The Black Women on Broadway Awards, which celebrates the legacy and achievements of Black women in the Broadway community, announced that they are returning for their third annual in-person event, honoring Irene Gandy, Aisha Jackson and DeDe Ayite. The 2024 BWOB Awards will be presented on June 10 in New York City at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers for their work at the highest level of live commercial theater in the United States
The awards show is an offshoot of the Black Women on Broadway (BWOB) Instagram account launched in June 2020 and is headlined by Oscar and Tony nominees Danielle Brooks, Amber Iman and Jocelyn Bioh, who just received a Drama League nomination and received the Outer Critics Circle for their Broadway play Jajas African hair braiding.
“We are thrilled to host the 3rd Annual Black Women on Broadway Awards Celebration. As an organization, our goal is to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Black women in theater on and off Broadway each season,” said the co-founders. “This year we are proud to honor Aisha Jackson, Dede Ayite and Irene Gandy – three incredibly hard-working women in theater whose achievements deserve to be celebrated.”
Aisha Jackson receives the Florence Mills Shining Star Award, created to honor a black actress in the theater. Jackson has worked on Broadway for 10 years and has appeared in shows such as Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, WaitressAnd Frozen, where she made history as the first black actress to play the role of “Anna” in the production. She most recently performed “Snow White” in Britney Spears’ jukebox musical Once upon a time, once again and the City Center Encores production of Buddy Joey.
Dede Ayite receives the Kathy A. Perkins Behind the Curtain Award, which focuses on costume work on Broadway. Ayite, a two-time Tony-nominated costume designer, worked on a record six shows on and off Broadway this season, including Hell’s Kitchen, Jaja’s African hair braiding, Days of wine and rosesAnd Buena Vista Social Club.
Irene Gandy will receive the Audra McDonald Legacy Award for her outstanding achievements in producing and marketing on Broadway for over 50 years. Gandy is a 2020 Tony Honoree for Excellence in Theater and a multiple Tony winner. Her Broadway productions include: The piano, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar And grill, “Porgy and Bess” by Gershwin, Ohio State Murders and the 2023 revival of Ossie Davis’ Purlie Victorious.
“It is so important that we continue to highlight the outstanding contributions that Black women make to the theater community on and off the stage. Over the last two years, we have seen how inspiring and vibrant this celebration has been, and we hope it will be a mainstay of the theater awards season,” the co-founders continue.
The organization is one of the few places in the theater community that not only explicitly celebrates the talents of Black women in the New York industry, but also promotes those who work on and off the stage. Like the BWOB Instagram account, the awards ceremony – which has now become an annual event – serves not only as a reference point for the diverse and sometimes historically forgotten achievements of Black women working in the theater industry, but also as a place of fellowship and fellowship.
The BWOB co-founders are still in the trenches and basic phase of their third iteration, with Brooks, Iman and Bioh spearheading all of this and raising the funds themselves. This year’s awards are sponsored by Fractured Atlas.