The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given from 1956 to 2020 by The Village Voice and since then by the American Theatre Wing 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.
Background
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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
In September 2014, the American Theatre Wing joined the Village Voice as co-presenters, with the Wing having "overall responsibility for running" the Awards. In 2021, the Wing took over as sole presenter of the Obie Awards.
Award categories
Outstanding New Play
Distinguished Performance
Distinguished Playwriting
Distinguished Directing
Distinguished Design
Sustained Achievement in Theatre
Sustained Achievement in Directing
Sustained Achievement in Performance
Sustained Achievement in Design
Special Citations
Lifetime Achievement
Ross Wetzsteon Award
Michael Feingold Award
Morgan Jenness Award
Retired categories
Distinguished Performance by an Actress
Distinguished Performance by an Actor
Distinguished Performance by an Ensemble
Best Musical
Ceremony history
Notable winners
2000s
2010s
2020s
Grants
Theatre Grants are awarded each year to select theatre companies. Previous recipients include:
Ross Wetzsteon Award is a $2,000 grant awarded to a theatre that nurture innovative new plays. Previous recipients include: