The Ovation Awards are a
Southern California award for excellence in
theatre,[1] established in 1989.[2] They are given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winners are selected by a voting committee of Los Angeles area theater professionals who are selected through an application process every year.[3] The Ovation Awards ceremony has been held at different theatres throughout the Los Angeles area, including the
Ahmanson Theatre and the
Orpheum Theatre.[4] Hosts for the ceremonies have included
Nathan Lane,[5]Lily Tomlin,[6] and
Neil Patrick Harris.[7]
Eligibility
The producer(s) must be a qualifying member of LA Stage Alliance.
Productions must meet one or more of the following requirements: Include a director who is a full member of The
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC), a designer who is a full member of
United Scenic Artists (USA), or an actor who is a full member of
Actors' Equity Association (AEA), or the producer(s) has previously produced an Ovation Award nominated production in the previous three seasons.
In addition, eligible productions must meet the minimum number of performances, currently ten for intimate theatres and six for larger theatres.
Productions in venues with more than 100 seats which include no members of any theatrical union, and those produced by companies that are currently involved in a union labor strike are ineligible.[citation needed]
Categories
Production
Musical – Large Theatre
Musical – Intimate Theatre (Franklin R. Levy Award)
Play – Large Theatre
Play – Intimate Theatre
Touring Production
Performance
Lead Actress in a Musical
Lead Actor in a Musical
Featured Actress in a Musical
Featured Actor in a Musical
Lead Actress in a Play
Lead Actor in a Play
Featured Actress in a Play
Featured Actor in a Play
Ensemble Performance
Solo Performance (Ray Stricklyn Memorial Award)
Direction/Choreography/Design
Direction of a Musical
Direction of a Play
Choreography
Music Direction
Set Design – Large Theatre
Set Design – Intimate Theatre
Lighting Design – Large Theatre
Lighting Design – Intimate Theatre
Sound Design – Large Theatre
Sound Design – Intimate Theatre
Costume Design – Large Theatre
Costume Design – Intimate Theatre
Writing/Composition
Playwriting of an Original Play
Books/Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical
Ceremony mistake
During the 2021 Ovation Awards ceremony, actress Jully Lee's first name was mispronounced and she was misidentified with a photograph of a different Asian American actress. In response, several participating theatre companies revoked their membership in the LA Stage Alliance, citing the organization's disenfranchisement of
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as well as people of color (
BIPOC) from the Los Angeles theatre community.[8]