The finalists for theatrical excellence in 2025 are:
Best Production
- anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Bacon; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Cambodian Rock Band; East West Players
- Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Hello My Name is…; Moving Arts
- Here There Are Blueberries; Tectonic Theatre Project at The Wallis
- Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Old Friends; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Sleeping Giant; The Road Theatre Company
- Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Suffs; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
McCulloh Revival (25+ Years)
- Bat Boy: The Musical; Open Fist Theatre Company
- Into the Woods; Wisteria Theater
- Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; A Noise Within
- The Fantasticks; Ruskin Group Theatre
Direction
- Guillermo Cienfuegos; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- John Perrin Flynn; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Casey Nicholaw; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Steven Robman; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Chay Yew; Cambodian Rock Band; East West Players
Lead Performance
- Hugo Armstrong; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Lesley Fera; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Alexandra Hellquist; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Tavis Kordell; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Matt Loehr; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Kasey Mahaffey; One Man, Two Guv’nors; A Noise Within
- Ann Noble; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Ben Raanan; Bat Boy: The Musical; Open Fist Theatre Company
- Kacie Rogers; Furlough’s Paradise; Geffen Playhouse
- DeWanda Wise; Furlough’s Paradise; Geffen Playhouse
Featured Performance
- Kelsey Angel Baehrens; Cambodian Rock Band; East West Players
- Ron Bottitta; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- JD Cullum; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Kaia Gerber; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Juliane Godfrey; The Wedding Singer; The Colony Theatre
- Edward Juvier; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Kaylee Kaneshiro; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Tim Liu; Cambodian Rock Band; East West Players
- Julia Manis; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Alex Morris; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone; A Noise Within
Solo Performance
- Robert Bailey; In Some Dark Valley; Moving Arts
- Julia Masli; ha ha ha ha ha ha ha; Pasadena Playhouse
- Manuel Oliver; Guac; Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
- Roxana Ortega; Am I Roxie?; Geffen Playhouse
Ensemble
- anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Hello My Name is…; Moving Arts
- Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
Writing (Original)
- Will Arbery; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Amy Dellagiarino; Hello My Name is…; Moving Arts
- Lauren Gunderson; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Roger Q. Mason; Hide & Hide; Skylight Theatre
Writing (Adaptation)
- Lolita Chakrabarti; Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- John Farmanesh-Bocca; Lear Redux; Odyssey Theatre Ensemble/The New American Theatre/Not Man Apart
- John Anthony Loffredo; Frou-Frou: A Menagerie of Sorts; Boston Court Pasadena
- Matthew Lopez & Amber Ruffin; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
Score / Music & Lyrics
- Imogen Heap; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Andrew T. Mackay; Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Shaina Taub; Suffs; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
Music Direction
- Mark Binns; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Annbrit duChateau; Old Friends; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Dani Lee Hutch; Suffs; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Jane Lui/Matthew MacNelly; Cambodian Rock Band; East West Players
Choreography
- Michelle Elkin; The Wedding Singer; The Colony Theatre
- Mayte Natalio; Suffs; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Casey Nicholaw; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Indira Tyler; One Man, Two Guv’nors; A Noise Within
- Scarlet Wilderink; Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Set Design
- Tim Hatley; Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Christine Jones; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Mark Mendelson; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Mark Mendelson; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Tesshi Nakagawa; The Night of the Iguana; Boston Court Pasadena
- Stephanie Kerley Schwartz; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
Light Design
- Neil Austin; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Pablo Santiago; Furlough’s Paradise; Geffen Playhouse
- Anna Watson; Paranormal Activity; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Dan Weingarten; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Dan Weingarten; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
Costume Design
- Gregg Barnes; Some Like It Hot; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Kate Bergh; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Christine Cover Ferro; Evanston Salt Costs Climbing; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Garry Lennon; One Man, Two Guv’nors; A Noise Within
- Nikiya Mathis (Hair and Wig); Jaja’s African Hair Braiding; Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Sound Design
- Carolyn Downing; Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Gareth Fry; Paranormal Activity; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- David B. Marling; Sleeping Giant; The Road Theatre Company
- Christopher Moscatiello; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Christopher Moscatiello; Corktown ’39; Rogue Machine Theatre
Visual Effects Design
- Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes (Puppetry); Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Fritz Davis and Michelle Hanzelova Bierbauer; anthropology; Rogue Machine Theatre
- Chris Fisher and Jamie Harrison (Illusions); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre
- Andrzej Goulding (Video Design); Life of Pi; Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
- Finn Ross and Ash J. Woodward (Projections); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Broadway in Hollywood / Pantages Theatre