Obie Award for Distinguished Performance

The Obie Award for Distinguished Performance is an annual award presented jointly by The Village Voice and the American Theatre Wing in recognition of achievements in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theatre productions in New York City. The awards were established in 1956 by The Village Voice.

The category replaced the Distinguished Performance by an Actress and Distinguished Performance by an Actor awards, with a new gender-neutral category. The award has no nominees and there is no set number of winners per year. Each performance listed by year below was given an award and they are listed in no particular order. The award can be for a lead or supporting performance and in a play or musical, and can recognize an performer for collective performances in more than one production during the same season.

2020s

Year

Winners

Play / Musical

Character

Ref.

2025

Cole Escola

Oh, Mary!

Mary Todd Lincoln

Gabby Beans

Jonah

Ana

Dianne Wiest

Scene Partners

Meryl

Johanna Day

Scene Partners

Charlize

Nathan Lee Graham

Orlando

Chorus

2026

Crystal Lucas-Perry

Pericles: A Public Works Concert Experience and The Great Privation (How to flip ten cents into a dollar)

Gower / Mrs. Freeman

Bulbul Chakraborty

Rheology

Bulbul Cakraborty

Quincy Tyler Bernstine

Well, I'll Let You Go

Maggie

Stephanie Weeks

Show/Boat: A River

Julie