67th Obie Awards to Give Winners Grants in Lieu of Awards Ceremony

The American Theatre Wing has revealed a new path forward for the Obie Awards, celebrating the best of Off- and Off-Off-Broadway.  In lieu of the annual awards ceremony, the American Theatre Wing will instead dedicate funds to the support and growth of the artists, by bestowing winners with grants ranging from $1,000-5,000.
 
Select winners of the Obie Awards will be announced exclusively on Spectrum News NY1’s “On Stage,” hosted by Emmy Award winner Frank DiLella. The show will take an in-depth look at the history of the Obies and feature the presentation of awards in categories including Playwriting, Direction, and Performance. Guests will include Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Cost of Living); President and CEO of The American Theatre Wing Heather Hitchens; and Tony & Obie Award-winning playwright and librettist David Henry Hwang, who is also a former Chair of The American Theatre Wing. The show airs Saturday, January 27 at 7:30 PM on Spectrum News NY1.
 
Spectrum News NY1 is available to Spectrum subscribers on channel 1 and via the Spectrum News App for mobile, Xumo Stream Box, Roku, and Apple TV streaming devices.
 
The 67th Obie Awards recognizes the outstanding contributions made throughout the 2022-2023 Off- and Off- Off-Broadway theatre season in New York City. The Obie Judges Committee includes: Obie-winning and Tony Award-nominated costume designer Dede Ayite; acclaimed scenic designer Wilson Chin; writer and Grammy Award winner Ty Defoe; Broadway’s first Black intimacy coordinator & Obie Award winner Ann C. James; Obie Award-winning playwright Haruna Lee; actor, writer and performance artist Florencia Lozano; and Obie Award-winning performance artist Carmelita Tropicana; and is co-chaired by Obie-winning director David Mendizábal and veteran theater critic Melissa Rose Bernardo.  The judges thoroughly evaluated over 300 productions, engaged in thoughtful discussions, and, through their votes, selected the recipients.
 
“We are truly excited about this next iteration of The Obies because it genuinely reflects the ethos of the Awards as well as the Off & Off Off Broadway movements – which is to continuously evolve and meet the moment,” says Heather Hitchens. “The grants and our relationship with Spectrum News NY1 will provide meaningful support, and more effective, nationwide promotion for these incredible artists, innovators, and theater companies.”
 
The official 67th Obie Awards season includes shows that opened between September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023. Work that was presented at an Off- or Off-Off-Broadway theater and/or company was eligible for consideration. Immediately following the announcement on NY1, the full list of winners, as well as their recorded acceptance speeches, will be available on ObieAwards.com.
 
The Village Voice created The Obie Awards, at the suggestion of then editor Jerry Tallmer, soon after the publication's own inception in 1955, to encourage the newly burgeoning Off-Broadway theater movement and to acknowledge its achievements. The Obies are structured with informal categories to recognize artists and productions worthy of distinction in each theatrical year. Over the decades, The Obie Awards played a major role in championing work of innovative and exceptional quality Off- and Off-Off Broadway. The Obies have become a theatrical tradition, a meaningful way to acknowledge the best artistic achievements of downtown theater. The list of actors, writers, directors, and designers who have received Obies at pivotal moments in their careers is a virtual who's who of contemporary theater. While the categories of the awards have continued to change almost annually, the creative spirit remains the same. The Obie Awards, now presented by The American Theatre Wing, salute a theatrical movement that's as important and as vibrant today as it was in 1955.