Eight Special Tony Awards and Honors have been announced, including for pioneers in projection design, hair and wig design, and sound design, as well as for writer and director Alex Edelman. Several of these smartly compensate for what some perceive as shortcomings in the competitive Tony Awards. (Edelman’s “Just for Us” was deemed ineligible for competitive Tony Awards, and there is no competitive category for projection design, nor for hair and wig design, which some think there should be. The sound design awards for play and musical also have a spotty record: First given in the 2007–2008 season, they were eliminated for the 2014-2015 season, but, after a backlash, restored for the 2017-2018 season.)

SPECIAL TONY AWARDS

Alex Edelman

Alex Edelman made his Broadway debut as the writer and performer of his solo show “Just For Us” which focused on his attendance at a meeting of white supremacist antisemites, which Edelman was somehow able to make funny, as well as pointed.

“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.”

Sound designer Abe Jacob

A sound designer on a remarkable forty-two shows over six decades, starting with the original production of “Hair.” He got his start in San Francisco mixing sound for iconic artists of the ’60s including Jimi Hendrix, The Mamas and the Papas, and Peter, Paul, and Mary, and he designed the sound system for the Monterey Pop Festival.
“‘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.”

Hair and wig designer Nakiya Mathis

Nakiya Mathis is a six-time Broadway veteran hair and wig designer, most notably of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” The very first line in my review of that play: “Jocelyn Bioh’s inviting workplace comedy, presenting a day in the life of a hair braiding salon in Harlem, would be a shoo-in for two separate Tony Awards, if either existed – one for hair and wig design, the other for ensemble acting.”

“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.”

TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATER

Projection Designer Wendall K. Harrington

Wendall K. Harrington has been a projection designer on thirty seven shows on Broadway, going back more than forty years — before they even had a label for what she did. It’s no exaggeration to say that Harrington, the head of projection design at the Yale School of Drama, helped invent the field.

Colleen Jennings-Roggernsack

Colleen Jennings-Roggernsack is is Vice President for Cultural Affairs at ASU and Executive Director of ASU Gammage, the performing arts theater at Arizona State University.  “In 2020, she served on multiple panels addressing human rights, justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and the future of Broadway;

Judith O. Rubin

“Judith O. Rubin has been deeply involved in various cultural arts organizations for decades. She served as chair on the Playwrights Horizons, served on the National Council on the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts. She’s also been a member of several advisory commissions and boards, including the Tony Awards Administration Committee and the American Theatre Wing”

The Dramatists Guild Foundation

“The Dramatists Guild Foundation (DGF) is a national charity that fuels the future of American theater by supporting the writers and composers who create it. Founded in 1962 by Alan Jay Lerner, DGF (then “Dramatists Guild Fund”) was created with two goals in mind: To provide grants to theater writers and to support theaters producing original works by American playwrights. Now, DGF supports playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists at all stages of their careers through educational programs; awards, grants, and stipends; free space to create new works; and emergency aid to writers in need of immediate support.”

The Friedman Health Center

“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 and conveniently located in Times Square, The Friedman Health Center is the only health center in NYC solely focused on the particular health care needs of those who work in performing arts and entertainment.”