On May 19, 2025, the 41st Helen Hayes Awards took place at The Anthem on the District Wharf, with over 1,600 theatermakers and theater supporters in attendance. Esteemed theater artists Felicia Curry and Mike Millan hosted an evening showcasing the vibrant and diverse community of professional theater artists in the Washington region. They were joined by a performance ensemble of Quadry Brown, Alex De Bard, Caroline Graham, Jordyn Taylor, and Wood Van Meter. The ceremony was directed and choreographed by Ashleigh King (also a 2025 Helen Hayes Award recipient for Outstanding Choreography in a Musical, Helen for She Persisted at Adventure Theatre MTC).
Recognizing work from 165 eligible productions presented in the 2024 calendar year, awards were given in 41 categories. Productions under consideration in 2024 included 57 musicals, 108 plays, and 37 world premieres. For the ninth year, the Helen Hayes Awards were given in parallel tracks determined by the ratio of Actors’ Equity contracts involved in an individual production, recognized as recipients in either the “Helen” or “Hayes” categories. For the third year, performers were adjudicated as gender inclusive, with ten or eleven nominees and two recipients in each performance category.
Topping the list of individual theater organizations receiving Helen Hayes Awards this year was Signature Theatre with six awards and 1st Stage and The Keegan Theatre, each with four awards. The most awarded productions were The Nance at 1st Stage and world premiere musical Private Jones at Signature Theatre, each with four awards.
Outstanding Productions in 2024 went to SIX from the National Theatre (Non-Resident Production), Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood from Imagination Stage (Theatre for Young Audiences), Merrily We Roll Along from The Keegan Theatre (Musical, Helen) Mexodus from Mosaic Theater Company and Baltimore Center Stage (Musical, Hayes), The Nance from 1st Stage (Play, Helen), Jaja’s African Hair Braiding from Arena Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Play, Hayes).
The evening’s Helen Hayes Tribute honored Robert Hooks for his distinguished career as an actor, producer, and political activist who significantly increased the visibility and representation of Black voices in the arts and was a prominent figure in the Black Arts Movement that arose during the Civil Rights Era. He founded three Black theater companies: New York’s Group Theatre Workshop, the Negro Ensemble Company, and the DC Black Repertory Company, and worked as an actor on Broadway, in film, and on television, becoming the first Black male lead of a network drama in David Susskind’s N.Y.P.D. Among his numerous awards and accolades are an NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, and induction into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
This year’s award show was supported by a variety of hosts and sponsors, led by Event Chair Jan Du Plain, Du Plain Global Enterprises Inc., and Co-Producer Dr. Judy Kuriansky. Producer-level sponsors are Andrew R. Ammerman, Karina Hou, John and Meg Hauge, Craig Pascal, The Savada-Stevenson Family. Director-level sponsors are Marilynn Bianco, The Sherrie Beckstead Luxury Group, Michael Burke and Carl Smith, Holly Hassett, Kevin Hennessy and David Lamdin, Renée Klish, Debbie Jackson and Bill Lammers, Sharon Lewis Tompkins, Abel Lopez, Sara and Ebrahim Maghsoud, Dale A. Mott, Robin Phillips, Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, and Annie Simonian Totah.
The 2025 Helen Hayes Awards were generously supported by Destination DC; Events DC; Giant Food; School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, University of Maryland, College Park; Share Fund; TodayTix; United Media Group; and the Chinese American Museum DC.
Produced and administered by Theatre Washington, the Helen Hayes Awards honors excellence in professional theatre in the greater Washington area. A full list of award recipients is available on theatrewashington.org or at these links:
All Recipients (alpha by last name)
Recipients by Production (count)
Recipients by Production (alpha)
Recipients by Theater (count)
Recipients by Theater (alpha)
About the Helen Hayes Awards
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 theater throughout the Washington region for four decades.
About Theatre Washington
Through collaborative partnerships and programs, Theatre Washington supports the Washington, DC, area’s professional theater community to celebrate artistic achievement, strengthen the theatrical workforce, support institutional growth and advancement, and cultivate collective action. Theatre Washington’s core programs include the Helen Hayes Awards, Theatre Week, Theatre Work, and the Taking Care Fund.
SEE ALSO:
Theatre Washington to host 41st Helen Hayes Awards May 19 at the Anthem (news story, April 20, 2025)
Theatre Washington announces nominees for 2025 Helen Hayes Awards (news story, February 10, 2025)
