The Oscars maybe in the books but there’s still one more big show in the DC Arts Scene. Tonight the nominations for the 28th annual Helen Hayes Awards were announced in the Helen Hayes Gallery at the National Theatre.

Known as one of the country’s most prestigious cultural honors, the awards recognize the best of DC Theatre of the past year. The awards ceremony is affectionately known as “Drama Prom” (at least to me) and is one of the biggest theatre events of the area. Last year I had a blast covering the event and Jenn and I are excited to cover this year’s festivities.

Without further ado, here are the nominees (with links to our reviews)!

Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production

Colin K. Bills – A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Michael Gilliam – Ruined (Arena Stage)

Andrew F. Griffin – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Andrew F. Griffin – Othello (Folger Theater)

Chris Lee – The Hollow (Signature Theatre)

Tyler Micoleau – Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Thom Weaver – Cyrano (Folger Theater)

Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production

Phil Charlwood – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Daniel Conway – Cyrano (Folger Theater)

David Ghatan – Voices Underwater (Rorschach Theatre)

Misha Kachman – A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

James Noone – Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

Collin Ranney – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Lee Savage – Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production

Chris Baine – A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Steven Cahill – Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Irakli Kavsadze, Konstantine Lortkipanidze – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Nicole Martin – Voices Underwater (Rorschach Theatre)

Neil McFadden – An Almost Holy Picture (Rep Stage)

Matt Rowe – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Tom Teasley – Green Bird (Constellation Theatre Company)

Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production

Georgi Alexi – Meskhishvili – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Gregg Barnes – Follies (Kennedy Center)

ESosa – Ruined (Arena Stage)

Kendra Rai – Green Bird (Constellation Theatre Company)

Chelsey Schuller – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production

Michael J. Bobbitt, Fabian Barnes – Mirandy and Brother Wind (Adventure Theatre)

Brianne Camp, Karma Camp – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Irina Tsikurishvili, Ben Cunis – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Dale Anthony Girard – Cyrano (Folger Theater)

Robb Hunter – Walworth Farce (The Studio Theatre)

Susan Shields – STAY (Theater of the First Amendment)

Kate Arnold Wernick – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Outstanding Musical Direction, Resident Production

Jay Crowder – Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Jon Kalbfleisch – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

James Moore – Follies (Kennedy Center)

Christopher Youstra – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Olney Theatre Center)

Christopher Youstra – Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Outstanding Supporting Performer, Non-Resident Production

Maximilien A. Baud – Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Ben Cook – Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Hayley McElhinney – Uncle Vanya (Kennedy Center)

Hugo Weaving – Uncle Vanya (Kennedy Center)

Patrick Wetzel – Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Outstanding Lead Actress, Non-Resident Production

Cate Blanchett – Uncle Vanya (Kennedy Center)

Leah Hocking – Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Rozina Kambos – Return to Haifa (Theater J)

Melanie Marshall – FELA! (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Amy Morton – Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Arena Stage)

Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production

Lex Ishimoto – Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Tracy Letts – Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Arena Stage)

J. Mark McVey – Les Misérables (Kennedy Center)

Sahr Ngaujah – FELA! (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Richard Roxburgh – Uncle Vanya (Kennedy Center)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical

Tracy Lynn Olivera – Sound of Music (Olney Theatre Center)

Nova Y. Payton – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Kirstin Riegler – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Lauren William – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Rachel Zampelli – Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical

Matthew Delorenzo – Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Ricardo Frederick Evans – Dr. Dolittle (Imagination Stage)

Kevin McAllister – Parade (Ford’s Theatre and Theater J)

Jobari Parker-Namdar – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Bobby Smith – Sound of Music (Olney Theatre Center)

Vishal Vaidya – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Dan Van Why – National Pastime (Keegan Theatre)

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Musical

Nancy Anderson – Side By Side By Sondheim (Signature Theatre)

Jessica Lauren Ball – Sound of Music (Olney Theatre Center)

Carolyn Cole – Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Kelly Karbacz – Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Jan Maxwell – Follies (Kennedy Center)

Bernardine Mitchell – His Eye is On the Sparrow (MetroStage)

Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical

Rob McQuay – Dr. Dolittle (Imagination Stage)

Euan Morton – Parade (Ford’s Theatre and Theater J)

Geoff Packard – Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Tom Story – Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Alan Wiggins – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Olney Theatre Center)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play

Mirenka Cechová – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Margaret Daly – Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

Gabriela Fernández-Coffey – After the Fall (Theater J)

Catherine Flye – Pride and Prejudice (Round House Theatre)

Donnetta Lavinia Grays – Ruined (Arena Stage)

Jennifer Mendenhall – Imagining Madoff (Theater J)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play

Ben Cunis – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Aubrey Deeker – Walworth Farce (The Studio Theatre)

Chris Dinolfo – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Philip Fletcher – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Ted van Griethuysen – Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

The Robert Prosky Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Play

Mitchell Hèbert – After the Fall (Theater J)

Irakli Kavsadz – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

James McMenamin – Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo (Arena Stage)

Michael Russotto – A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Ted van Griethuysen – Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

Paxton Whitehead – Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play

Rena Cherry Brown – Wit (Bay Theatre Company, Inc.)

Jenny Jules – Ruined (Arena Stage)

Ira Koval – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Mona Martínez – ¡Ay, Carmela! (GALA Hispanic Theatre)

Lizan Mitchell – Trip To Bountiful (Round House Theatre)

Erica Sullivan – Venus in Fur (Studio Theatre)

Irina Tsikurishvili – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical

A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Hairspray (Signature Theater)

Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Sound of Music (Olney Theatre Center)

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play

¡Ay, Carmela! (GALA Hispanic Theatre)

Birds of a Feather (Hub Theater)

Cyrano (Folger Theater)

Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Oedipus El Rey (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Outstanding Director, Resident Musical

Matt August – Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Keith Alan Baker, Jennifer Harris, Hunter Styles – Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Michael Baron – A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Toby Orenstein, Lawrence B. Munsey – Chicago (Toby’s Dinner Theatre)

Eric Schaeffer –  Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Janet Stanford – Dr. Dolittle (Imagination Stage)

Outstanding Director, Resident Play

David Muse – Habit of Art (Studio Theatre)

David Muse – Venus in Fur (Studio Theatre)

Aron Posner – Cyrano (Folger Theater)

Charles Randolph-Wright – Ruined (Arena Stage)

Serge Seiden – Charlotte’s Web (Adventure Theatre)

Paata Tsikurishvili – King Lear (Synetic Theater)

John Vreeke – A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Outstanding Non-Resident Production

Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Billy Elliot the Musical (Kennedy Center)

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Arena Stage)

Equivocation (Arena Stage)

Uncle Vanya (Kennedy Center)

Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences

A Year With Frog and Toad (Adventure Theatre)

Aladdin’s Luck (Imagination Stage)

Charlotte’s Web (Adventure Theatre)

Dr. Dolittle (Imagination Stage)

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse (Adventure Theatre)

The Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical

Marc Acito – Birds of a Feather (Hub Theatre)

dog & pony dc – Beertown – (dog & pony dc)

Michael Hollinger, Aaron Posner – Cyrano (Folger Theater)

David Ives – Heir Apparent (Shakespeare Theatre Company)

Helen Pafumi, Jason Lott – Wonderful Life (Hub Theatre)

Duncan Macmillan – Lungs (Studio Theatre)

Deb Margolin – Imagining Madoff (Theater J)

Outstanding Resident Musical

Follies  (The Kennedy Center)

Hairspray (Signature Theatre)

Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre)

Pop! (Studio Theatre 2ndStage)

Side By Side By (Sondheim Signature Theatre)

The Sound of (Music Olney Theatre Center)

Outstanding Resident Play

A Bright New Boise (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company)

Cyrano (Folger Theater)

King Lear (Synetic Theater)

Ruined (Arena Stage)

Venus in Fur (Studio Theatre)

Helen Hayes Nominees By The Numbers

Nominees by Theatre

Kennedy Center 16

Synetic Theater 15

Adventure Theatre 13

Studio Theatre 12

Signature Theatre 12

Arena Stage 11

Ford’s Theatre 8

Folger Theater 8

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company 8

Studio Theatre 2ndStage 7

Theater J 7

Shakespeare Theatre Company 7

Olney Theatre Center 7

Imagination Stage 5

Hub Theatre 3

Rorschach Theatre 2

Constellation Theatre Company 2

Round House Theatre 2

GALA Hispanic Theatre 2

Dog & Pony DC 1

Keegan Theatre 1

Toby’s Dinner Theatre 1

Theater of the First Amendment 1

MetroStage 1

Bay Theatre Company, Inc. 1

Rep Stage 1

Nominees by Show

King Lear 15

A Year With Frog and Toad 9

Hairspray 9

Pop! 7

Cyrano 7

A Bright New Boise 6

Habit of Art 6

Billy Elliot the Musical 6

Liberty Smith 6

Sound of Music 5

Ruined 5

Uncle Vanya 5

Dr. Dolittle 4

Follies 4

Much Ado About Nothing 4

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 3

Venus in Fur 3

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 2

Parade 2

Charlotte’s Web 2

FELA! 2

Voices Underwater 2

Green Bird 2

Birds of a Feather 2

Side By Side By Sondheim 2

After the Fall 2

Imagining Madoff 2

Walworth Farce 2

¡Ay, Carmela! 2

Beertown 1

Chicago 1

Ruined  1

STAY 1

Wit 1

Othello 1

Aladdin’s Luck 1

Oedipus El Rey 1

The Hollow 1

National Pastime 1

Pride and Prejudice 1

Return to Haifa 1

Wonderful Life 1

Mirandy and Brother Wind 1

An Almost Holy Picture 1

Equivocation 1

Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs 1

Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo 1

Trip To Bountiful 1

Lungs 1

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse 1

His Eye is On the Sparrow 1

Heir Apparent 1

Les Misérables 1

The winners will be announced on April 23rd at the Warner Theatre.