Playwrights Realm
2018	Pan-Asian Repertory Theatre
	York Theatre Company
2019	The Movement Theatre Company
	Target Margin Theatre
	WP Theater
2023	The Sol Project
	Theatre in Quarantine
	See Lighting Foundation
	Anticapitalism for Artists
2024	Breaking the Binary Theatre Company
	Dominican Artists Collective (DAC)
	The Brick

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

Year	Recipient
1998	Vineyard Theatre
1999	Ellie Covan
1999	Dixon Place
2000	The Foundry
2001	Theatre For A New Audience
2002	PS 122
2003	Soho Think Tank's Ice Factory series at the Ohio Theatre
2004	St. Ann's Warehouse
2005	New Dramatists
2006	Soho Repertory Theater
2007	Rattlestick Theatre
2008	Cherry Lane Theatre Mentor Project
2009	HERE Arts Center
2011	Belarus Free Theatre
2014	Abrons Arts Center
2015	Ars Nova
2016	NAATCO / National Asian American Theatre Company
2017	Theatre For a New Audience
2018	Ma-Yi Theater Company
2019	LCT3
2023	Classical Theatre of Harlem
2024	Under the Radar Festival