Tony Honors 2026 to Celebrate Four Broadway Behind-the-Scenes Figures

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced, according to the official Tony Awards website, that the 2026 “Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre” will be awarded to four distinguished figures of the Broadway industry: the 1/52 Project, Jake Bell, Kenn Lubin and Loren Plotkin.

The Tony Honors were established in 1990 and are given each year to institutions, individuals or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theatre but cannot be nominated in the established Tony Awards categories.

“There are an endless number of teams and individuals who contribute to the success of every production, many of them beyond our traditional categories, and we are delighted to give well-deserved recognition to some of these masters,” said Jason Laks, president of the Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing.

The Obie Award-winning 1/52 Project provides financial support to early-career designers from historically excluded groups, with the goal of strengthening the theatre community by diversifying the stories that are told. The idea came from Tony-winning scenic designer Beowulf Boritt: if every designer with a show on Broadway donated one extra week of pay (1/52 of annual pay), the small individual sacrifice would turn into a considerable sum for the next generation. Since its founding in January 2022, 401 donations have been collected into more than half a million dollars in grants for 35 scenic, costume, lighting, sound, projection, hair and makeup designers. Among the recipients are Stefania Bulbarella, Tony-nominated in 2024 for “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding,” and Brittany Bland, who according to the announcement is believed to be the first African-American woman to design the projections for a Broadway show (“Cats: The Jellicle Ball”).

Jake Bell began his career as a stage manager in New York theatres and national touring companies, starting with “A Chorus Line,” and went on to production management of some of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. In the ’80s, after working on “Cats,” “Chess” and “Dreamgirls,” he was hired by producer Cameron Mackintosh to lead the technical management team for his repertoire — “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Misérables” and “Miss Saigon” — for the next 35 years. He opened the first international production of “Les Misérables” in Shanghai in 2001, the first Broadway show in mainland China, and in 1994 Forbes magazine called him the “Patton of the theatre” for managing 190 trucks moving sets across the United States. Jake Bell retired on December 31, 2025.

Kenn Lubin is a designer, creative director and collaborator whose work has shaped the visual landscape of Broadway, entertainment and global media for more than four decades. As creative lead at the Serino Coyne agency, he oversaw the design, production and installation of campaigns for some of the most iconic productions in theatre history. During his career he has contributed to the visual identity of more than 2,000 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, working with The Shubert Organization, Disney Theatrical Group and leading creative agencies. His work includes iconic marquee installations, illuminated signs and building wraps in Times Square and beyond.

Loren Plotkin was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from law school in 1966, at age 23. In 1973, friends proposed that he take on as production counsel the musical “Gypsy” in London, with Angela Lansbury — and thus his practice as a “theatre attorney” was born. His first Broadway production, in 1974, was the West End-to-Broadway transfer of “Gypsy,” again with Angela Lansbury. Since then he has represented nonprofit theatres and around 100 Broadway productions, as well as national tours and West End productions, including “Hamilton,” “Some Like It Hot,” “Six,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Rent,” “In the Heights” and “An American in Paris.”