The 2nd Annual Antonyo Awards have announced a postponement for this year's ceremony which was previously announced for October 10 at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. A new date and a new name for the awards will be announced at a later date.
Created to recognize Black theatre artists for their work during the New York City theatre season in 2020, the awards this year would have featured 29 competitive categories and five honorary categories, along with performances and guest appearances. According to press notes, "the ambitious timeline set for the production did not leave ample time for fundraising, creative development, and community engagement. Postponement will allow time for the show to not only further develop and garner support but also to regroup and rebrand itself."
In addition to the postponed awards, the awards will also undergo a rebrand. "The Awards Formerly Known as the Antonyos will solicit the support of the entire theatre community in the renaming effort."
Voting for this year's nominees will open on October 10 at AntonyoAwards.com, with a streamed ceremony for winners to be held at a later date.
This year's nominees were selected by a committee of industry professionals including Alaina Newell, Ayanna Prescod, Brittani Samuel, Juan Michael Porter II, Eric Emauni, Drew Shade, Judith Lovell, and Cody Renard Richard. This year's nominees for Best Play include Lynn Nottage's Clyde's, Dominique Morriseau's Confederates, Erika Dickerson-Despenza's Cullud Wattah, Jocelyn Bioh's Nollywood Dreams, Aleshea Harris' On Sugarland, Keenan Scott II's Thoughts of a Colored Man, and Aleshea Harris' What to Send Up When it Goes Down. Nominated for Best Musical are Black No More; Caroline, or Change; Intimate Apparel; MJ: The Musical; Paradise Square; and A Strange Loop.
Honorees that were previously announced include Leslie Uggams for a Lifetime Achievement Award; Esco Jouléy for the Welcome Award or the Kyle Jean-Baptiste Award; Mansa Ra for the Langston Hughes Award; Erika Dickerson-Despenza, for the Lorraine Hansberry Award; and Cleveland, Ohio's Karamu House for the Doors of the Theatre Are Open Award or the Dr. Barbara Ann Teer Award.