Drama League Distinguished Performance Award
Annual American theater award
The Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, originally known as the Delia Austrian Medal, is a theater award presented annually since 1935 by The Drama League for the "most distinguished" performance of the theater season.[1] The award is named for theater reviewer Delia Austrian.[2][3] An artist may only win the award once in their lifetime.[4]
Winners
Year | Recipient | Work | Ref[1] |
---|---|---|---|
1935 | Katherine Cornell | Romeo and Juliet | [5] |
1936 | Helen Hayes | Victoria Regina | [5][6] |
1937 | Maurice Evans | King Richard II | [5][7] |
1938 | Cedric Hardwicke | Shadow and Substance | [5] |
1939 | Raymond Massey | Abe Lincoln in Illinois | [5][8] |
1940 | Paul Muni | Key Largo | [5] |
1941 | Paul Lukas | Watch on the Rhine | [5][2] |
1942 | Judith Evelyn | Angel Street | [5] |
1943 | Alfred Lunt Lynn Fontanne | The Pirate | [5][9] |
1944 | Elisabeth Bergner[a] | The Two Mrs. Carrolls | [3] |
1945 | Mady Christians | I Remember Mama | [5] |
1946 | Louis Calhern | The Magnificent Yankee | [5] |
1947 | Ingrid Bergman | Joan of Lorraine | [5] |
1948 | Judith Anderson | Medea | [5] |
1949 | Robert Morley | Edward, My Son | [5] |
1950 | Grace George | The Velvet Glove | [5] |
1951 | Claude Rains | Darkness at Noon | [5] |
1952 | Julie Harris | I Am a Camera | [5] |
1953 | Shirley Booth | The Time of the Cuckoo | [5] |
1954 | Josephine Hull | The Solid Gold Cadillac | [5] |
1955 | Viveca Lindfors | Anastasia | [5] |
1956 | David Wayne | The Ponder Heart | [5] |
1957 | Eli Wallach | Major Barbara | [5] |
1958 | Ralph Bellamy | Sunrise at Campobello | [5] |
1959 | Cyril Ritchard | The Pleasure of His Company | [5] |
1960 | Jessica Tandy | Five Finger Exercise | [5] |
1961 | Hume Cronyn | Big Fish, Little Fish | [5] |
1962 | Paul Scofield | A Man for All Seasons | [5] |
1963 | Charles Boyer | Lord Pengo | [5] |
1964 | Alec Guinness | Dylan | [5][10] |
1965 | John Gielgud | Tiny Alice | [5] |
1966 | Richard Kiley | Man of La Mancha | [5] |
1967 | Rosemary Harris | The Wild Duck | [5] |
1968 | Zoe Caldwell | The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie | [5] |
1969 | Alec McCowen | Hadrian the Seventh | [5] |
1970 | James Stewart | Harvey | [5] |
1971 | Anthony Quayle | Sleuth | [5] |
1972 | Eileen Atkins Claire Bloom | Vivat! Vivat Regina! | [5] |
1973 | Alan Bates | Butley | [5] |
1974 | Christopher Plummer | The Good Doctor | [5] |
1975 | John Wood | Sherlock Holmes | [5] |
1976 | Eva Le Gallienne | The Royal Family | [5] |
1977 | Tom Courtenay | Otherwise Engaged | [5] |
1978 | Frank Langella | Dracula | [5] |
1979 | Frances Sternhagen | On Golden Pond | [5] |
1980 | Roy Scheider | Betrayal | [5] |
1981 | Ian McKellen | Amadeus | [11] |
1982 | Milo O'Shea | Mass Appeal | [12] |
1983 | Kate Nelligan Edward Herrmann | Plenty | [13] |
1984 | Jeremy Irons | The Real Thing | [14] |
1985 | Derek Jacobi | Cyrano de Bergerac and Much Ado About Nothing | [15] |
1986 | Bernadette Peters | Song and Dance | [16] |
1987 | James Earl Jones | Fences | [17] |
1988 | John Lithgow | M. Butterfly | [18] |
1989 | Pauline Collins | Shirley Valentine | [19] |
1990 | Robert Morse | Tru | [20] |
1991 | Stockard Channing | Six Degrees of Separation | [20] |
1992 | Glenn Close | Death and the Maiden | [20] |
1993 | Stephen Rea | Someone Who'll Watch Over Me | [20] |
1994 | Sam Waterston | Abe Lincoln in Illinois | [20] |
1995 | Cherry Jones | The Heiress | [21] |
1996 | Uta Hagen | Mrs. Klein | [22] |
1997 | Charles Durning Bebe Neuwirth | The Gin Game Chicago | [23] |
1998 | Brian Stokes Mitchell | Ragtime | [24] |
1999 | Kathleen Chalfant | Wit | [25] |
2000 | Eileen Heckart | The Waverly Gallery | [26] |
2001 | Mary-Louise Parker Gary Sinise | Proof One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | [27] |
2002 | Liam Neeson | The Crucible | [28] |
2003 | Harvey Fierstein | Hairspray | [29] |
2004 | Hugh Jackman | The Boy from Oz | [30] |
2005 | Norbert Leo Butz | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | [31] |
2006 | Christine Ebersole | Grey Gardens | [32] |
2007 | Liev Schreiber | Talk Radio and Macbeth | [33] |
2008 | Patti LuPone | Gypsy | [34] |
2009 | Geoffrey Rush | Exit the King | [35] |
2010 | Alfred Molina | Red | [36] |
2011 | Mark Rylance | Jerusalem and La Bête | [37] |
2012 | Audra McDonald | Porgy and Bess | [38] |
2013 | Nathan Lane | The Nance | [39] |
2014 | Neil Patrick Harris | Hedwig and the Angry Inch | [40] |
2015 | Chita Rivera | The Visit | [41] |
2016 | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Hamilton | [4] |
2017 | Ben Platt | Dear Evan Hansen | [4] |
2018 | Glenda Jackson | Three Tall Women | [4] |
2019 | Bryan Cranston | Network | [42] |
2020 | Danny Burstein | Moulin Rouge! | [43] |
2021 | No award presented | ||
2022 | Sutton Foster | The Music Man | [44] |
2023 | Annaleigh Ashford | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | [4] |
2024 | Sarah Paulson | Appropriate |
Notes
- ^ The Drama League website does not list Bergner as the recipient in 1944, instead listing Lynn Fontanne, who is listed in other sources as co-recipient with Alfred Lunt in 1943.
References
- ^ a b "Award History". Drama League of New York. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b "Paul Lukas Gets Drama Group Prize. Star of Watch on the Rhine Receives the Delia Austrian Medal for His Acting". The New York Times. May 10, 1941. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ a b "Elisabeth Bergner Gets Drama Award; Receives Delia Austrian Medal for Distinguished Acting". The New York Times. May 10, 1944. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Culwell-Block, Logan (May 19, 2023). "Some Like It Hot, Annaleigh Ashford, Leopoldstadt, More Win 2023 Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as Walter, Claire, ed. (1982). "Delia Austrian Medal". Winners: The Blue Ribbon Encyclopedia of Awards. New York: Facts on File, Inc. Retrieved February 17, 2024 – via The Internet Archive.
- ^ "Drama League Bestows Medal on Helen Hayes". Associated Press. May 22, 1936. Retrieved December 13, 2013 – via Reading Eagle.
- ^ "Evans Gets Medal Of Drama League. English Actor Is Honored for 'Richard II' in Presentation by Daniel Frohman". The New York Times. May 12, 1937. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ "Massey Honored by Drama League; Lincoln Portrayer Wins the Delia Austrian Medal for Distinguished Acting". The New York Times. May 10, 1939. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Drama League Prize Given to the Lunts; Their Work in Behrman Play, 'The Pirate,' Is Rewarded". The New York Times. May 19, 1943. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Alec Guinness". Corbis. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
- ^ "'Cage Aux Folles' Due As Musical Comedy Set In New Orleans". The New York Times. May 8, 1981. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
- ^ "In memoriam - Irish acting legend Milo O'Shea passes away after battle with Alzheimers". IrishCentral.com. 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Edward Herrmann: Character actor on screen whose air of Ivy League". The Independent. 2015-03-26. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "75th Annual Drama League Awards: Drama League Awards announces the recipients of its 2009 Special Recognitions". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Derek Jacobi theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Bernadette Peters | Kennedy Center". The Kennedy Center. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "James Earl Jones Theatre – theaterlife". 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Get Inside the Starry 2019 Drama League Awards with These Exclusive Portraits". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Pauline Collins: Stage and screen doyenne". 2001-06-15. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ a b c d e "A Look at How Many Drama League Distinguished Performance Award Winners Went on to Win Tony Awards | The Daily Scoop". www.broadwaybox.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "Keeping Up With the Jones Girl". Playbill.
- ^ "Rent, Guitars Win Drama League Awards".
- ^ "Neuwirth and Durning Tie for Drama League Award".
- ^ "Ragtime, Beauty Queen, Cabaret Win Drama League Awards May 8".
- ^ "Fosse, Salesman & Wit Win Drama League Awards, May 7".
- ^ "Contact, Copenhagen, Kate Win Drama League Awards".
- ^ "'Pro-' Choice: Drama League Awards Announced, May 11".
- ^ "Urinetown, Crucible and Metamorphoses Win the Drama League Awards".
- ^ "Hairspray, Take Me Out, Joe Egg, Fierstein Win 2003 Drama League Awards".
- ^ "Drama League Award Winners Announced - TheaterMania.com". 2004-05-14. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "2005 Drama League Award Winners Announced - TheaterMania.com". 2005-05-13. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Drama League Awards 2006 announced". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "2007 Drama League Award Winners Announced - TheaterMania.com". 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "2008 Drama League Awards Announced; LuPone Wins Top Acting Accolade". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Billy Elliot, Carnage and Geoffrey Rush Take Top Drama League Honors". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Sondheim, Red, Bridge, La Cage and Molina Win Drama League Awards".
- ^ "Drama League 2011 nominations". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Other Desert Cities, Salesman, Follies, Once, Audra McDonald Are Drama League Winners".
- ^ "Kinky Boots, Pippin, Vanya and Sonia, Virginia Woolf? and Nathan Lane Win Drama League Awards".
- ^ Gardner, Elysa (May 16, 2014). "Awards for Neil Patrick Harris, 'All the Way'". USA Today. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "2015 Drama League Awards: And the Winners are..." New York Theatre Guide. October 19, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (May 17, 2019). "Network's Bryan Cranston, Hadestown Among 2019 Drama League Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Kragen, Pam (June 22, 2020). "Reporter's Notebook: UCSD grad Danny Burstein wins major Drama League award". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 20, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy, A Strange Loop, Sutton Foster, More Are Winners of 88th Annual Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
External links
- Awards History at Drama League of New York
- Paul Scofield's 1962 medallion in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
- v
- t
- e
Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award
- Katharine Cornell (1935)
- Helen Hayes (1936)
- Maurice Evans (1937)
- Cedric Hardwicke (1938)
- Raymond Massey (1939)
- Paul Muni (1940)
- Paul Lukas (1941)
- Judith Evelyn (1942)
- Alfred Lunt (1943)
- Lynn Fontanne (1944)
- Mady Christians (1945)
- Louis Calhern (1946)
- Ingrid Bergman (1947)
- Judith Anderson (1948)
- Robert Morley (1949)
- Grace George (1950)
- Claude Rains (1951)
- Julie Harris (1952)
- Shirley Booth (1953)
- Josephine Hull (1954)
- Viveca Lindfors (1955)
- David Wayne (1956)
- Eli Wallach (1957)
- Ralph Bellamy (1958)
- Cyril Ritchard (1959)
- Jessica Tandy (1960)
- Hume Cronyn (1961)
- Paul Scofield (1962)
- Charles Boyer (1963)
- Alec Guinness (1964)
- John Gielgud (1965)
- Richard Kiley (1966)
- Rosemary Harris (1967)
- Zoe Caldwell (1968)
- Alec McCowen (1969)
- James Stewart (1970)
- Anthony Quayle (1971)
- Eileen Atkins / Claire Bloom (1972)
- Alan Bates (1973)
- Christopher Plummer (1974)
- John Wood (1975)
- Eva Le Gallienne (1976)
- Tom Courtenay (1977)
- Frank Langella (1978)
- Frances Sternhagen (1979)
- Roy Scheider (1980)
- Ian McKellen (1981)
- Milo O'Shea (1982)
- Edward Herrmann / Kate Nelligan (1983)
- Jeremy Irons (1984)
- Derek Jacobi (1985)
- Bernadette Peters (1986)
- James Earl Jones (1987)
- John Lithgow (1988)
- Pauline Collins (1989)
- Robert Morse (1990)
- Stockard Channing (1991)
- Glenn Close (1992)
- Stephen Rea (1993)
- Sam Waterston (1994)
- Cherry Jones (1995)
- Uta Hagen (1996)
- Charles Durning / Bebe Neuwirth (1997)
- Brian Stokes Mitchell (1998)
- Kathleen Chalfant (1999)
- Eileen Heckart (2000)
- Mary-Louise Parker / Gary Sinise (2001)
- Liam Neeson (2002)
- Harvey Fierstein (2003)
- Hugh Jackman (2004)
- Norbert Leo Butz (2005)
- Christine Ebersole (2006)
- Liev Schreiber (2007)
- Patti LuPone (2008)
- Geoffrey Rush (2009)
- Alfred Molina (2010)
- Mark Rylance (2011)
- Audra McDonald (2012)
- Nathan Lane (2013)
- Neil Patrick Harris (2014)
- Chita Rivera (2015)
- Lin-Manuel Miranda (2016)
- Ben Platt (2017)
- Glenda Jackson (2018)
- Bryan Cranston (2019)
- Danny Burstein (2020)
- Sutton Foster (2022)
- Annaleigh Ashford (2023)
- Sarah Paulson (2024)