Distinguished Achievement Awards

USITT's Commissions are taking suggestions for DAAs through May 31, 2024.

The Distinguished Achievement Awards honor individuals who have established meritorious career records in specific fields of expertise in any area of design or technology in the performing arts or entertainment industry.

Areas of achievement include, but are not limited to disciplines represented by the Commissions of USITT, scenic design, lighting design, sound design, technical direction, costume design & technology, theatre architecture, theatrical consulting, production management, stage or arts management, entertainment technology, education, or a convergence of these disciplines.

Nominations must come from Commission; please contact your Commission leadership to partake in the nomination process.

USITT Honors and Awards Policy

Past Winners

2024

Nancy Uffner, Education
Karen Maness, Scene Design & Technology
Karl Ruling, Engineering
Dawn Chiang, Lighting Design & Technology
Richard Bugg, Sound Design & Technology
Susan Tsu, Costume Design & Technology 

2023

David Budries, Sound Design & Technology
Judith Dolan, Education
Hana Sharif, Management
Mike Wood, Engineering

2022

Dick Block, Education
Terri Purcell, Costume Design & Technology
John McKernon, Lighting Design & Technology
Donyale Werle, Scene Design & Technology
Michael Hooker, Sound Design & Technology

2021

 

 

Kathy A. Perkins, Education
Molly Dill, Management
Eduardo Sicangco, Scenic Design
Kathy A. Perkins, Lighting Design
Alan Hendrickson, Engineering
Carin Ford, Sound Design
Bill Sapsis, Technical Production
Paul Tazewell, Costume Design

2020

Deena Kaye, Sound
Paule Constable, Lighting
Kevin Rigdon, Scene Design
Scott Parker, Education
Jerrold Gorrell, Engineering
Elaine McCarthy, Digital Media
Jeffrey Lieder, Costume Design

2019

Pablo Holmes, Management
Sally Ann Parsons, Costume Design & Technology
Wendall Harrington, Digital Media Design
Toni-Leslie James, Education
Todd Rosenthal, Scene Design
Peggy Eisenhauer, Lighting Design
Eileen Smitheimer, Sound Design

2018

Alice Estes Davis, Costume Design & Technology
Anne Valentino, Lighting Design
John Iacovelli, Scene Design
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Sound Design

2017

Liz Covey, Costume Design & Technology
Fred Foster, Lighting Design
Santo Loquasto, Scene Design
Richard K. Thomas, Sound Design
Rocky Paulson, Technical Direction
Joseph Drummond, Management
John Conklin, Education

2016

Anna Louizos, Scene Design
Sonny Sonnenfeld, Lighting
Monona Rossol, Education
Joy Spanabel Emery, Costume Design & Technology
John Leonard, Sound

2015

Jane Greenwood, Costume Design & Technology
Douglas W. Schmidt, Scene Design
Loren Schreiber, Technical Direction
Teresa Eyring, Management
Wendall Harrington, Education

2014

Ann Roth, Costume Design
Dana Taylor, Education
Shirley Prendergast, Lighting Design
Susan Threadgill, Management
Bob McCarthy, Sound Design
Eugene Lee, Scenic Design

2013

Tim Hartung, Architecture
Desmond Heeley, Costume & Scenic Design
Neil Mazzella, Technical Production
Otts Munderloh, Sound

2012

Dana Nye, Costume Design & Technology
Judy Adamson, Education
Howard Brandston, Lighting
Tom Hall, Management
Michael Devine, Scene Design

2011

Cesar Pelli, Architecture
Carrie Robbins, Costume Design & Technology
R. Craig Wolf, Education
William Byrnes, Management
John Scheffler, Scene Design
Dennis Dorn, Technical Production

2009

Barton Myers, FAIA, Architecture
Lenna Kaleva, Costume Design
Jules Fisher, Lighting Design
Robert Rody, Management
Ben Sammler, Technical Production
Franco Colavecchia, Scenic Design
Jack Mann, Sound Design

2008

William Rawn, FAIA, Architecture
Rebecca Cunningham, Costume
Karl Eigsti, Education
Cynthia Poulson, Management
John Lee Beatty, Scenic Design
John and Helen Meyer, Sound Design

2007

Hugh Hardy, Marcolm Holzman, Norman Pfeiffer, Architecture
Katherine Marshall, Costume Design & Technology
Jessica L. Andrews, Management
Robert Moody, Scenic Design
David Collison, Sound Design

2006

Don and Carolyn Davis, Sound Design
Rosemary Ingham, Costume Design
Ming Cho Lee, Education
Marjorie Bradley Kellogg, Scene Design
Frazier Marsh, Theatre Management
James L. Moody, Lighting

2005

Jonathan Deans, Sound Design
William Dudley, Scene Design
Luc Lafortune, Lighting Design
Winston Morgan, Stage Management
Willa Kim, Costume Design

2004

Joe Blasco, Make up Design
William Klages, Lighting Design
Tony Walton, Scene Design

2003

Allen Lee Hughes, Lighting Design
Ralph Funicello, Scene Design
Dan Dugan, Sound Design

2002

Tony Meola, Sound Design
Karl Eigsti, Scene Design
Beverly Emmons, Lighting Design
Thomas A. Kelly, Stage Management

2001

John Bracewell, Sound Design
Thurston James, Property Design
Max Keller, Lighting Design

2000

Deborah Dryden, Costume
Charlie Richmond, Sound Design
Robert Scales, Technical Production

1999

Jean Hunnisett, Costume
Lester Polakov, Scenery
Abe Jacob, Sound Design
Richard Pilbrow, Lighting Design

1998

Richard L. Hay, Scenic Design