2012 Henry Hewes Design Awards Honorees Announced

Ten theater artists will be honored by the Henry Hewes Design Awards committee during the dual presentation of its 2011 and 2012 Awards in a luncheon ceremony scheduled for October 29. David Korins (Chinglish), Gregg Barnes (Follies), Brian MacDevitt (Death of a Salesman), and Daniel Kluger (Tribes) will be honored with 2012 Henry Hewes Design Awards. The 2011 Henry Hewes Awards were announced earlier this year. For the 2012 honors, 86 theater artists were nominated for outstanding artistry in 57 productions presented during the 2011-2012 New York theater season.

These annual awards honor designers for work in venues on Broadway, Off Broadway, and Off Off Broadway, recognizing not only the traditional categories of scenic design, costume design, and lighting design, but also "Notable Effects," which encompass sound, music, video, puppetry, and other creative elements. All nominated designs must have originated in United States productions. The Hewes Awards Committee considered more than 200 productions when making its nominations.

Tobin Ost led all artists with three nominations. Fourteen other designers received two nominations each for their work during the 2011-2012 season. Broadway's Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark received five distinct nominations to lead all other contenders. Two other Broadway productions, Newsies and Once, each received four nominations. Five productions representing a wide range of productions and financial resources each garnered three nominations. Another 16 productions received two nominations each.

The HHDA committee named honorees in four categories: Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design, and Notable Effects. As of the 2012 awards, the Committee has bestowed 281 honors on 180 artists representing 195 productions.

Originally known as the Maharam Awards at their inception in 1965, the Hewes Awards were later known as the American Theatre Wing Design Awards in honor of the Wing's generous sponsorship. They were renamed in 1999 for noted critic Henry Hewes, who created the awards and served as a board member of the American Theatre Wing until his death in 2006 at age 89.

The Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee includes theater critics Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, chair; Dan Bacalzo; David Barbour; David Cote; Glenda Frank; Mario Fratti; Helen Shaw; Michael Sommers; and Joan Ungaro.