Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman & More Set for 2022 Drama League Honors

The Drama League has announced the 2022 Special Recognition honorees of the 88th Annual Drama League Awards. As previously reported, the ceremony will be held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 20. The annual luncheon and its pre-event industry reception resumes in-person festivities with this awards event, after presenting the 2020 and 2021 awards in virtual ceremonies. Nominations for the 2021-2022 Broadway and off-Broadway season will now be announced on April 25 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

This year's honorees include Mr. Saturday Night star and creator Billy Crystal, The Music Man star Hugh Jackman, Lincoln Center Theater Resident Director Lileana Blain-Cruz and Tony Award-winning producer Willette Murphy Klausner. 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. Jackman will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award for his outstanding work on stage and in film. Blain-Cruz will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing. Klausner will be honored with the Gratitude Award.

Productions will need to have been in previews between March 16, 2021 and April 23, 2022 to be eligible.

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, the Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theater awards chosen by a cross-section of the theater community—specifically, by the industry professionals, producers, artists, audiences and critics who are Drama League members nationwide.