# Special Tony Award

The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and the Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive honorary awards, and the titles have changed over the years. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre is to "honor an individual for the body of their work." (The Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event was a competitive award, given from 2001 to 2009.) Another non-competitive Tony award is the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, to "recognize the achievements of individuals and organizations that do not fit into any of the competitive categories."

## Award winners
### 1940s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | Dora Chamberlain | Unfailing courtesy as treasurer of the Martin Beck Theatre |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | Ira and Rita Katzenberg | Enthusiasm as inveterate first-nighters |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | Jules Leventhal | Being the season's most prolific backer and producer |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | Burns Mantle | The annual publication of The Ten Best Plays |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | P. A. MacDonald | Intricate construction for the production of If the Shoe Fits |
| 1947 1st Tony Awards | Vincent Sardi Sr. | Providing a transient home and comfort station for theatre folk at Sardi's for 20 years |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Rosalind Gilder | Contribution to theatre through a publication for Theatre Arts |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Vera Allen | Distinguished wing volunteer worker through the war and after |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Paul Beisman | Progressive Theatre Operators to Operator of the American Theatre, St. Louis |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Joe E. Brown | Spreading theatre to the country in Harvey, while the originals perform in New York |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Cast of The Importance of Being Earnest | Outstanding Foreign Company |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Robert W. Dowling | Progressive theatre operators to President of City Investing Company, St. Louis |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Experimental Theatre Inc. | Experiment in theatre |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | June Lockhart | Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for For Love or Money |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | Mary Martin | Spreading theatre to the country in Annie Get Your Gun, while the originals perform in New York |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | George Pierce | Twenty-five years of courteous and efficient service as a backstage doorman at the Empire Theatre |
| 1948 2nd Tony Awards | James Whitmore | Outstanding Performance by a Newcomer for Command Decision |
| 1949 3rd Tony Awards | — | — |

### 1950s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1950 4th Tony Awards | Maurice Evans | Special recognition for guiding the City Center Theatre Company through a highly successful season |
| 1950 4th Tony Awards | Philip Faversham | Representing those workers from the American Theatre Wing's hospital program who had performed hospital volunteer work outside of New York |
| 1950 4th Tony Awards | Brock Pemberton (posthumous) | Founder of awards and its original chairman |
| 1951 5th Tony Awards | Ruth Green | Her services as a volunteer in arranging reservation and seating for the five Tony Awards |
| 1952 6th Tony Awards | Charles Boyer | His performance in Don Juan in Hell, thereby assisting in a new theatre trend |
| 1952 6th Tony Awards | Judy Garland | An important contribution to the revival of vaudeville through her recent stint at the Palace Theatre |
| 1952 6th Tony Awards | Edward Kook | His contributing to and encouraging the development of stage lighting and electronics |
| 1953 7th Tony Awards | Danny Kaye | Heading a variety bill at the Palace Theatre. Equity Community Theatre |
| 1953 7th Tony Awards | Beatrice Lillie | Her performance in An Evening with Beatrice Lillie |
| 1954 8th Tony Awards | — | — |
| 1955 9th Tony Awards | Proscenium Productions | Presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin for high quality and viewpoints shown in The Way of the World and Thieves Carnival |
| 1956 10th Tony Awards | Fourth Street Chekov Theatre | Fourth Street Chekov Theatre |
| City Center ||
| 1956 10th Tony Awards | The New York Public Library Theatre Collection | Presented to founder George Freedley for its distinguished service to the theatre |
| The Shakespearewrights ||
| 1956 10th Tony Awards | The Threepenny Opera | Presented to producer Carmen Capalbo for her distinguished Off-Broadway production |
| 1957 11th Tony Awards | American Shakespeare Festival | American Shakespeare Festival |
| Jean-Louis Barrault ||
| Robert Russell Bennett ||
| William Hammerstein ||
| 1957 11th Tony Awards | Joseph Harbuck | His performance in Auntie Mame |
| Paul Shyre ||
| 1958 12th Tony Awards | Louise Heims Beck | Fifteen years of untiring dedication to the American Theatre Wing, which she served as treasurer, secretary and chairman of the board of directors |
| 1958 12th Tony Awards | New York Shakespeare Festival | Presenting free performances in Central Park and the Hecksher Theater |
| 1959 13th Tony Awards | Russel Crouse and Howard Lindsay | A collaboration that lasted longer than Gilbert and Sullivan |
| 1959 13th Tony Awards | John Gielgud | Contribution to theatre for his extraordinary insight into the writings of Shakespeare as demonstrated in his one-man play, Ages of Man |
| 1959 13th Tony Awards | Cast of La Plume de Ma Tante | Contribution to the theatre |

### 1960s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1960 14th Tony Awards | Burgess Meredith and James Thurber | Their production of A Thurber Carnival |
| 1960 14th Tony Awards | John D. Rockefeller III | Vision and leadership in creating the Lincoln Center, a landmark of theatre encompassing the performing arts |
| 1961 15th Tony Awards | David Merrick | In recognition of a fabulous production record over the last seven years |
| 1961 15th Tony Awards | The Theatre Guild | Organizing the first repertory to go abroad for the State Department; presented to Warren Caro |
| 1962 16th Tony Awards | Brooks Atkinson | His influential theatre critique in The New York Times |
| 1962 16th Tony Awards | Richard Rodgers | All he has done for young people in the theatre and for taking the men of the orchestra out of the pit and putting them on stage in No Strings |
| 1962 16th Tony Awards | Franco Zeffirelli | His designs and direction of the Old Vic's Romeo and Juliet |
| 1963 17th Tony Awards | Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller and Dudley Moore | Their brilliance in Beyond the Fringe, which has shattered all the old concepts of comedy |
| 1963 17th Tony Awards | Irving Berlin | His distinguished contribution to the musical theatre for these many years |
| 1963 17th Tony Awards | W. McNeil Lowry | On behalf of the Ford Foundation for his and their distinguished support of the American Theatre |
| 1964 18th Tony Awards | Eva Le Gallienne | Celebrating her 50th year as an actress, honored for her work with the National Repertory Theatre |
| 1965 19th Tony Awards | Gilbert Miller | Producing 88 plays and musicals and for his perseverance which has helped to keep New York and theatre alive |
| Oliver Smith ||
| 1966 20th Tony Awards | Helen Menken | A lifetime of devotion and dedicated service to the Broadway theatre |
| 1967 21st Tony Awards | — | — |
| 1968 22nd Tony Awards | APA-Phoenix Theatre | APA-Phoenix Theatre |
| Pearl Bailey ||
| Carol Channing ||
| Maurice Chevalier ||
| Marlene Dietrich ||
| Audrey Hepburn ||
| David Merrick ||
| 1969 23rd Tony Awards | Leonard Bernstein | Leonard Bernstein |
| Carol Burnett ||
| Rex Harrison ||
| The National Theatre of England ||
| The Negro Ensemble Company ||

### 1970s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1970 24th Tony Awards | Noël Coward | Multiple and immortal contributions to the theatre |
| Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt ||
| 1970 24th Tony Awards | New York Shakespeare Festival | Pioneering efforts on behalf of new plays |
| 1970 24th Tony Awards | Barbra Streisand | Star of the Decade |
| 1971 25th Tony Awards | Ingram Ash | Decades of devoted service to the theatre |
| 1971 25th Tony Awards | Elliot Norton | Distinguished theatrical commentary |
| 1971 25th Tony Awards | Playbill | Chronicling Broadway through the years |
| Roger L. Stevens ||
| 1972 26th Tony Awards | Fiddler on the Roof | Presented to Harold Prince for becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history |
| Ethel Merman ||
| Richard Rodgers ||
| 1972 26th Tony Awards | The Theatre Guild-American Theatre Society | Its many years of service to audiences for touring shows; presented to Warren Caro |
| 1973 27th Tony Awards | John Lindsay (Mayor of New York City) | John Lindsay (Mayor of New York City) |
| Shubert Organization ||
| The Actor's Fund of America ||
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Actors' Equity Association | Actors' Equity Association |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | A Moon for the Misbegotten | An outstanding dramatic revival of an American classic |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Candide | An outstanding contribution to the artistic development of the musical theatre |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Peter Cook and Dudley Moore | Co-stars and authors of Good Evening |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Harold Friedlander | Theatre Award '74 |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Bette Midler | Adding lustre to the Broadway season |
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | Liza Minnelli | Adding lustre to the Broadway season |
| The Theatre Development Fund ||
| 1974 28th Tony Awards | John F. Wharton | Theatre Award '74 |
| 1975 29th Tony Awards | Al Hirschfeld | Fifty years of theatrical cartoons |
| 1976 30th Tony Awards | George Abbott | Lawrence Langner Award |
| Richard Burton ||
| 1976 30th Tony Awards | Circle in the Square | Twenty-five continuous years of quality productions |
| 1976 30th Tony Awards | Thomas H. Fitzgerald (Posthumous) | Gifted lighting in countless Broadway shows and many Tony telecasts |
| 1976 30th Tony Awards | Mathilde Pincus | Outstanding service to the Broadway musical theatre |
| 1977 31st Tony Awards | Cheryl Crawford | Lawrence Langner Award |
| Equity Liberty Theatre ||
| Barry Manilow ||
| National Theatre of the Deaf ||
| Diana Ross ||
| Lily Tomlin ||
| 1978 32nd Tony Awards | Irving Berlin | Lawrence Langner Award |
| 1978 32nd Tony Awards | Stan Dragoti and Charles Moss | To the creators of the I Love New York Broadway show tours and its sponsor, the New York State Department of Commerce |
| 1979 33rd Tony Awards | Walter F. Diehl | Being an active force in advancing the well-being of the Broadway theatre and of theatre nationally |
| Eugene O'Neill Memorial Theater Center ||
| Henry Fonda ||
| 1979 33rd Tony Awards | Richard Rodgers | Lawrence Langner Award |

### 1980s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1980 34th Tony Awards | Richard Fitzgerald | Installing the infrared system in Broadway theatres, thus bringing the compassion and dedication of making theatergoing for those with impaired hearing, rewarding and enjoyable |
| Goodspeed Musicals ||
| 1980 34th Tony Awards | Helen Hayes | Lawrence Langner Award |
| 1980 34th Tony Awards | Mary Tyler Moore | Her performance in Whose Life Is It Anyway? |
| 1980 34th Tony Awards | Hobe Morrison | Theatre Award '80 |
| 1981 35th Tony Awards | Lena Horne | Her performance in Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music |
| 1982 36th Tony Awards | Radio City Music Hall | Theatre Award '82 |
| The Actors' Fund of America ||
| 1982 36th Tony Awards | Warner Communications | Theatre Award '82 |
| 1983 37th Tony Awards | — | — |
| 1984 38th Tony Awards | A Chorus Line | In honor of becoming Broadway's longest-running musical |
| 1984 38th Tony Awards | Peter Feller | A master craftsman who has devoted forty years to theatre stagecraft and magic |
| 1984 38th Tony Awards | Al Hirschfeld | Brooks Atkinson Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 1984 38th Tony Awards | La Tragedie de Carmen | Outstanding achievement in musical theatre |
| 1985 39th Tony Awards | Yul Brynner | Honoring his 4,525 performances in The King and I |
| New York State Council on the Arts ||
| 1986 40th Tony Awards | — | — |
| 1987 41st Tony Awards | George Abbott | On the occasion of his 100th birthday |
| 1987 41st Tony Awards | Jackie Mason | His performance in The World According to Me |
| 1987 41st Tony Awards | Robert Preston | Lawrence Langner Award (posthumously) |
| 1988 42nd Tony Awards | Brooklyn Academy of Music | Brooklyn Academy of Music |
| 1989 43rd Tony Awards | — | — |

### 1990s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 1990 – 1992 | — | — |
| 1993 47th Tony Awards | Oklahoma! | 50th anniversary |
| 1994 48th Tony Awards | Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1995 49th Tony Awards | Carol Channing | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1995 49th Tony Awards | National Endowment for the Arts | Tony Honor |
| 1995 49th Tony Awards | Harvey Sabinson | Lifetime Achievement after 50 years in the theater |
| 1996 50th Tony Awards | — | — |
| 1997 51st Tony Awards | Bernard B. Jacobs | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1998 52nd Tony Awards | Edward E. Colton | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1998 52nd Tony Awards | Ben Edwards | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1999 53rd Tony Awards | Uta Hagen | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1999 53rd Tony Awards | Arthur Miller | Lifetime Achievement |
| 1999 53rd Tony Awards | Isabelle Stevenson | Lifetime Achievement |

### 2000s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 2000 54th Tony Awards | Dame Edna: The Royal Tour | Live Theatrical Presentation |
| 2000 54th Tony Awards | T. Edward Hambleton | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2001 55th Tony Awards | Paul Gemignani | Lifetime Achievement |
| 2002 56th Tony Awards | Julie Harris | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2002 56th Tony Awards | Robert Whitehead (theatre producer) | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2003 57th Tony Awards | Cy Feuer | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2003 57th Tony Awards | Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam on Broadway | Special Theatrical Event (Competitive) |
| 2004 58th Tony Awards | James M. Nederlander | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2005 59th Tony Awards | Edward Albee | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2006 60th Tony Awards | Sarah Jones | Her performance in Bridge and Tunnel |
| 2006 60th Tony Awards | Harold Prince | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2007 61st Tony Awards | — | — |
| 2008 62nd Tony Awards | Robert Russell Bennett | In recognition of his contribution to the field of orchestrations |
| 2008 62nd Tony Awards | Stephen Sondheim | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2009 63rd Tony Awards | Jerry Herman | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |

### 2010s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 2010 64th Tony Awards | Alan Ayckbourn | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2010 64th Tony Awards | Marian Seldes | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2011 65th Tony Awards | Athol Fugard | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2011 65th Tony Awards | Philip J. Smith | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2012 66th Tony Awards | Actors' Equity Association | Actors' Equity Association |
| Hugh Jackman ||
| 2013 67th Tony Awards | Bernard "Bernie" Gersten | Bernard "Bernie" Gersten |
| Ming Cho Lee ||
| Paul Libin ||
| 2014 68th Tony Awards | Jane Greenwood | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2015 69th Tony Awards | John Cameron Mitchell | John Cameron Mitchell |
| 2015 69th Tony Awards | Tommy Tune | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2016 70th Tony Awards | Sheldon Harnick | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2016 70th Tony Awards | Marshall W. Mason | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| National Endowment for the Arts ||
| Miles Wilkin ||
| 2017 71st Tony Awards | James Earl Jones | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2018 72nd Tony Awards | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2018 72nd Tony Awards | Chita Rivera | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| John Leguizamo ||
| Bruce Springsteen ||
| 2019 73rd Tony Awards | Rosemary Harris | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2019 73rd Tony Awards | Terrence McNally | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2019 73rd Tony Awards | Harold Wheeler | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| New York City Fire Department Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 ||
| Marin Mazzie (posthumous) ||
| Jason Michael Webb ||
| Sonny Tilders and Creature Technology Company ||

### 2020s

| Year | Recipient | Reason |
| 2020 74th Tony Awards | Graciela Daniele | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| The Broadway Advocacy Coalition ||
| David Byrne's American Utopia ||
| Freestyle Love Supreme ||
| 2021 No ceremony | — | — |
| 2022 75th Tony Awards | Angela Lansbury | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| James C. Nicola ||
| 2023 76th Tony Awards | Joel Grey | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2023 76th Tony Awards | John Kander | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2024 77th Tony Awards | Alex Edelman | "Exemplary debut" for Just for Us |
| 2024 77th Tony Awards | Abe Jacob | Modern theatrical sound design |
| 2024 77th Tony Awards | Nikiya Mathis | Hair and wig design for Jaja's African Hair Braiding |
| 2024 77th Tony Awards | Jack O'Brien | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |
| 2024 77th Tony Awards | George C. Wolfe | Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre |