Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman, Lileana Blain-Cruz & Willette Murphy Klausner to Be Honored at 2022 Drama League Awards

The Drama League has announced the 2022 Special Recognition Honorees of The 88th Annual Drama League Awards: Obie Award-winner and Lincoln Center Theater Resident Director Lileana Blain-Cruz (The Skin of Our Teeth), Emmy and Tony Award-winning comedy icon Billy Crystal (Mr. Saturday Night), Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe- and Tony Award-winning global superstar Hugh Jackman (The Music Man), and Tony Award-winning producer Willette Murphy Klausner (Hadestown). Following two years of virtual awards ceremonies, the annual luncheon ceremony and its pre-event industry reception will joyously resume in-person at The Ziegfeld Ballroom (141 W 54th St, NYC) on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00PM.

The Drama League Awards' 2022 Special Recognition Honorees are recognized for their unique and outstanding contributions to the theater industry. Hugh Jackman will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award for his outstanding work on stage and in film as part of the musical theater community; Billy Crystal will be presented with the Contribution to the Theater Award for his extraordinary work on stages across the country and commitment to mentorship in the field; Lileana Blain-Cruz will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing for her incredible contributions to the field of directing; and producer Willette Murphy Klausner will be honored with the Gratitude Award in recognition of her leadership, commitment, and dedication to theater and the entertainment industry.

Nominations for the 2021-22 Broadway and Off-Broadway season will be announced on Monday, April 25, 2022, at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Broadway and Off-Broadway (non-virtual only) productions will need to have been in previews between March 16, 2021, and April 23, 2022, to be eligible for this season's Drama League Awards.

First presented in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are a core service to the theater community of The Drama League, an arts organization that has provided vital support to the field and its artists for over a century. The organization's mission provides the nation's only full-time, lifelong creative home for stage directors and the audiences that enjoy their work across the world. For a complete list of productions and performers that have won Drama League Awards in the event's history, as well as all past honorees, click here.

More information about The Drama League's programs, alumni, and the Awards history can be found at www.dramaleague.org.