Equity Awards

The Actors' Equity/Alan Eisenberg Award was established in 2007 in recognition of the Mr. Eisenberg's twenty-five years of dedicated service to Actors' Equity as the Union's Executive Director. The $5,000 award goes to a graduating senior from the University of Michigan's Musical Theatre Department to recognize outstanding talent and career potential. The winner is selected by Vince Cardinal, Chair of the Department.

Since 1950, a robe has been passed from Broadway show to Broadway show on opening night as part of a ritual honoring the chorus member who has worked the most chorus contracts on Broadway. The honoree dons the robe to bless the show on opening night, and then the show adds a decorative patch representing their production before passing on the robe at the next opening night.

The Award was initiated in 1992 to honor the legacy of Lucy Finney Jordan, a former ballerina and chorus performer who, for many years, was the “face” of Actors’ Equity in the Western Region as the Union’s Outside Field Rep. The award is given to those who demonstrate a “a lifetime commitment to the theatre and especially, helping other theatre artists.”

The Rosetta LeNoire Award was established in 1988. It recognizes the American theatre producers and practitioners whose work to further the union's policy regarding diverse and inclusive casting and representing the diversity of our world is often overlooked. The award is named for actor and producer Rosetta LeNoire in honor of her tireless work with the Actors' Equity Association's Ethnic Minorities Committee - now the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee - and for her founding of the AMAS Repertory Theatre Company, which is dedicated to celebrating and developing diversity in American musical theatre.

The Frederick O'Neal Award was established in 2020. The Frederick O'Neal Award uplifts an Eastern Region member or non-Broadway theatre whose work demonstrates a long-lasting commitment to representing and welcoming people from all walks of life on their stage, in the wings and indeed in all aspects of theatre. The award is named for Frederick O'Neal, the first African-American president of Actors' Equity Association.

This award was established in 1973 to honor an actor giving the most outstanding performance in a supporting role in a Shakespearean play in the New York metropolitan area. 

These awards were established in 1989 to honor actors for the best performance in a classical play in the New York metropolitan area, selected by a panel of critics. 

Established in 1945, the Clarence Derwent Award goes to two actors for the most promising performance in a supporting role, as selected by a panel of critics. Derwent’s will stipulated a Trust Fund for the Actors’ Equity Foundation to fund the awards. 

This award was established in 2007 to honor an individual who has worked tirelessly for the betterment of actors and stage managers. The Patrick Quinn Award was established by his estate, which created a fund to recognize and reward those who give so much of themselves to improve the lives of actors and stage managers. Quinn served as Equity’s President from 2000-2006 and held many leadership positions within the union. He was a founding member of Equity Fights AIDS and served as second VP of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He was a Trustee of The Actors’ Fund of America, the Equity-League Health, Pension and 401(k) Trust Funds and First VP of the Actor’s Equity Foundation.

In 2003 the Actors' Equity Foundation established the Richard Seff Award, an annual award to be given to character actors, 50 years old or older who have been members of Equity for 25 years or longer, for the best performance in a featured or unfeatured supporting role in a Broadway or off-Broadway production. The first awards were presented at the National Council meeting in July of 2004.

The Roger Sturtevant Musical Theatre Award, given under the auspices of the Actors' Equity Foundation, is available to current Equity Membership Candidates (EMC) who have demonstrated outstanding abilities in the musical theatre field. The award, consisting of a $1,000 check and a certificate, is presented to one male and one female EMC based on a video audition, written recommendations, and a completed application. A panel including actor/members of the Actors' Equity Foundation and members of the Casting Society of America choose the recipients of the award and announce the winners each April. The judging panel strictly adheres to the principles of non-traditional casting and actively encourages actors of all cultural backgrounds to apply.