Antonyo Awards

The Antonyo Awards are awards recognizing excellence of Black artists in theatre. Founded in 2020, the awards ceremony was produced by Broadway Black and honors Black artists from both the Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre communities.[1]

Antonyo Awards
Awarded forExcellence of Black artists in theatre
CountryUnited States
Presented byBroadway Black
First awarded2020 (2020)

Founding and inaugural ceremony

The Antonyo Awards were created in 2020[2] by Drew Shade. Shade founded Broadway Black in 2012, an organization that supports Black theatre and which helped produce the awards ceremony. Dustin Ross, a close friend of Shade, named the ceremony the "Antonyo Awards" as a light-hearted joke in reference to The Tony Awards.[3] An additional purpose of the awards is to shed light on systemic racism in the New York theatre, a mostly-white institution, in the light of the racial protests that rocked America after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. No one was paid to participate in or run these awards.[3]

The nominees were selected by a nominating committee. However, since it was not as easy to get voters to see every show due to the shutdown of theatres across the nation due to the pandemic, the winners were chosen by people voting online. Around 8,000 people voted. There were no gendered categories. Also, all presenters and winners had their pronouns listed as well as their names on screen.[4]

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were no live awards in the inaugural ceremony. The awards took place over a YouTube livestream,[5] but may be in-person if future Antonyo Awards ceremonies are announced. The ceremony took place on June 19, 2020, since Juneteenth is the holiday commemorating the freedom from slavery for Black Americans in 1865.[6] However, despite there being no live ceremony, there was a "red carpet" livestream one hour before the ceremony hosted by Chadaé McAlister, as well as an after-party hosted by Amber Iman with music by DJ Dorian, Both featured interviews with nominees and winners. The ceremony was hosted by Drew Shade. The event not only included the announcing of the winners, but also musical performances, skits, and monologues by Black playwrights performed by Black theatre artists that highlighted the struggles, joys and resilience of Black artists. Additionally, due to the coronavirus preventing many graduations from happening, nominee and actor Shereen Pimentel gave a commencement speech to the class of 2020, as she would have been graduating in 2020.[7]

There were four non-competitive awards called the Kinfolk Awards which were created to honor individuals who were committed to the advancement of Black theatre in New York City. The Lorraine Hansberry Award was given to a female identifying or nonbinary femme Black playwright or book writer who incorporates themes of social justice into their work. The Langston Hughes Award was given to a male-identifying or nonbinary masculine Black playwright or book writer who balances storytelling and social justice ideology in their work. The Welcome Award is for a Black newcomer to New York City theatre. The Doors of the Theatre are Open Award is for a theatre company that has been dedicated to uplifting Black voices.[8]

Recipients

2020

Award [9][10] Recipient Production
Best Play Aziza Barnes BLKS
Donja R. Love One in Two
Lydia R. Diamond Toni Stone
C.A. Johnson All the Natalie Portmans
Zora Howard STEW
Eboni Booth Paris
Best Musical Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
The Secret Life of Bees
A Strange Loop
The Wrong Man
Girl From North Country
Jagged Little Pill
Best Revival For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
West Side Story
Native Son
Little Shop of Horrors
Fires in the Mirror
Two Can Play
Best Actor in a Play Off-Broadway Danielle Brooks Much Ado About Nothing
Kara Young All the Natalie Portmans
Portia STEW
April Mathis Toni Stone
Kristolyn Lloyd Little Women
Ato Blankson Wood The Rolling Stone
Best Actor in a Play On Broadway Audra McDonald Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
LaChanze A Christmas Carol
Joaquina Kalukango Slave Play
Blair Underwood A Soldier's Play
Best Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway LaChanze The Secret Life of Bees
Ciara Renée The Wrong Man
Joshua Henry
Larry Owens A Strange Loop
Janelle McDermoth We're Gonna Die
Danyel Fulton Broadbend, Arkansas
Best Actor in a Musical On Broadway Adrienne Warren Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Kimber Elayne Sprawl Girl From the North Country
Isaac Cole Powell West Side Story
Shereen Pimentel
Daniel J. Watts Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
Best Featured Actor in a Play Off-Broadway Okwui Okpokwasili For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf
Leland Fowler One in Two
Nicco Annan The Hot Wing King
Crystal Lucas-Perry A Bright Room Called Day
John-Andrew Morrison Blues for an Alabama Sky
LaToya Edwards The Rolling Stone
Best Featured Actor in a Play On Broadway Chalia La Tour Slave Play
David Alan Grier A Soldier's Play
Ato Blankson-Wood Slave Play
Zawe Ashton Betrayal
Grantham Coleman The Great Society
Jordan Barbour The Inheritance
Best Featured Actor in a Musical Off-Broadway Jasmine Cephas Jones Cyrano
John-Andrew Morrison A Strange Loop
L Morgan Lee
Starr Busby Octet
Saycon Sengbloh The Secret Life of Bees
Taylor Iman Jones Scotland, PA
Best Featured Actor in a Musical On Broadway Celia Rose Gooding Jagged Little Pill
Sahr Ngaujah Moulin Rouge!
Jeanette Bayardelle Girl From the North Country
Dharon E. Jones West Side Story
Best Solo Performance Michael Benjamin Washington Fires in the Mirror
Donnetta Lavinia Grays Where We Stand
Dierdra McDowell Down to Eartha
Best Director Lileana Blain-Cruz Anatomy of A Suicide
Stevie Walker-Webb One in Two
Robert O’Hara BLKS
Whitney White Our Dear Dead Drug Lord
Colette Robert STEW
Raja Feather Kelly We're Gonna Die
Best Choreography Camille A. Brown For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Raja Feather Kelly A Strange Loop
Edisa Weeks Novenas for a Lost Hospital
Adesola Osakalumi Coal Country
Byron Easley Slave Play
nicHi Douglas Skinfolk: An American Show
Best Quarantine Content Daniel J. Watts The Jam IG Live
Edward Mawere #BroadwayRemixChallenge
Camille A. Brown Social Dance for Social Distance
Drew Shade Inside The Mind, a Mental Wellness Series
Jordan E. Cooper Mama Got A Cough
Sis Living with Sis IG Series
Best Lighting Design Allen Lee Hughes A Soldier's Play
Toni Stone
Alan C. Edwards The Hot Wing King
Stacey Derosier Novenas For A Lost Hospital
Best Scenic Design Lawrence E. Moten IIIs Native Son
Best Sound Rucyl Frison Anatomy of a Suicide
Justin Ellington One in Two
Luqman Brown The Hot Wing King
Best Costumes Toni-Leslie James For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
Dede Ayite BLKS
Andy Jean One in Two
Karen Perry runboyrun/ In Old Age
Sarita P Fellows Native Son
Ari Fulton Novenas for a Lost Hospital
Best Hair & Wig Design Nikiya Mathis For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
STEW
Cookie Jordan Toni Stone
A Strange Loop
Greg Cooper Spencer A Soldier's Play
Best Orchestrations Skinfolk: An American Show
The Secret Life of Bees
A Strange Loop
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
We're Gonna Die
The Wrong Man
Best Original Score The Secret of Life Bees
A Strange Loop
Broadbend, Arkansas
The Wrong Man
We're Gonna Die
Best Book Michael R. Jackson A Strange Loop
Lynn Nottage The Secret Life of Bees
Katori Hall Tina: A Tina Turner Musical
Harrison David Rivers Broadbend, Arkansas

Non-competitive awards

The Kinfolk Awards

Award Recipient
Langston Hughes Award Donja R. Love
Lorraine Hansberry Award Loy. A. Webb
Welcome Award Dharon E. Jones
The Doors of the Theatre are Open Award The National Black Theatre

In memoriam

2020

References

  1. "The Inaugural Antonyo Awards Honor the Best of Black Theater". Observer. 2020-06-17. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  2. "7 Things to Watch This Weekend". The New York Times.
  3. Dowd, Vincent (June 19, 2020). "New US awards celebrate black theatre talent". BBC News. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  4. "Inaugural Antonyo Awards To Celebrate Best Of Black Theater". NPR. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  5. Cooper, Matt. "Martha Graham Dance's long-lost 'Immediate Tragedy': Your must-watch of the day". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  6. "Inaugural Antonyo Awards Celebrating Black Theatre Community to Stream June 19". Broadway Direct. June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  7. Miller, Deb (June 20, 2020). "Winners of Broadway Black's inaugural Antonyo Awards for 2020". DC Metro Theater Arts. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  8. Desk, BWW News (June 19, 2020). "VIDEO: TINA, A STRANGE LOOP, Audra McDonald, LaChanze and More Take Home 2020 Antonyo Awards!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  9. McPhee, Ryan (June 9, 2020). "Vote Now for Broadway Black's Inaugural Antonyo Awards". Playbill. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  10. McPhee, Ryan (June 19, 2020). "Here Are the Winners of Broadway Black's Inaugural Antonyo Awards". Playbill. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  11. Evans, Greg (2020-06-20). "Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren, 'Tina' & 'BLKS' Take Trophies In Inaugural Antonyo Awards For Black Theater Artists – Complete Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
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