Clarence Derwent Awards

The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom.

Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 August 1959) was an English actor, director, and manager. He was educated at St Paul's School, London and the Birkbeck Institute. He joined Sir Frank Benson's stage company, with whom he stayed for five years. He then joined Annie Horniman's repertory company in Manchester. He was seen in a great variety of roles, both in London and New York. He made his last appearance on stage in 1948 in The Madwoman of Chaillot. He died in New York at the age of 75.[1]

From 1946 to 1952 Derwent was President of America's Actors' Equity. His will stipulated that two $500 prizes were to be given out annually to the best individual male and female supporting performances on Broadway and a £100 prize to the best supporting performances in the West End. So that Derwent could have the gratification of seeing the awards given out, they were started in America in 1945 and in the UK in 1948.[2] The prizes in the US are now $2,000 and an engraved crystal trophy.[3]

In the United Kingdom, Equity introduced Student awards in 2006.[4]

Winners (US)

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Source: US winners[5]

Most promising male

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1940s

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Year Actor Show Character
1945 Frederick O'Neal Anna Lucasta Frank
1946 Paul Douglas Born Yesterday Herry Brock
1947 Tom Ewell John Loves Mary Fred Taylor
1948 Lou Gilbert Hope Is the Thing with Feathers Charlie
1949 Ray Walston Summer and Smoke Traveling Salesman

1950s

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Year Actor Show Character
1950 Douglass Watson Wisteria Trees Peter Whitfield
1951 Frederic Warriner Getting Married Reverend De Soames
Logan Ramsey High Ground Willie Pentridge
1952 Iggie Wolfington Mrs. McThing Chef
1953 David J. Stewart Camino Real The Baron
1954 David Lewis King of Hearts Joe Wicks
1955 Fritz Weaver The White Devil Flaminero
1956 Gerald Hiken Uncle Vanya Telegen
1957 Ellis Rabb The Misanthrope Alceste
1958 George C. Scott Richard III Richard III
1959 David Hurst Look After Lulu! Police Inspector

1960s

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Year Actor Show( Character
1960 William Daniels The Zoo Story Peter
1961 Eric Christmas Little Moon of Alba Rector Olive
1962 Gene Wilder The Complaisant Lover Hotel Valet
1963 Gene Hackman Children from Their Games Charles Widgin Rochambeau
1964 Richard McMurray A Case of Libel Fred Alston
1965 Jaime Sánchez Conerico Was Here to Stay Jesus
1966 Christopher Walken The Lion in Winter Philip II of France
Tom Ahearne (special citation) Hogan's Goat Edward Quinn
1967 Austin Pendleton Hail Scrawdyke! Irwin Ingham
Philip Bosco (special citation) The Alchemist Lincoln Center Rep
1968 David Birney Summertree Troubled Youth
1969 Ron O'Neal No Place to Be Somebody Gabe Gabriel

1970s

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Year Actor Show Character
1970 Jeremiah Sullivan A Scent of Flowers Gravedigger
1971 James Woods Saved Lenny
1972 Richard Backus Promenade, All! Willie/Wesley/Walter/Wendall
1973 Christopher Murney Tricks Sylvestre
1974 Thom Christopher Noël Coward in Two Keys Felix
1975 Reyno The First Breeze of Summer Lou Edwards
1976 Peter Evans Streamers Richie
1977 Barry Preston Bubbling Brown Sugar Charlie/Count
1978 Morgan Freeman The Mighty Gents Zeke
1979 Richard Cox Platinum Dan Danger

1980s

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Year Actor Show Character
1980 Eric Peterson Billy Bishop Goes to War Billy Bishop
1981 Bob Gunton How I Got That Story The Historical Event
1982 Larry Riley A Soldier's Play Pvt. C.J. Memphis
1983 John Malkovich True West Lee
1984 Peter Gallagher The Real Thing Billy
1985 Bill Sadler Biloxi Blues Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey
1986 John Mahoney The House of Blue Leaves Artie Shaughnessy
1987 Courtney B. Vance Fences Cory Maxson
1988 BD Wong M. Butterfly Song Liling
1989 John Pankow Aristocrats Eamon

1990s

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Year Actor(s) Show(s) Character
1990 Michael Jeter Grand Hotel Otto Kringelein
1991 Danny Gerard Lost in Yonkers Arty
James McDaniel Six Degrees of Separation Paul Poitier
1992 Patrick Fitzgerald Grandchild of Kings Sean O'Casey
1993 Joe Mantello Angels in America Louis Ironson
1994 Robert Stanton All in the Timing Various roles
1995 Billy Crudup Arcadia Septimus Hodge
1996 Ruben Santiago-Hudson Seven Guitars Canewell
1997 Alan Tudyk Bunny Bunny Various roles
1998 Sam Trammell Ah, Wilderness! Richard Miller
1999 Robert Sella Side Man Clifford

2000s

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Year Actor(s) Show(s) Character
2000 Derek Smith The Green Bird Tartaglia
King John Philip Faulconbridge
2001 David Burtka The Play About the Baby The Boy
2002 Sam Robards The Man Who Had All the Luck Gustav Eberson
2003 Denis O'Hare Take Me Out Mason Marzac
2004 John Tartaglia Avenue Q Princeton/Rod
2005 Christian Borle Spamalot Historian/Not Dead Fred/French Guard/Minstrel/Prince Herbert
2006 Jason Ritter Third Woodson Bull III
2007 Lin-Manuel Miranda In the Heights Usnavi de la Vega
2008 Michael Esper Crazy Mary Skip
2009 Aaron Tveit Next to Normal Gabe Goodman

2010s

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Year Actor(s) Show(s) Character
2010 Bill Heck The Orphans' Home Cycle Horace Robedaux/Paul Horace Robedaux
2011 Santino Fontana The Importance of Being Earnest Algernon Moncrieff
2012 Finn Wittrock Death of a Salesman Happy Loman
2013 Michael Urie Buyer & Cellar Alex More
2014 Steven Boyer Hand to God Jason/Tyrone
2015 Josh Grisetti It Shoulda Been You Marty Kaufman
2016 Ben Platt Dear Evan Hansen Evan Hansen
2017 Will Pullen Sweat Jason
2018 Sean Carvajal Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train Angel Cruz
2019 Ephraim Sykes Ain't Too Proud David Ruffin
2022 Justin Cooley Kimberly Akimbo Seth Weetis
2023 Alex Newell Shucked Lulu

Most Promising Female

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1940s

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Year Actor Show Character
1945 Judy Holliday Kiss Them for Me Alice
1946 Barbara Bel Geddes Deep Are the Roots Genevra Langdon
1947 Margaret Phillips Another Part of the Forest Birdie Bagtry
1948 Catherine Ayers Moon of the Caribbean Susie
1949 Leora Dana The Madwoman of Chaillot Irma

1950s

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Year Actor Show Character
1950 Gloria Lane The Consul Secretary to the consulate
1951 Phyllis Love The Rose Tattoo Rose Delle Rose
1952 Anne Meacham The Long Watch Ensign Jane Hilton
1953 Jenny Egan The Crucible Mary Warren
1954 Vilma Kurer The Winner Hilde Kranzbeck
1955 Vivian Nathan Anastasia Charwoman
1956 Frances Sternhagen The Admiral Bashville Shavian Heroine
1957 Joan Croydon The Potting Shed Miss Connolly
1958 Collin Wilcox The Day the Money Stopped Ellen Wells
1959 Lois Nettleton God and Kate Murphy Shelagh O'Conner

1960s

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Year Actor Show Character
1960 Rochelle Oliver Toys in the Attic Lily Berniers
1961 Rosemary Murphy Period of Adjustment Dorothea Bates
1962 Rebecca Drake Who'll Save the Plowboy? Helen Cobb
1963 Jessica Walter Photo Finish Clarice/Ada Cooney
1964 Joyce Ebert The Trojan Women Andromache
1965 Elizabeth Hubbard The Physicists Monika Stettler
1966 Jean Hepple Serjeant Musgrave's Dance Annie
1967 Reva Rose You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Lucy van Pelt
1968 Catherine Burns The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Monica
1969 Marlene Warfield The Great White Hope Clara

1970s

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Year Actor Show Character
1970 Pamela Payton-Wright The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Tillie
1971 Katherine Helmond The House of Blue Leaves Bananas
1972 Pamela Bellwood Butterflies Are Free Jill Tanner
1973 Mari Gorman The Hot l Baltimore Jackie
1974 Ann Reinking Over Here! Maggie
1975 Mary Beth Hurt Love for Love Miss Prue
1976 Nancy Snyder Knock Knock Joan of Arc
1977 Rose Gregorio The Shadow Box Agnes
1978 Margaret Hilton Molly Eve
1979 Laurie Kennedy Man and Superman Violet Robinson

1980s

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Year Actor Show Character
1980 Dianne Wiest On the Art of Dining Elizabeth Barrow
1981 Mia Dillon Crimes of the Heart Babe Botrelle
1982 Joann Camp Geniuses Skye Bullene
1983 Dana Ivey Present Laughter Monica Reed
Quartermaine's Terms Melanie Garth
1984 Joan Allen And a Nightingale Sang Hellen Stott
1985 Joanna Gleason A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Pam
1986 Patti Cohenour The Mystery of Edwin Drood Rosa Bud
1987 Annette Bening Coastal Disturbances Holly Dancer
1988 Christine Estabrook The Boys Next Door Sheila
1989 Mercedes Ruehl Other People's Money Kate Sullivan

1990s

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Year Actor Show Character
1990 Mary-Louise Parker Prelude to a Kiss Rita Boyle
1991 Jane Adams I Hate Hamlet Deirdre McDavey
1992 Tonya Pinkins Jelly's Last Jam Anita
1993 Ann Dowd Candida Miss Proserpine Garnett
1994 Jeanne Paulsen The Kentucky Cycle Joleen Rowen
1995 Calista Flockhart The Glass Menagerie Laura Wingfield
1996 LisaGay Hamilton Valley Song Veronica
1997 Allison Janney Present Laughter Liz Essendine
1998 Julyana Soelistyo Golden Child Eng Ahn
1999 Kristin Chenoweth You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown Sally Brown

2000s

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Year Actor Show Character
2000 Sherie Rene Scott Aida Amneris
2001 Spencer Kayden Urinetown Little Sally
2002 Anne Hathaway Carnival! Lili
2003 Kerry Butler Hairspray Penny Pingleton
2004 Anika Noni Rose Caroline, or Change Emmie Thibodeaux
2005 Ari Graynor Brooklyn Boy Alison
2006 Felicia P. Fields The Color Purple Sofia
2007 Leslie Kritzer Legally Blonde Serena
2008 Zoe Kazan Come Back, Little Sheba Marie
Things We Want Stella
100 Saints You Should Know Abby
2009 Quincy Tyler Bernstine Ruined Salima

2010s

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Year Actor Show Character
2010 Nina Arianda Venus in Fur Vanda Jordan
2011 Tracee Chimo Bachelorette Regan
2012 Susan Pourfar Tribes Sylvia
2013 Annaleigh Ashford Kinky Boots Lauren
2014 Whitney Bashor The Bridges of Madison County Marian/Chiara
2015 Phillipa Soo Hamilton Eliza Schuyler Hamilton
2016 Alana Arenas Head of Passes Cookie
2017 Katrina Lenk The Band's Visit Dina
2018 Ashley Park KPOP MwE
Mean Girls Gretchen Wieners
2019 Sarah Stiles Tootsie Sandy Lester
2022 Kara Young Clyde's Letitia
2023 Bonnie Milligan Kimberly Akimbo Aunt Debra

Winners (UK)

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Best male in a supporting role

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Best female in a supporting role

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Student Award

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Young Student Award

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References

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  1. ^ "Mr Clarence Derwent", The Times, 7 August 1959, p. 14
  2. ^ Royston, Peter. ""Young Actors Rush In…": The Legacy of Clarence Derwent". Actors' Equity Association. Archived from the original on May 8, 2007. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  3. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 12, 2009). "Tveit and Bernstine Win Equity's Clarence Derwent Awards". Playbill. TotalTheater. Archived from the original on May 16, 2009. Retrieved May 13, 2009.
  4. ^ "Winners of 2019 Clarence Derwent awards announced". Equity. 2020-02-12. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2024-04-28. Equity also took the opportunity to give out our Student Member and Young Member bursaries, introduced in 2006.
  5. ^ "The Clarence Derwent Award | Past Recipients: 1945-Present". Actors' Equity Association. Archived from the original on 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-28.