Drama League to Honor Lea Salonga, Whitney White, Neil Meron and More with Special Recognition Awards

The Drama League has announced the 2025 Special Recognition Honorees of the 91st Annual Drama League Awards. The honorees will be celebrated for their outstanding lifetime contributions to the theater industry and to popular culture.

Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga will receive the Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater for her outstanding work on stage as part of the musical theater community. Salonga will be seen this spring in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway.

Director Whitney White will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing for her groundbreaking work, which this season in New York includes Walden at Second Stage, Liberation at Roundabout Theatre Company, Macbeth in Stride at BAM and The Last Five Years on Broadway.

The Gratitude Award will be presented to lead producers of this season’s new Broadway musical Smash Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron, in recognition of their vibrant creative achievements, leadership and commitment to the American theater.

Audible Theater and Kate Navin will be honored with the Contribution to the Theater Award, for their unwavering commitment to furthering the art of the American theater, including the premiere of Dead Outlaw, which moves to Broadway this spring after an extended run off-Broadway in 2024.

Nominations for the Drama League Awards will be announced on April 22. The awards, including the Special Recognition awards, will be presented during a luncheon ceremony at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 16. The event will be hosted by NY1's Frank DiLella.