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Clarence Derwent Awards

UK & US theatre acting awards established 1945


Summary

UK & US theatre acting awards established 1945

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.

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. The prizes in the US are now $2,000 and an engraved crystal trophy.

In the United Kingdom, Equity introduced Student awards in 2006. Equity has not resumed giving out supporting performance or student awards since 'pausing' them in 2020.

Winners (US)

Source: US winners

Most promising male

1940s

YearActorShowCharacter
1945Frederick O'NealAnna LucastaFrank
1946Paul DouglasBorn YesterdayHerry Brock
1947Tom EwellJohn Loves MaryFred Taylor
1948Lou GilbertHope Is the Thing with FeathersCharlie
1949Ray WalstonSummer and SmokeTraveling Salesman

1950s

YearActorShowCharacter
1950Douglass WatsonWisteria TreesPeter Whitfield
1951Frederic WarrinerGetting MarriedReverend De Soames
Logan RamseyHigh GroundWillie Pentridge
1952Iggie WolfingtonMrs. McThingChef
1953David J. StewartCamino RealThe Baron
1954David LewisKing of HeartsJoe Wicks
1955Fritz WeaverThe White DevilFlaminero
1956Gerald HikenUncle VanyaTelegen
1957Ellis RabbThe MisanthropeAlceste
1958George C. ScottRichard IIIRichard III
1959David HurstLook After Lulu!Police Inspector

1960s

YearActorShow(Character
1960William DanielsThe Zoo StoryPeter
1961Eric ChristmasLittle Moon of AlbaRector Olive
1962Gene WilderThe Complaisant LoverHotel Valet
1963Gene HackmanChildren from Their GamesCharles Widgin Rochambeau
1964Richard McMurrayA Case of LibelFred Alston
1965Jaime SánchezConerico Was Here to StayJesus
1966Christopher WalkenThe Lion in WinterPhilip II of France
Tom Ahearne (special citation)Hogan's GoatEdward Quinn
1967Austin PendletonHail Scrawdyke!Irwin Ingham
Philip Bosco (special citation)The AlchemistLincoln Center Rep
1968David BirneySummertreeTroubled Youth
1969Ron O'NealNo Place to Be SomebodyGabe Gabriel

1970s

YearActorShowCharacter
1970Jeremiah SullivanA Scent of FlowersGravedigger
1971James WoodsSavedLenny
1972Richard BackusPromenade, All!Willie/Wesley/Walter/Wendall
1973Christopher MurneyTricksSylvestre
1974Thom ChristopherNoël Coward in Two KeysFelix
1975ReynoThe First Breeze of SummerLou Edwards
1976Peter EvansStreamersRichie
1977Barry PrestonBubbling Brown SugarCharlie/Count
1978Morgan FreemanThe Mighty GentsZeke
1979Richard CoxPlatinumDan Danger

1980s

YearActorShowCharacter
1980Eric PetersonBilly Bishop Goes to WarBilly Bishop
1981Bob GuntonHow I Got That StoryThe Historical Event
1982Larry RileyA Soldier's PlayPvt. C.J. Memphis
1983John MalkovichTrue WestLee
1984Peter GallagherThe Real ThingBilly
1985Bill SadlerBiloxi BluesSgt. Merwin J. Toomey
1986John MahoneyThe House of Blue LeavesArtie Shaughnessy
1987Courtney B. VanceFencesCory Maxson
1988BD WongM. ButterflySong Liling
1989John PankowAristocratsEamon

1990s

YearActor(s)Show(s)Character
1990Michael JeterGrand HotelOtto Kringelein
1991Danny GerardLost in YonkersArty
James McDanielSix Degrees of SeparationPaul Poitier
1992Patrick FitzgeraldGrandchild of KingsSean O'Casey
1993Joe MantelloAngels in AmericaLouis Ironson
1994Robert StantonAll in the TimingVarious roles
1995Billy CrudupArcadiaSeptimus Hodge
1996Ruben Santiago-HudsonSeven GuitarsCanewell
1997Alan TudykBunny BunnyVarious roles
1998Sam TrammellAh, Wilderness!Richard Miller
1999Robert SellaSide ManClifford

2000s

YearActor(s)Show(s)Character
2000Derek SmithThe Green BirdTartaglia
King JohnPhilip Faulconbridge
2001David BurtkaThe Play About the BabyThe Boy
2002Sam RobardsThe Man Who Had All the LuckGustav Eberson
2003Denis O'HareTake Me OutMason Marzac
2004John TartagliaAvenue QPrinceton/Rod
2005Christian BorleSpamalotHistorian/Not Dead Fred/French Guard/Minstrel/Prince Herbert
2006Jason RitterThirdWoodson Bull III
2007Lin-Manuel MirandaIn the HeightsUsnavi de la Vega
2008Michael EsperCrazy MarySkip
2009Aaron TveitNext to NormalGabe Goodman

2010s

YearActor(s)Show(s)Character
2010Bill HeckThe Orphans' Home CycleHorace Robedaux/Paul Horace Robedaux
2011Santino FontanaThe Importance of Being EarnestAlgernon Moncrieff
2012Finn WittrockDeath of a SalesmanHappy Loman
2013Michael UrieBuyer & CellarAlex More
2014Steven BoyerHand to GodJason/Tyrone
2015Josh GrisettiIt Shoulda Been YouMarty Kaufman
2016Ben PlattDear Evan HansenEvan Hansen
2017Will PullenSweatJason
2018Sean CarvajalJesus Hopped the 'A' TrainAngel Cruz
2019Ephraim SykesAin't Too ProudDavid Ruffin
2022Justin CooleyKimberly AkimboSeth Weetis
2023Alex NewellShuckedLulu

Most Promising Female

1940s

YearActorShowCharacter
1945Judy HollidayKiss Them for MeAlice
1946Barbara Bel GeddesDeep Are the RootsGenevra Langdon
1947Margaret PhillipsAnother Part of the ForestBirdie Bagtry
1948Catherine AyersMoon of the CaribbeanSusie
1949Leora DanaThe Madwoman of ChaillotIrma

1950s

YearActorShowCharacter
1950Gloria LaneThe ConsulSecretary to the consulate
1951Phyllis LoveThe Rose TattooRose Delle Rose
1952Anne MeachamThe Long WatchEnsign Jane Hilton
1953Jenny EganThe CrucibleMary Warren
1954Vilma KurerThe WinnerHilde Kranzbeck
1955Vivian NathanAnastasiaCharwoman
1956Frances SternhagenThe Admiral BashvilleShavian Heroine
1957Joan CroydonThe Potting ShedMiss Connolly
1958Collin WilcoxThe Day the Money StoppedEllen Wells
1959Lois NettletonGod and Kate MurphyShelagh O'Conner

1960s

YearActorShowCharacter
1960Rochelle OliverToys in the AtticLily Berniers
1961Rosemary MurphyPeriod of AdjustmentDorothea Bates
1962Rebecca DrakeWho'll Save the Plowboy?Helen Cobb
1963Jessica WalterPhoto FinishClarice/Ada Cooney
1964Joyce EbertThe Trojan WomenAndromache
1965Elizabeth HubbardThe PhysicistsMonika Stettler
1966Jean HeppleSerjeant Musgrave's DanceAnnie
1967Reva RoseYou're a Good Man, Charlie BrownLucy van Pelt
1968Catherine BurnsThe Prime of Miss Jean BrodieMonica
1969Marlene WarfieldThe Great White HopeClara

1970s

YearActorShowCharacter
1970Pamela Payton-WrightThe Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon MarigoldsTillie
1971Katherine HelmondThe House of Blue LeavesBananas
1972Pamela BellwoodButterflies Are FreeJill Tanner
1973Mari GormanThe Hot l BaltimoreJackie
1974Ann ReinkingOver Here!Maggie
1975Mary Beth HurtLove for LoveMiss Prue
1976Nancy SnyderKnock KnockJoan of Arc
1977Rose GregorioThe Shadow BoxAgnes
1978Margaret HiltonMollyEve
1979Laurie KennedyMan and SupermanViolet Robinson

1980s

YearActorShowCharacter
1980Dianne WiestOn the Art of DiningElizabeth Barrow
1981Mia DillonCrimes of the HeartBabe Botrelle
1982Joann CampGeniusesSkye Bullene
1983Dana IveyPresent LaughterMonica Reed
Quartermaine's TermsMelanie Garth
1984Joan AllenAnd a Nightingale SangHellen Stott
1985Joanna GleasonA Day in the Death of Joe EggPam
1986Patti CohenourThe Mystery of Edwin DroodRosa Bud
1987Annette BeningCoastal DisturbancesHolly Dancer
1988Christine EstabrookThe Boys Next DoorSheila
1989Mercedes RuehlOther People's MoneyKate Sullivan

1990s

YearActorShowCharacter
1990Mary-Louise ParkerPrelude to a KissRita Boyle
1991Jane AdamsI Hate HamletDeirdre McDavey
1992Tonya PinkinsJelly's Last JamAnita
1993Ann DowdCandidaMiss Proserpine Garnett
1994Jeanne PaulsenThe Kentucky CycleJoleen Rowen
1995Calista FlockhartThe Glass MenagerieLaura Wingfield
1996LisaGay HamiltonValley SongVeronica
1997Allison JanneyPresent LaughterLiz Essendine
1998Julyana SoelistyoGolden ChildEng Ahn
1999Kristin ChenowethYou're a Good Man, Charlie BrownSally Brown

2000s

YearActorShowCharacter
2000Sherie Rene ScottAidaAmneris
2001Spencer KaydenUrinetownLittle Sally
2002Anne HathawayCarnival!Lili
2003Kerry ButlerHairsprayPenny Pingleton
2004Anika Noni RoseCaroline, or ChangeEmmie Thibodeaux
2005Ari GraynorBrooklyn BoyAlison
2006Felicia P. FieldsThe Color PurpleSofia
2007Leslie KritzerLegally BlondeSerena
2008Zoe KazanCome Back, Little ShebaMarie
Things We WantStella
100 Saints You Should KnowAbby
2009Quincy Tyler BernstineRuinedSalima

2010s

YearActorShowCharacter
2010Nina AriandaVenus in FurVanda Jordan
2011Tracee ChimoBacheloretteRegan
2012Susan PourfarTribesSylvia
2013Annaleigh AshfordKinky BootsLauren
2014Whitney BashorThe Bridges of Madison CountyMarian/Chiara
2015Phillipa SooHamiltonEliza Schuyler Hamilton
2016Alana ArenasHead of PassesCookie
2017Katrina LenkThe Band's VisitDina
2018Ashley ParkKPOPMwE
Mean GirlsGretchen Wieners
2019Sarah StilesTootsieSandy Lester
2022Kara YoungClyde'sLetitia
2023Bonnie MilliganKimberly AkimboAunt Debra

Winners (UK)

Source for UK winners.

Best male in a supporting role

  • 1948 Colin Gordon as Rupert Billings in The Happiest Days of Your Life
  • 1949 Robin Bailey as Faulkland in The Rivals
  • 1950 Denholm Elliott as Edgar in Venus Observed
  • 1951 Hugh Griffith as The Father in Point of Departure
  • 1952 Paul Rogers as William Villon in The Other Heart
  • 1953 Ernest Clark as Dr Skillingworth in Escapade
  • 1954 Richard Wordsworth as Antonio in Venice Preserv'd
  • 1955 Noel Willman as Interrogator in The Prisoner
  • 1956 Timothy Bateson as Lucky in Waiting for Godot
  • 1957 Derek Godfrey as Iachimo in Cymbeline
  • 1958 Paul Daneman as Henry VI in Henry VI, parts I, II and III
  • 1959 Alan Bates as Edmund Tyrone in Long Day's Journey into Night
  • 1960 Alec McCowen as Touchstone in As You Like It
  • 1961 Peter Woodthorpe as Aston in The Caretaker
  • 1962 John Moffatt as Cardinal Cajetan in Luther
  • 1963 Frank Finlay as Corporal Hill in Chips with Everything
  • 1964 Charles Gray as Maxim in Poor Bitos
  • 1965 Ian McKellen as Godfrey in A Scent of Flowers
  • 1966 Edward Hardwicke as Camille Chandebise in A Flea in Her Ear
  • 1967 Paul Eddington as Capt M Doleful in Jorrocks
  • 1968 Timothy West as Otto in The Italian Girl
  • 1969 Gordon Jackson as Horatio in Hamlet
  • 1970 Robert Eddison as Lightborn in Edward II
  • 1971 Michael Bates as Charles Bisley in Forget-me-not Lane
  • 1972 Richard O'Callaghan as Joey in Butley
  • 1973 Alan MacNaughtan as Philinte in The Misanthrope
  • 1974 John Tordoff as The Man in Misalliance
  • 1975 Mike Gwilym as Death in King John
  • 1976 Peter Blythe as Peter Frame in The Chairman
  • 1977 Nigel Hawthorne as Major Flack in Privates on Parade
  • 1978 Jeremy Irons as Jameson in Rear Column
  • 1979 Michael Bryant as Sir Paul Plyant in Double Dealer (play)
  • 1980 Richard Griffiths as Lariosik in White Guard
  • 1981 David Threlfall as Smike in Nicholas Nickleby
  • 1982 Harold Innocent as Cayley Drummle in The Second Mrs Tanqueray
  • 1983 Michael Aldridge as Selsdon Mowbray in Noises Off
  • 1984 Bill Fraser as Pischik in The Cherry Orchard
  • 1985 David Ryall as Sicinius Velutus in Coriolanus
  • 1986 Charles Kay as Lord Charles Canteloupe in Waste
  • 1987 Frank Grimes as Ned in Holiday
  • 1988 Clive Francis as The Detective in A Small Family Business
  • 1989 Niall Buggy as Casimir in Aristocrats
  • 1990 Desmond Barrit as Trinculo in The Tempest
  • 1991 Terence Rigby as Dr Relling in The Wild Duck
  • 1992 Lennie James as Mickey Jones in The Coup
  • 1993 David Bradley as Shallow in Henry IV, Part 2 and Polonius in Hamlet
  • 1994 Nicholas Le Prevost as Pontagnac in An Absolute Turkey
  • 1995 Philip Locke as Lyndkvist in Easter
  • 1996 Tony Haygarth as Simms the bookmaker in Simpatico
  • 1997 Stephen Boxer as Barnabas Goche in The Herbal Bed
  • 1998 Alan Dobie as The Fool in King Lear
  • 1999 David Yelland as Buckingham in Richard III
  • 2000 Roger Allam as Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida
  • 2001 Malcolm Sinclair as Gavin Ryng-Mayne in House & Garden
  • 2002 Ian McDiarmid as Teddy in Faith Healer
  • 2003 Bette Bourne as Pauncefort Quentin in The Vortex
  • 2004 Simon Trinder as Biondello in The Taming of the Shrew
  • 2005 Adrian Scarborough as Ivan Ivanovitch in The Mandate
  • 2006 John Wood as Swallow in Henry IV, Part 2
  • 2007 Geoffrey Hutchings as Herr Schultz in Cabaret
  • 2008 Phil Davis as Vassilly in The Philistines
  • 2009 Clifford Rose as The Judge in The Chalk Garden
  • 2010 Stanley Townsend as Theseus in Phèdre
  • 2011 William Gaunt as Worcester and Shallow in Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2
  • 2012 Danny Webb as Harry Kahn in Chicken Soup with Barley
  • 2013 Paul Chahidi as Maria in Twelfth Night
  • 2014 Charles Edwards as Charles Marsden in Strange Interlude
  • 2015 Adam James as Prime Minister Tristram Evans
  • 2017 Peter Polycarpou as Ahmed Qurei in Oslo; Jonjo O'Neill as Ivan in Unreachable and Cymbeline in Cymbeline
  • 2018 Irfan Shamji as Harry in Mayfly, John in One for Sorrow, and Luke in Dance Nation
  • 2019 Hammed Animashaun for two performances: Willie in Master Harold and the Boys at the National Theatre and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge
  • 2020 Luke Thallon as Fritz/Leo in Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt

Best female in a supporting role

  • 1948 Jessica Spencer as Barbara Martin in Royal Circle
  • 1949 Gwen Cherrell as Cherry in The Beaux' Stratagem
  • 1950 Daphne Arthur as Margaret in The Holly and the Ivy
  • 1951 Frances Rowe as Alex Cornwall in Who Goes There!
  • 1952 Valerie Hanson as Marionetta in Nightmare Abbey
  • 1953 Brenda De Banzie as Freda Jefferies in Murder Mistaken
  • 1954 Patricia Jessel as Romaine in Witness for the Prosecution
  • 1955 Beryl Measor as The Housekeeper in Separate Tables
  • 1956 Margaret Vines as Gibbs in Morning at Seven
  • 1957 Megs Jenkins as Beatrice in A View from the Bridge
  • 1958 Lally Bowers as Madame Montrachet in Dinner with the Family
  • 1959 Avice Landone as Mrs Sylvia Bennett in Not in the Book
  • 1960 Pauline Jameson as Mrs Prest in The Aspern Papers
  • 1961 Rachel Roberts as Anna Petrovna in Platonov
  • 1962 Judi Dench as Anya in The Cherry Orchard
  • 1963 Jessie Evans as Miriam Morton in The Keep
  • 1964 Eileen Atkins as Juliet in Exit the King
  • 1965 Jeanne Hepple as Mary Warren in The Crucible
  • 1966 Gemma Jones as Adele in The Cavern
  • 1967 Vickery Turner as Sandy in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
  • 1968 Anne Dyson as Mrs Gascoyne in The Daughter-in-law
  • 1969 Elizabeth Spriggs as Claire in A Delicate Balance
  • 1970 Denise Coffey as Aurora Botterill in The Bandwagon
  • 1971 Rosemary McHale as Joanne in Slag
  • 1972 Heather Canning as Christine in Miss Julie
  • 1973 Bridget Turner as Anna in Time and Time Again
  • 1974 Anna Carteret as Virginia in Saturday, Sunday, Monday
  • 1975 Dorothy Reynolds as Comtesse de la Brière in What Every Woman Knows
  • 1976 Lynn Farleigh as Charlotte in A Room with a View
  • 1977 Sheila Gish as four parts in Confusions
  • 1978 Suzanne Bertish as Octavia in All for Love
  • 1979 Maxine Audley as Olive in Here Comes Trouble
  • 1980 Felicity Kendal as Constanze in Amadeus
  • 1981 Sinéad Cusack as Celia in As You Like It
  • 1982 Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Gertrude in Hamlet
  • 1983 Sylvia Coleridge as Em in Clay
  • 1984 Nichola McAuliffe as Queen Victoria in Poppy
  • 1985 Zoë Wanamaker as Kattrin in Mother Courage
  • 1986 Imelda Staunton as Bessie Watley in The Corn Is Green
  • 1987 Patricia Hayes as Maria Josepha in The House of Bernarda Alba
  • 1988 Barbara Jefford as Falathiel Trennanigan in Ting Tang Mine
  • 1989 Sarah Woodward as Sophie in Artist Descending a Staircase
  • 1990 Linda Kerr-Scott as Djigan in Ghetto
  • 1991 Lesley Manville as Natasha in Three Sisters
  • 1992 Celia Imrie as Jessica Tilehouse in The Sea
  • 1993 Helen Burns as Karen Frick in The Last Yankee
  • 1994 Sara Kestelman as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret
  • 1995 Susan Engel as Mrs Heidleberg in The Clandestine Marriage
  • 1996 Sophie Thompson as Amy in Company
  • 1997 Aisling O'Sullivan as The Wild Young Woman in The Cripple of Inishmaan
  • 1998 Miriam Karlin as Zofia in Tongue of a Bird
  • 1999 Faith Brook as Mother in Good
  • 2000 Kika Markham as Hilda Latymer in A Song at Twilight
  • 2001 Linda Bassett as Harper in Far Away
  • 2002 Marcia Warren as Mercy Lott in Humble Boy
  • 2003 Amanda Drew as Gertrude in Eastward Ho!
  • 2004 Dilys Laye as Madame de Rosemond in Les liaisons dangereuses
  • 2005 Jaye Griffiths as Emilia in Othello
  • 2006 Amanda Harris as Celia in As You Like It
  • 2007 Sheila Hancock as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret
  • 2008 Pam Ferris as Phoebe in The Entertainer
  • 2009 Phoebe Nicholls as Frances Trebell in Waste and Helen Seville in The Vortex
  • 2010 Josefina Gabrielle as Ursula in Sweet Charity
  • 2011 Sheridan Smith as Doris in Flare Path
  • 2012 Vinette Robinson as Ophelia in Hamlet
  • 2013 Fenella Woolgar as Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler
  • 2014 June Watson as Mammy in The Cripple of Inishmaan and Nanny in Before the Party
  • 2015 Deborah Findlay as Volumnia in Coriolanus
  • 2017 Sheila Atim as Ferdinand in The Tempest and the Woman in Les Blancs; Kate O'Flynn as Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie
  • 2018 Michelle Fairley as Cassius in Julius Caesar
  • 2019 Lucy Briers for her portrayal of Mrs Helseth in Rosmersholm at the Duke of York's Theatre
  • 2020 Rosalind Eleazar as Yelena in Uncle Vanya

Student Award

  • 2015 Scott Lyons
  • 2015 Danielle Whitfield
  • 2018 Sophie Harris
  • 2018 David Perkins
  • 2019 Elizabeth Hammerton
  • 2019 Vincent Rosec
  • 2020 Sharune
  • 2020 Joseph Scatley

Young Student Award

  • 2015 Joanne Gale
  • 2015 Luke Hallgarten
  • 2018 Tessa Carmody
  • 2018 Sam Elwin
  • 2019 Jonny Grundy
  • 2019 Constance Wookey
  • 2020 Jefferson Parlett
  • 2020 Abigail Carter-Simpson

References

References

  1. "Mr Clarence Derwent", ''[[The Times]]'', 7 August 1959, p. 14
  2. Royston, Peter. ""Young Actors Rush In…": The Legacy of Clarence Derwent".
  3. Gans, Andrew. (May 12, 2009). "Tveit and Bernstine Win Equity's Clarence Derwent Awards". TotalTheater.
  4. (2020-02-12). "Winners of 2019 Clarence Derwent awards announced". [[Equity (British trade union).
  5. https://www.westendtheatre.com/248062/news/awards/clarence-derwent-awards-uk-west-end-awards/
  6. "The Clarence Derwent Award {{!}} Past Recipients: 1945-Present". [[Actors' Equity Association]].
  7. https://www.westendtheatre.com/248062/news/awards/clarence-derwent-awards-uk-west-end-awards/
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