Live Design Online: On Monday October 26th, 2026, the Stage Managers’ Association (SMA) will present its annual Del Hughes Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Art of Stage Management at the National Opera Center’s Marc A. Scorca Hall in NYC. The event will also be live streamed: register for free virtual tickets here: Del Hughes Award live stream.
5 comments:
I think that it is super awesome that they have an award for stage managers. With the Tonys having such specific categories and only being geared towards actors and musical theatre people, it is really nice to see tech people getting the recognition they deserve. I think its really weird that the Tonys only show the actors getting their awards while all the tech people like costumes, lights, sound, scenic and whatnot are pushed to the pre show that very few people actually watch. I watch them every year because it is awesome. I know working as a designer or stagehand means your work isn't as visible to the average Joe shmo, but that does not mean that those people do not deserve the recognition for making amazing theatre!!! You would not be bale to do a show without stagehands, and designers and technicians and electricians and painters and carpenters and all those people.
As someone who has done technical theater since she was 10, it is no stranger to me that once I enter the “real world” of the theater industry, I will very rarely ever be recognized for my hard work again. My last tech bows in high school had an especially blue tint to them because I had come to accept that this was the last time I would ever get to bow in front of an audience as the stage manager of a show. The stage managers association is an incredible organization that I have been following for a couple of years now. And the fact that they spearhead this award is amazing. Even now as the tonys expanded to include sets, lighting, sound, choreography and all of those backstage mediums, stage managers are really always overlooked. Looking at the honorees for this year's awards, the careers that these stage managers have had is truly mind blowing, and it is only right that they are honored.
Earlier in the week this was an event sent to the whole SMPM cohort to watch if we could but I am glad to see that word is spreading around outside of the Stage Management bubble. In the general scope of theater awards I have rarely seen anything targeting the work that Stage Management does so it is great to know that there is a way to receive recognition, especially from your peers. The award is also targeting Stage Managers in musicals, operas, and teaching so all Stage Managers of different backgrounds and fields are being recognized. I have also worked with the Chair of the SMA, Adrienne Wells, on a few occasions so I have a lot of respect for the organization based on her leadership. Unfortunately I will not be able to watch the livestream because I am in rehearsal but I am so glad to know that it is happening!
I am so grateful that this event is being streamed at all! Stage managers are generally among the least recognized contributors in any show, and having an awards ceremony dedicated to the contribution of stage managers is a small but serious step towards making an important correction that is that stage managers do not get enough credit in general compared to performers, directors, or designers with a lot of public attention which a production generates! The SMPM cohort got emailed about this stream a few days ago, and I’m just glad to see that its being posted more and more in other places. Streaming makes this event available not only to the people working in the production sphere but also to other spectators and students who are deciding what to choose as their theater profession. (Would 100% have been helpful for me in high school) I am really curious to see who gets an award this year and what the acceptance speeches will sound like!
I just learned about the Stage Managers’ Association yesterday, and a few hours later, I got an email about streaming the awards. This is an incredible opportunity for stage managers in this industry, as there isn’t much recognition or appreciation for the managers of the show. I will be watching these awards live. Later in this article, the SMA also talks about their mission and some of their goals and I really didn’t know anything about SMA so learning that they strive to protect, encourage, educate, recognize, and promote their members. They feel like a little union, but only the best parts. But again, I think recognizing the work professional stage managers do is fabulous, and making it a livestream makes it more accessible for aspiring managers, designers, students, or anyone who can't afford to attend and see the award show live. Stage managers deserve this recognition, and I am really glad that they are getting it.
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