The 2015 Helen Hayes Awards was celebrated on Monday, April 6, 2015, at two of Washington’s most renowned theatrical venues: the historic Lincoln Theatre, which hosted the Awards ceremony, and the legendary Howard Theatre, which hosted the Awards After-Party.

The annual Helen Hayes Awards are Washington theatre’s highest honors and bring together theatre makers and theatre lovers to celebrate excellence on Washington professional stages. This year – the 31st Awards presentation – marked an important development in the Awards’ history with the debut of the new and expanded Helen Hayes Awards Adjudication System, with Awards given for outstanding performances, designs, direction, and productions in 47 categories produced and presented from January 1 – December 31, 2014.

"This year’s Helen Hayes Awards continue a long tradition of promoting Washington theatre while reflecting its ever-changing landscape and breadth,” said Kurt Crowl, Chairman of theatreWashington’s Board of Directors. “This evolution not only inspires theatreWashington every day, but also provides the foundation for how the Awards are presented.”

For 31 years, theatreWashington has remained committed both to providing theatre professionals an affordable celebration of their collective efforts and to offering theatre audiences an opportunity to applaud the work they admire and appreciate.

In addition to awards in 47 categories for artistic excellence, two special awards were presented:

• The National New Play Network (NNPN) received The Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theatre Community. For 29 years, this award has honored the inspired efforts of theatres, directors, local governments, service organizations, and several remarkable individuals, all with imaginative spirits and deep desires to foster Washington theatre. NNPN joins such recipients as Adele Robey, Capital Fringe, Jane Lang and Paul Sprenger, Ford's Theatre Society, arts activist Andy Shallal, Helen Hayes Awards Founder Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, and others.

• Flying V received the 2015 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. Named in memory of a devoted champion of promising talent, The John Aniello Award recognizes emerging theatre companies that have produced both a groundbreaking and compelling body of work. Previous recipients of The John Aniello Award include Pointless Theatre, Dizzy Miss Lizzy's Roadside Revue, Faction of Fools Theatre Company, 1st Stage, Constellation Theatre Company, Factory 449: a theatre collective, No Rules Theatre Company, and Taffety Punk.

theatreWashington is extraordinarily grateful to the sponsors that continue to make The Helen Hayes Awards possible all year long: Ackerman Brown, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Vornado/Charles E. Smith, and The Washington Post.

The Helen Hayes Awards is a program of theatreWashington, the only organization dedicated solely to working with the region’s dynamic theatre community to create and invigorate audiences, strengthen the region’s theatrical workforce, and celebrate excellence on our stages to build an even more vibrant community for all.

The Helen Hayes Awards Founder—Bonnie Nelson Schwartz
The Helen Hayes Awards Founding Executive Director—Betti Brown

Click here to view a gallery of this year's nominees