Deadline: May 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
Named in honor of Elliott Hayes, the former dramaturg and literary manager at The Stratford Festival and a dual citizen of Canada and the USA, this award recognizes excellence in dramaturgical work on a specific project over the past two years. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, production, season planning and implementation, educational programming, or advocacy for the profession.
Application Information
The recipient of the 2025 Elliott Hayes Award, presented at the annual LMDA conference, will receive $1000 USD and a $500 USD travel stipend to the LMDA conference held in San Diego, CA, USA/Tijuana, Mexico.
There is no application fee. Applications will be evaluated through an anonymous application process. The application is open to all.
All applicants will be notified of the panel decision and the winner will be notified by May 16, 2025. However, the public announcement will be kept private until the presentation of the award at the LMDA Conference in Summer 2025.
For the purposes of this application, if you self-identify as a dramaturg, you are a dramaturg. If you come from a culture that does not view dramaturgy as separate from other parts of the creative process, or does not have a word for dramaturgy, and you feel your work fits within the rubric above, please contact us at admin@lmda.org to speak further.
All applications must meet the above-mentioned standards for eligibility.
The application must be a minimum of 500 and a maximum of 4000 words. There will be no reward for brevity nor punishment for length. Within the already stated boundaries, the essay should be exactly as long as it takes for you to make a strong, clear, and cogent argument for the nomination you are putting forth.
The second document will include all of the identifying information not present in the first, including your name and contact info or the name and contact information of the person/work you are proposing. Your application will be reviewed by a panel of dramaturgs who represent the extraordinary talent and diversity found within our profession. Only the Executive Director, who collects applications, will see the identifying information. The panelists will not know the identity of the winner until after a decision has been reached.
The winner of the Elliott Hayes Award is required to sit on the next year's adjudication panel.
Note: If you have won or received a special commendation for the Elliott Hayes Award, you may not reapply for three years.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact Lindsey R. Barr, Executive Director, at admin@lmda.org
If you don't receive an acknowledgement of your application within 72 hours, please contact awards@lmda.org.
We look forward to your consideration!