2020 Helen Hayes Awards

Thank you to our Sponsors:

The 36th annual Helen Hayes Awards were celebrated over four weeks in August and September 2020 as a series of virtual events – both individual award announcements and a culmination video premiere. We recognized outstanding work on Washington, DC-area stages in 2019, reflected on this unprecedented time in our industry, and gathered more than 2,300 people in celebration.

HHA promo image, artist raising award over her head next to event dates
2020 Virtual Helen Hayes Awards Event
Originally premiering on Friday, September 25, the 2020 Helen Hayes Awards virtual event was the culmination of weeks of celebration. The program was co-hosted by Washington, DC-area stage luminaries Felicia Curry & Naomi Jacobson and included a Land Acknowledgement by Angel Rose Arts, remembrances, special guest celebrations, and a Zoom dance party.
actor spotlighted in red corset with ensemble cast in black corsets in shadow around them

All of the videos of the individual 2020 Award announcements by category are available on the Theatre Washington YouTube channel.

Our Helen Hayes Nominee & Recipient database is fully searchable by name, production, category, and theatre and filterable by year to make it easy to find the information you’re looking for.

2020 Host Committee

John and Meg Hauge, Co-Chairs
Craig Pascal 
Eric and Heidi Murkoff 
Freda, Evan, and Sara Xing Eisenberg
Tim and Sandee and Rachel, Ethan, and Elizabeth Hathaway
Andrew R. Ammerman 
Debbie Shrager and Scott Ableman
Myrna Fawcett
Alan Savada and Will Stevenson
Carl Smith and Michael Burke
Betti Brown and Bob Ramsey 
Susan and Dixon Butler 
Jan Du Plain 
Holly Hassett 
Lauren and Glen Howard 
Jason Loewith 
Abel Lopez
Carl and Undine Nash
Bonnie Nelson Schwartz and Arlie Schardt 
Michael Singer 
William Tompkins 
Gerry Widdicombe 
Margo Zimmerman