We all know about the famous Tony Awards, but did you know that there are other highly prestigious theatrical awards held annually leading up to the big day? Check out these awards and how they work!
1. The Outer Critic’s Circle:
This award recognizes Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. The voting committee consists of critics, writers, and journalists that cover the New York Theater for out-of-town newspapers (AKA: The outer circle of New York… clever, ey?).
Some of the winners for the 2026 season include the likes of:
SCHMIGADOON! (Outstanding New Broadway Musical)
MEXODUS (Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical)
RAGTIME (Outstanding Revival of a Musical)
MEET THE CARTOZIANS (Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play)
Joe Mantello, DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Outstanding Direction of a Play)
2. The Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards:
These are the only major theatrical awards voted on entirely by fans.
All voting is done online and anyone in the world can vote. Fans are asked to nominate their favorite eligible candidates for the first round, then finalists advance to a final round of voting where audiences vote again to cast their choices.Some fun award categories include:
Favorite Diva Performance (2026 Winner: Lea Michele, CHESS )
Favorite Funny Performance (2026 Winner: Sam Tutty, TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK))
Favorite Onstage Pair (2026 Winners: Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty, TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK))
Favorite National Tour (2026 Winner: HADESTOWN)
Favorite Breakthrough Performance (2026 Winners for Female and Male Categories: Juliette Lewis and Luke Evans, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW)
3. Drama League Awards:
The oldest theatrical honors in North America. Contenders include Broadway and Off-Broadway Productions. Voters are the entire theatrical community, which includes industry professionals, critics, and dedicated audience members from all over the country. Like all of the other theatrical awards, the Drama League Awards are unique in their own way. In this case, there is one particular category that stands above the rest:
The Distinguished Performance Award; it is one of the highest and most exclusive awards given to one performer in the community. What makes this award so special is that you can only win it once in your lifetime.
All categories and winners in the Drama League Awards are regarded with high exclusivity and honor within the industry.
4. New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards:
Established in 1935 by journalists, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards were created as an alternative to the Pulitzer Prize, as people felt that new theatrical works were often being overlooked.
Voters consist of approximately 19-25 prominent New York-based theater critics and journalists, where they consider both Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway works.
If the voting committee does not believe that any show or individual is a true contender in a particular category, they will typically choose to give “no award.” However, the only mandated category that they MUST award every year is the award for Best Play.
Unlike other awards in the theatrical world, the NY Drama Critics’ Circle does NOT announce their nominees publicly. Instead, all voters gather and discuss potential winners. Only when the decisions have been finalized, winners are announced.
In 2026, Samuel D. Hunter’s LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD was awarded Best Play, and there was no Best Musical awarded this season.
5. Theater World Awards:
Established in 1945, the Theater World Awards are the oldest awards specifically dedicated to celebrating stage newcomers.
The voting committee consists of prominent New York Theater critics and journalists; they recognize Broadway and Off-Broadway productions.
Because these awards are strictly for debut performances, a performer is only eligible to win one of these once in their lifetime.
What makes these awards so special apart from their prestigious honor is that they are a non-competitive style, the system being that instead of competing for one single prize, a select group of actors (typically around 12) are chosen as “honorees” and are all awarded.
So you see, there are many events and awards that lead up to the Tony’s. Each one of these an honor on their own. This is how the theatrical community comes together to celebrate each other.
