On Monday, February 23, 2026, at a celebration honoring outstanding theatre on stages across the Washington area, theatre artists, administrators, patrons, and special guests gathered at Studio Theatre for Theatre Washington’s announcement of nominees for the 42nd Helen Hayes Awards, which will be presented on Monday, May 18 at an event at The Anthem. The nominations are for productions in the Washington, DC, region in the 2025 calendar year.
Reginald L. Douglas, Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater Company and Board of Directors Member for Theatre Washington, welcomed the audience and Washington, DC-area performers Leela Aviles Dawson, Fabiolla Da Silva, Kecia Deroly, Lolita Marie, Michael Russotto, and Justin Schmitz joined him to announce the nominations.
Recognizing work from 149 eligible productions, nominations were announced in 41 categories and grouped in “Helen” or “Hayes” cohorts, depending on the number of Equity members involved in the production. Nominations are the result of 49 carefully vetted judges considering 1,997 individual pieces of work, such as design, direction, choreography, performances, writing, and more. Productions under consideration in 2025 included 42 musicals, 107 plays, and 33 world premieres.
The creative team for the Helen Hayes Awards Ceremony on May 18 was also announced. Ashleigh King and Holly Twyford will co-direct, with music direction by Christopher Wingert, script writing by Trey Graham, and production stage management by Julia Singer. The hosts for the evening will be celebrated performers Felicia Curry, Awa Sal Secka, and Derrick Truby.
Named for actor Helen Hayes – a Washington native and legendary First Lady of the American Theatre – the Helen Hayes Awards has honored excellence in professional theatre throughout the Washington region for four decades.
View all nominations by category
View nominations by production
View nominations by theatre
Save the date for the Helen Hayes Awards celebration on Monday, May 18, 2026 at The Anthem.
