We’re elated to announce our USITT24 award winners! Our deserving winners will be celebrated at USITT24 in Seattle, on March 21, at 9 a.m. during our Awards, Awards, Awards ceremony, and we’re excited for you to join us!

Bonus: Attend our Awards, Awards, Awards ceremony in Seattle, and be one of the first people to enter our 2024 Stage Expo! Stay tuned throughout the next week as we break down who’s who in each award category. View our full list of 2024 award winners below.

Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAA)

The Distinguished Achievement Awards honor individuals who have established meritorious career records in specific fields of expertise in any area of design or technology in the performing arts or entertainment industry. Each will be a featured part of the Conference in a special session presented by one of the Commissions.

Areas of achievement include, but are not limited to disciplines represented by the Commissions of USITT, scenic design, lighting design, sound design, technical direction, costume design & technology, theatre architecture, theatrical consulting, production management, stage or arts management, entertainment technology, education, or a convergence of these disciplines.

Education

Nancy Uffner

Scene Design

Karen Maness

Engineering

Karl Ruling

Lighting Design

Dawn Chiang

Sound Design

Richard Bugg

Costume Design

Susan Tsu

Oscar G. Brockett Golden Pen Award

Oscar G. Brockett Golden Pen Award, sponsored by USITT and the Oscar G. Brockett Center for Theatre History and Criticism at the University of Texas - Austin, honors an outstanding publication in the field of design and production for the performing arts. The recipient of this award is the author of an outstanding, major, recent publication in the field of design and production for the performing arts.

Winner 

Christin Essin

Publication: "Working Backstage"

Herbert D. Greggs Awards

The Herbert D. Greggs Awards promote innovative, in-depth writing about theatre design and technology in TD&T.

Merit

Winter 2023 Naoko Skala

Publication: "Introducing Joruri Puppetry"

Merit

Fall 2022 Mark Reaney

Publication: "Teaching Lighting Design with Computer Modeling"

Honor

Fall 2022 Anastasia Goodwin

Publication: "The Costume History Classroom as Laboratory"

Honor

Winter 2023 Brant Thomas Murray and Dr. K. Camille Murray

Publication: "Placing Emotional Intelligence Center Stage"

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award, sponsored by LDI/Live Design, is given annually to a young professional at the beginning of their career. The award recognizes excellence and artistic achievement in scenic, lighting, sound, projection design, or a convergence of these design disciplines. Learn more about our 2024 Rising Star here!

Rising Star

William Lowe

Young Designers, Managers, & Technicians (YDMT) Awards

The Awards for YDMT bring recognition and support to young designers, managers, and technicians at the beginning of their careers. They are made possible by generous gifts to USITT from their sponsors. Learn more about your YDMT winners here!

KM Fabrics Technical Production Award Winner

Aholibama Castañeda González

The Barbara Matera Award for Costume-Making Winner

Athene Wright

The Richard Hay Undergraduate Scene Design Award Winner

Nathan Bowden

Zelma H. Weisfeld Costume Design & Technology Award Winner

Grzegorz Labuda

Bernhard R. Works, Frederick A. Buerki Scenic Technology Award Winner

Andrew Riedemann

Barbizon Lighting Company Jonathan Resnick Lighting Design Award Winner

Xotchil Musser

USITT Stage Management Award Winner

Annie Hennen

USITT Makeup Design Award

Tiara Jones

USITT Scene Design Award Sponsored by Rose Brand Winner

Tianxuan Chen

USITT Award

The USITT Award, the highest honor given by USITT, recognizes a lifetime of distinguished contributions to the performing arts or entertainment communities in any capacity.

Award Winner

Rachel Keebler

Honorary Lifetime Member Award

The Honorary Lifetime Membership Award is bestowed to a small but very distinguished group of individuals who have been recognized for providing a significant period of years of continuous and extraordinary service to the Institute. 

Award Winner

Lea Asbell-Swanger

Architecture Awards

Sponsored by the USITT Architecture Commission, the Architecture Awards Program honors excellence in design and has recognized architects of theatre projects for 25 years.

Merit

Thaden Performance

Merit

Steelhouse Omaha

Merit

David Geffen Hall

Honor

Groton Hill Music Center

Honor

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

Sherry Wagner-Henry Board Fellow

The USITT Board of Directors has established the Sherry Wagner-Henry Leadership Development Initiative to advance the next generation of leadership in the arts. The program is named in honor of Sherry Wagner-Henry, a longtime USITT member and former Board member who passed away unexpectedly in 2020. With feedback from former participants, and renamed in her honor to Sherry Wagner-Henry Board Fellowship, the program has refocused to become a flexible, 12-18-month long Fellowship with particular emphasis on finding the future leaders of USITT and investing in their growth.

2024 Board Fellow

Dani Ranisate

USITT Fellows

Fellows achieve this recognition through many years of exceptional participation in various aspects of USITT and the entertainment industry. To USITT, the Fellows are members who are leaders in their craft or field and are an indispensable resource in continuing the work of the Institute, working together as peers to support the Institute in its advancement, fundraising, and outreach efforts. 

2024 USITT Fellow Inductees

Holly Monsos

Michael Monsos

Tony Hardin

Howard Vincent Kurtz Student Engagement Grant

Student Engagement Grants encourage and support emerging theater artists. They are given annually and provide financial assistance to USITT student members. Funding for this award is generously provided by Howard Vincent Kurtz, Professor Emeritus of Costume Design and Costume Commissioner at USITT.   

Grant Award Winner

Marisa Lawrence