Tony Awards to Begin Accepting Excellence in Theatre Education Award Nominations in Early 2015

As previously announced, the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University announced a partnership this year to jointly create and launch the first, national recognition program to honor kindergarten through high-school (K-12) theatre educators. The pair have now announced that nominations for the award will begin being accepted in early 2015. Exact dates, information, and methods of nominating will be officially revealed in January.

The Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by Carnegie Mellon University and the Tony Awards, was established in 2014 to recognize educators who have made a significant impact on their students.

To be eligible for the award, nominees must meet the following criteria for the award:

Eligibility

• The nominee must be a current, living teacher at an accredited K-12 institution, or reputable theatre organization, located within the U.S.
• He or she must be a teacher whose position is dedicated to, or includes aspects of, theatre education.

Categories

Nominations will be accepted in three categories:

• Self-nomination
• Student nomination (for his or her current/past teacher)
• General public nomination (nominate a teacher you know)

Nomination Requirements

To be considered for the award, nominations must include the following:

1. Online Nomination Form
   A completed online nomination form, including contact information and resume details for the nominee. Nominations forms will be available in the winter of 2015 viaTonyAwards.com.
2. Photo
   A color or black & white photo of the nominee.
3. Three Letters of Reference
   Letters may be submitted by any individual including, but not limited to, a colleague in the nominee's school, an academic advisor or current supervisor, a former student, or a community leader; however, the letter cannot be submitted by the nominator himself/herself.

1. Tell Us the Story (Supporting Materials)
   Demonstrate why the nominee has a compelling story, and has gone above and beyond in the field of theatre education. For example, describe how the nominee has made a difference in the life of a student, school or community; or how he/she is working to advance and champion theatre education in today's landscape. You may choose to submit supporting materials in one of two formats--a video or an essay.
   Video (Option 1)
   Videos may not exceed three minutes in duration.
   Video must be in AVI or WMV format, minimum resolution 320x240.
   500-word essay (Option 2)
   The nominator may submit a written essay, not to exceed 500 words. The essay must be in plain text (.txt) or Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.

A panel of judges comprised of the American Theatre Wing, The Broadway League, CMU and other leaders from the theatre industry will select the finalists and winner based on criteria set forth by the committee. Demonstrating a positive impact on the lives of students, advancing the theatre profession and a commitment to excellence will be among the qualifications.

The winning teacher will receive the "Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre Education presented by Carnegie Mellon University" on-stage at the 2015 Tony Awards on June 7, 2015. The trip to New York City will be included, plus a financial contribution will be made to the theatre arts program at the winner's school.