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]

Past winners, US

Most promising male

• 1945 : Frederick O'Neal – as Frank in Anna Lucasta.
• 1946 : Paul Douglas – as Herry Brock in Born Yesterday.
• 1947 : Tom Ewell – as Fred Taylor in John Loves Mary.
• 1948 : Lou Gilbert – as Charlie in Hope Is a Thing with Feathers.
• 1949 : Ray Walston – as Traveling Salesman in Summer and Smoke.
• 1950 : Douglas Watson – as Young Liberal in Wisteria Trees.
• 1951 : Frederic Warriner – as Soames in Getting Married.

and : Logan Ramsey – as Willie Pentridge in High Ground.

• 1952 : Iggie Wolfington – as Chef in Mrs. McThing.
• 1953 : David J. Stewart – as The Baron in Camino Real.
• 1954 : David Lewis – as Joe Wicks in King of Hearts.
• 1955 : Fritz Weaver – as Flaminero in The White Devil.
• 1956 : Gerald Hiken – as Telegen in Uncle Vanya.
• 1957 : Ellis Rabb – as Alceste in The Misanthrope.
• 1958 : George C. Scott – as Richard III in Richard III.
• 1959 : David Hurst – as Police Inspector in Look After Lulu.
• 1960 : William Daniels – as Peter in Zoo Story.
• 1961 : Eric Christmas – as Rector Olive in Little Moon of Alba.
• 1962 : Gene Wilder – as Dutch Hotel Valet in Complaisant Lover.
• 1963 : Gene Hackman – as Football Player in Children from their Games.
• 1964 : Richard McMurray – as Magazine Editor in A Case of Libel.
• 1965 : Jame Sanchez – as Jesus in Conerico Was Here to Stay.
• 1966 : Christopher Walken – as King Phillip of France in The Lion in Winter.

and : Tom Ahearne – as Mayor in Hogan's Goat (special citation).

• 1967 : Austin Pendleton – as Irwin Ingham in Hail Scrawdyke.

and : Philip Bosco – as Lincoln Center Rep in The Alchemist (special citation).

• 1968 : David Birney – as Troubled Youth in Summertree.
• 1969 : Ron O'Neal – as Gabe in No Place to be Somebody.
• 1970 : Jeremiah Sullivan – as Gravedigger in A Scent of Flowers.
• 1971 : James Woods – as Lenny in Saved.
• 1972 : Richard Backus – as Wesley in Promenade All.
• 1973 : Christopher Murney – as Sylvester in Tricks.
• 1974 : Thom Christopher – as Waiter in Noel Coward in 2 Keys.
• 1975 : Reyno – as Lou in The First Breeze of Summer.
• 1976 : Peter Evans – as Richie in Streamers.
• 1977 : Barry Preston – as The Eccentric Dance in Bubbling Brown Sugar.
• 1978 : Morgan Freeman – as Zeke in The Mighty Gents.
• 1979 : Richard Cox – as Dan Danger in Platinum.
• 1980 : Eric Peterson – as Billy Bishop in Billy Bishop Goes to War.
• 1981 : Bob Gunton – as 21 Characters in How I Got That Story.
• 1982 : Larry Riley – as Private J. Memphis in A Soldier's Play.
• 1983 : John Malkovich – as Lee in True West.
• 1984 : Peter Gallagher – as Billy in The Real Thing.
• 1985 : Bill Sadler – as Sgt. Merwin J. Toomey in Biloxi Blues.
• 1986 : John Mahoney – as Artie Shaughnessy in The House of Blue Leaves.
• 1987 : Courtney B. Vance – as Cory Maxson in Fences.
• 1988 : B.D. Wong – as Song Lilong in M. Butterfly.
• 1989 : John Pankow – as Eamon in Aristocrats.
• 1990 : Michael Jeter – as Otto Kringelein in Grand Hotel.
• 1991 : Danny Gerard – as Arty in Lost in Yonkers.

and : James McDaniel – as Paul Poitier in Six Degrees of Separation.

• 1992 : Patrick Fitzgerald – as Sean O'Casey in Grandchild of Kings.
• 1993 : Joe Mantello – as Louis Ironson in Angels in America.
• 1994 : Robert Stanton – as Various roles in All in the Timing.
• 1995 : Billy Crudup – as The Tutor in Arcadia.
• 1996 : Ruben Santiago Hudson – as Canewell in Seven Guitars.
• 1997 : Alan Tudyk – as Alan, Multiple roles in Bunny, Bunny.
• 1998 : Sam Trammell – as The Son in Ah, Wilderness!.
• 1999 : Robert Sella – as Clifford in Side Man.
• 2000 : Derek Smith – as The King in Green Bird and as Bastard in King John.
• 2001 : David Burtka – as Boy in The Play About the Baby.
• 2002 : Sam Robards – as Gustav Eberson in The Man Who Had All the Luck.
• 2003 : Denis O'Hare – as Mason Marzac in Take Me Out.
• 2004 : John Tartaglia – as Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q.
• 2005 : Christian Borle – as Historian, Not Dead Fred, French Guard, Minstrel and Prince Herbert in Monty Python's Spamalot.
• 2006 : Jason Ritter – as Woodson Bull III in Third.
• 2007 : Lin-Manuel Miranda – as Usnavi in In the Heights.
• 2008 : Michael Esper – as Skip in Crazy Mary.
• 2009 : Aaron Tveit – as Gabriel Goodman in Next to Normal
• 2010 : Bill Heck – The Orphans' Home Cycle^[4]
• 2011 : Santino Fontana – as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest
• 2012 : Finn Wittrock – as Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman
• 2013 : Michael Urie – as Alex in Buyer & Cellar
• 2014 : Steven Boyer – as Jason and Tyrone in Hand to God
• 2015 : Josh Grisetti – as Marty Kaufman in It Shoulda Been You
• 2016 : Ben Platt – as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen

Most promising female

• 1945 : Judy Holliday – as Alice in Kiss Them for Me.
• 1946 : Barbara Bel Geddes – as Genevra Langdon in Deep Are the Roots.
• 1947 : Margaret Phillips – as Birdie Bagtry in Another Part of the Forest.
• 1948 : Catherine Ayers – as Susie in Moon of the Caribbean.
• 1949 : Leora Dana – as Irma in The Madwoman of Chaillot.
• 1950 : Gloria Lane – as Secretary in The Consul.
• 1951 : Phyllis Love – as Rose Delle Rose in The Rose Tattoo.
• 1952 : Anne Meacham – as Ensign Jane Hilton in The Long Watch.
• 1953 : Jenny Egan – as Mary Warren in The Crucible.
• 1954 : Vilma Murer – as Hilda Kranzbeck in The Winner.
• 1955 : Vivian Nathan – as Charwoman in Anastasia.
• 1956 : Frances Sternhagen – as Shavian Heroine in The Admiral Bashville.
• 1957 : Joan Croydon – as Housekeeper in The Potting Shed.
• 1958 : Collin Wilcox – as Ellen Wells in The Day the Money Stopped.
• 1959 : Lois Nettleton – as Sheila O'Conner in God & Kate Murphy.
• 1960 : Rochelle Oliver – as Lily Berniers in Toys in the Attic.
• 1961 : Rosemary Murphy – as Dorothea Bates in Period of Adjustment.
• 1962 : Rebecca Drake – as Helen Cobb in Who'll Save the Plowboy.
• 1963 : Jessica Walter – as Secretary in Photo Finish.
• 1964 : Joyce Ebert – as Andromache in The Trojan Women.
• 1965 : Elizabeth Hubbard – as Monica in The Physicist.
• 1966 : Jean Hepple – as Serving Girl in Serjeant Musgrave's Dance.
• 1967 : Reva Rose – as Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
• 1968 : Catherine Burns – as Monica in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
• 1969 : Marlene Warfield – as Discarded Mistress in The Great White Hope.
• 1970 : Pamela Paton-Wright – as Tillie in The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.
• 1971 : Katherine Helmond – as Bananas in The House of Blue Leaves.
• 1972 : Pamela Bellwood – as Jill Tanner in Butterflies Are Free.
• 1973 : Mari Gorman – as Jackie in The Hot l Baltimore.
• 1974 : Ann Reinking – as Maggie in Over Here!.
• 1975 : Mary Beth Hurt – as Prue in Love For Love.
• 1976 : Nancy Snyder – as Joan of Arc in Knock Knock.
• 1977 : Rose Gregorio – as Agnes in The Shadow Box.
• 1978 : Margaret Hilton – as Eve in Molly.
• 1979 : Laurie Kennedy – as Violet in Man and Superman.
• 1980 : Dianne Wiest – as Elizabeth Barrow in On the Art of Dining.
• 1981 : Mia Dillon – as Babe Botrelle in Crimes of the Heart.
• 1982 : Joann Camp – as Skye Bullene in Geniuses.
• 1983 : Dana Ivey – as Monica Reed in Present Laughter and as Melanie Garth in Quartermaine's Terms.
• 1984 : Joan Allen – as Hellen Stott in And a Nightingale Sang.
• 1985 : Joanna Gleason – as Pam in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg.
• 1986 : Patti Cohenour – as Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
• 1987 : Annette Bening – as Holly Dancer in Coastal Disturbances.
• 1988 : Christine Estabrook – as Sheila in The Boys Next Door.
• 1989 : Mercedes Ruehl – as Kate Sullivan in Other People's Money.
• 1990 : Mary-Louise Parker – as Rita in Prelude to a Kiss.
• 1991 : Jane Adams – as Deirdre McDavey in I Hate Hamlet.
• 1992 : Tonya Pinkins – as Anita in Jelly's Last Jam.
• 1993 : Ann Dowd – as Miss Proserpine Garnett in Candida.
• 1994 : Jeanne Paulen – as Joleen Rowen in The Kentucky Cycle.
• 1995 : Calista Flockhart – as Laura in The Glass Menagerie.
• 1996 : Lisa Gay Hamilton – as Veronica in Valley Song.
• 1997 : Allison Janney – as Liz Essendine in Present Laughter.
• 1998 : Julyana Soelistyo – as Golden Child in Golden Child.
• 1999 : Kristin Chenoweth – as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
• 2000 : Sherie Rene Scott – as Amneris in Aida.
• 2001 : Spencer Kayden – as Little Sally in Urinetown.
• 2002 : Anne Hathaway – as Lili in Carnival!
• 2003 : Kerry Butler – as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray.
• 2004 : Anika Noni Rose – as Emmie Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change.
• 2005 : Ari Graynor – as Alison in Brooklyn Boy.
• 2006 : Felicia P. Fields – as Sofia in The Color Purple.
• 2007 : Leslie Kritzer – as Serena in Legally Blonde: The Musical.
• 2008 : Zoe Kazan – as Marie in Come Back, Little Sheba, Stella in Things We Want, and Abby in 100 Saints You Should Know.
• 2009 : Quincy Tyler Bernstine– as Salima in Ruined
• 2010 : Nina Arianda – as Vanda in Venus in Fur
• 2011 : Tracee Chimo – as Regan in Bachelorette
• 2012 : Susan Pourfar – as Sylvia in Tribes
• 2013 : Annaleigh Ashford – in Kinky Boots
• 2014 : Whitney Bashor – as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County
• 2015 : Phillipa Soo – as Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton
• 2016 : Alana Arenas – as Cookie in Head of Passes

Past winners, UK

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 Preserved
• 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
• 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 Rydall 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 II 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 II
• 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 Phedre
• 2011 William Gaunt as Worcester and Shallow in Henry IV Part I and Henry IV Part II
• 2012 Danny Webb as Harry Kahn in Chicken Soup with Barley
• 2013 Paul Chahidi as Maria in Twelfth Night

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 Landon 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 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

References

1. "Mr Clarence Derwent", The Times, 7 August 1959, p. 14
2. " 'Young Actors Rush In': The Legacy Of Clarence Derwent" Archived May 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine., actorsequity.org, accessed May 13, 2009
3. Gans, Andrew."Tveit and Bernstine Win Equity's Clarence Derwent Awards", playbill.com, May 12, 2009
4. Jones, Kenneth.Nina Arianda and Bill Heck Are 2010 Clarence Derwent Award Winners" playbill.com, May 6, 2010

External links

• "The Clarence Derwent Award 2010". Actors' Equity Association. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
• Clarence Derwent Award winners 1948-2008, United Kingdom