Inside the 42nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards
Washington theatre took center stage as the 42nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards lit up The Anthem.
The region’s vibrant theatre community gathered in full force in mid-May as Theatre Washington hosted the 42nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards at The Anthem. More than 1,600 artists, administrators, supporters, and industry leaders filled the District Wharf venue for an evening honoring exceptional achievements from across Washington-area stages.
Guiding the night’s rhythm and revelry were hosts Felicia Curry, Derrick Truby, and Holly Twyford, who ushered audiences through standout performances from the Helen Hayes Awards Ensemble and stirring reflections on the creativity and resilience of DC’s local theaters.
Recognizing work presented during the 2025 calendar year, this year’s awards considered 149 eligible productions — 42 musicals, 107 plays, and an impressive 33 world premieres — with honors presented across 41 categories, including gender-inclusive performance categories.
Top-Honored Theatres of the Night:
• Arena Stage — 8 awards
• Round House Theatre — 6 awards
• Adventure Theatre MTC — 5 awards
• Spooky Action Theater — 5 awards
• Signature Theatre — 4 awards
Leading the list of most-awarded productions:
• Damn Yankees from Arena Stage — 8 honors
• The Inheritance: Parts One and Two from Round House Theatre — 5 honors
• Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show from Spooky Action Theater — 5 honors
Outstanding Productions of 2025 Included:
• Kimberly Akimbo — Broadway at the National (Non-Resident)
• Not Your Mother’s Goose! — Adventure Theatre MTC (TYA)
• Professor Woland’s Black Magic Rock Show — Spooky Action Theater (Musical, Helen)
• Damn Yankees — Arena Stage (Musical, Hayes)
• The Immigrant — Synetic Theater in association with Theater J (Play, Helen)
• The Inheritance: Parts One and Two — Round House Theatre (Play, Hayes)
Directing honors highlighted standout visionaries, including Lili-Anne Brown for Play On! at Signature Theatre; Tom Story for The Inheritance at Round House Theatre; Alexandria Wailes for A Strange Loop from Visionaries of the Creative Arts & Deaf Austin Theatre; and Autumn Angelettie for Furlough’s Paradise at Theater Alliance.
A defining moment of the night was the presentation of the inaugural Transformative Cultural Impact Award to philanthropist and arts advocate Adrienne Arsht, recognized for decades of extraordinary support for artistic and civic institutions.
Named for Washington native Helen Hayes, the awards continue to honor the extraordinary artistry flourishing across the greater Washington region, a community that, year after year, proves why DC remains one of America’s most dynamic theatre hubs.
