Alex Edelman, Nikiya Mathis and More to Receive Special Recognition at the 2024 Tony Awards

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that Wendall K. Harrington, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Judith O. Rubin, the Dramatists Guild Foundation, and the Friedman Health Center will receive 2024 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre. Special Tony Awards will also be presented to comedian Alex Edelman, sound designer Abe Jacob and hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis.

The Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre were established in 1990 and are awarded annually to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories.

Harrington is head of projection design at Yale School of Drama and has leant her artistry to nearly 40 Broadway productions throughout her career, including the original Broadway production of The Who's Tommy. Jennings-Roggensack is Vice President for Cultural Affairs at ASU and Executive Director of ASU Gammage, co-leading ASU's Advisory Council on African American Affairs. Her advocacy also extends to Broadway Green Alliance, ATPAM/Broadway Diversity Initiative and Creative Connections with SDCF, among other contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion in the Broadway community. Rubin has served as board chair of Playwrights Horizons for 32 years, and is ending her tenure this June. Founded in 1962 by Alan Jay Lerner, the Dramatists Guild Foundation is a national charity that fuels the future of American theater by supporting the writers and composers who create it. The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts is the medical care provider for New York City’s entertainment community, operated in partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund and Mount Sinai Doctors .

“It is a pleasure to present the 2024 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to these five unsung heroes doing invaluable work behind the scenes in the theater community,” said Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. “Wendall K. Harrington’s projection design masterpieces; Colleen Jennings-Roggensack’s unwavering dedication to promoting artists and advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and access in the theater; Judith O. Rubin’s passionate advocacy for culture; the Dramatists Guild Foundation’s life-changing support to theater writers; and the Friedman Health Center’s commitment to the wellness of the community have been pivotal to the success of countless productions and we are thrilled they are getting the recognition they deserve with this special honor.”

Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, offered the following statement about this year's Special Tony Award recipients: “Alex Edelman had an exemplary debut in Just For Us, a show that was as moving as it was hilarious and spoke to the power of communication, identity and empathy at a time when it is needed more than ever. Abe Jacob is a true pioneer of theater sound design who created the modern approach to theatrical sound design and has contributed his unique and irreplaceable sound to each of his productions for decades. Nikiya Mathis has transformed the approach to hair and wig design and hair maintenance in our theaters and her incredible work was rightly the centerpiece of this season’s incredible Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. We salute these esteemed members of our community as we award them with this special distinction.”

The 77th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, will air live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, June 16, 2024 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/5:00-8:00 PM PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.