The 28th NAACP Theatre Awards, presented by the NAACP, honored outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in theater during the 2018 calendar year. The ceremony was hosted by Loni Love and took place on Monday, June 17, 2019 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles.
During the ceremony American actress and singer Lillias White was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. American actress and producer Viola Davis was honored with the Trailblazer Award. American actress Condola Rashad was recognized with the Spirit Award.
Awards and nominations All nominees are listed below, and the winners are listed in bold.
Special honors Lifetime Achievement Award Lillias WhiteTrailblazer Award Viola DavisSpirit Award Condola Rashad
Directions, writings and productions fields Best Director — Larger TheatreBest Director — 99 Seat Theatre Head of Passes — Tina Landau Zoot Suit — Luis Valdez The Legend of Georgia McBride — Mike Donahue The Meeting — Bill Cobbs Lyrics from Lockdown — Gina Belafonte Runaway Home — Shirley Jo FinneyBest Director of a Musical — Larger TheatreBest Director of a Musical — 99 Seat Born For This — Charles Randolph-Wright Shout Sister Shout — Randy Johnson Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Des McAnuff Antony and Cleopatra — Gloria Gifford Can God's Love — Spencer M. Collins IV Her Final New Beginning — Wanda Ray WillisBest Playwright — Larger TheatreBest Playwright — 99 Seat Theatre Born for This — BeBe Winans and Charles Randolph-Wright Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and Des McAnuff Head of Passes — Tarrell Alvin Me Craney King Hedley II — August Wilson This Land — Evangeline Ordaz An Accident — Lydia StrykBest Producer — Larger TheatreBest Producer — 99 Seat Theatre Tum Me Loose — Get Lifted Film Company, John Legend and Mike Jackson Born For This — My Destiny Productions and Ron Gillyard Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Lalolla Playhouse This Land — Company of Angels, Danny Munoz and Tamadhur Al-Ageel The Meeting — Shannon Sylvain King Hedley II — Sophina Brown
Acting performances fields Best Ensemble Cast —Larger TheatreBest Ensemble Cast — 99 Seat Theatre Summer: The Donna Summer Musical Home (Samm-Art Williams play) 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips The Meeting Periphery Les BlancsBest Lead Female - Larger TheatreBest Lead Female — 99 Seat Theatre Head of Passes — Phylicia Rashad Born For This — Deborah Joy Winans Trouble in Mind — Eamestine Phillips An Accident — Katie Rogers This Land — LeShay Tomlinson Boyce Br'er Cotton — Yvonne Huff Lee This Land — Niketa CalameBest Lead Male — Larger TheatreBest Lead Male — 99 Seat Theatre Born For This — Juan Winans Between Riverside and Crazy — John Cothran Driving Miss Daisy — Arthur Richardson Br'er Cotton — Omete Anassi An Accident — Kent Faulcon Transitions — Joshua Wolf ColemanBest Supporting Female — Larger TheatreBest Supporting Female ~ 99 Seat Theatre Born For This — Nita Whitaker Born For This — Kirsten Wyatt Born Born For This — Kiandra RichardsonPeace Be Still — Brely Evans (TIE) Peace Be Still — Anika McFall (TIE) Punk Rock — Raven Scott Runaway Home — Karen Malina WhiteBest Supporting Male — Larger TheatreBest Supporting Male — 99 Seat Theatre Born For This — Milton Craig Nealy Five Guys Named Moe— Rogelio Douglas, Jr The Legend of Georgia McBride — Larry PowellKing Hedley I — Adolphus Ward Punk Rock — Jacob Gibson Bret Cotton — Christopher CarringtonBest One Person Show — Larger TheatreOutstanding Character Voice Performance — Motion Picture Tum Me Loose — Joe MortoLyrics from Lockdown — Bryonn Bain Love is a Dirty Word — Giovanni Adams Conversation “Bout the Girls — Sonia Jackson
Music and choreographies Best Choreography — Larger TheatreBest Choreography — 99 Seat Theatre The Legend of Georgia McBride — Paul McGill Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Sergio Trujillo Born For This — Warren Adams Les Blancs — Toyce Guy Punk Rock — Matthew Glave Runaway Home — Janet RostonBest Music Director — Larger TheatreBest Music Director — 99 Seat Theatre Bom For This — Jaret Landon Shout Sister Shout — Rahn Coleman Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Rob Melrose Love is a Dirty Word — Giovanni Adams Elevator — Mario Marchetti Can God's Love — Cedric LilyBest Sound — Larger TheatreBest Sound — 99 Seat Theatre Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Gareth Owen Head of Passes — Rob Milbum and Michael Bodeen Shout Sister Shout — Jon Gottlieb Transition — David Darling Les Blancs — Jeff Gardner King Hedley Il — Kevin Novinsky
Technical fields Best Costumes — Larger TheatreBest Costumes — 99 Seat Theatre Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Paul Tazewell The Legend of Georgia McBride — EB. Brooks Born For This — William Ivey Long Transition — Kate Bergh Les Blanes — Wendell C. Carmichael Antony and Cleopatra — Gloria Gifford, Lauren Plaxco and Lucy WalshBest Lighting — Larger TheatreBest Lighting — 99 Seat Theatre Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Howell Binkley Head of Passes — Jeff Croiter Born For This — Jason Lyons Transition — Donny Jackson Les Blancs — Derrick McDaniel King Hedley Il - Derek JonesBest Set Design — Larger TheatreBest Set Design — 99 Seat Theatre Head of Passes — G. W. Mercier Summer: The Donna Summer Musical — Robert Brill Big Night — John Lee BeattyThis Land — Justine Huen Bee-luther Hatchee — Christopher Scott Murillo King Hedley Il — John Iacovelli
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