Donaldson Awards

The Donaldson Awards were a set of theatre awards established in 1944 by the drama critic Robert Francis in honor of W. H. Donaldson, the founder of The Billboard magazine.
Categories included "best new play", "best new musical", "best performance", "best debut" and "best costumes and set design". The winners were chosen by votes of the theatre community at large with no predetermined nominees and the winners were presented with a gold key and a scroll.
According to an article in Billboard, "The Donaldson Awards are the stages' accolades to their own."
The awards were discontinued in 1955 having been overshadowed by the Antoinette Perry Awards.

List of winners

Plays

Play

The Voice of the Turtle The Glass Menagerie State of the Union All My Sons A Streetcar Named Desire Death of a Salesman The Member of the Wedding Darkness at Noon The Shrike Picnic and The Crucible The Teahouse of the August Moon

''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof''

First Play

Born Yesterday No Exit Mister Roberts Edward, My Son The Member of the Wedding Billy Budd The Shrike The Love of Four Colonels Tea and Sympathy

''Inherit the Wind''

Director (play)

Moss Hart, Winged Victory
John Van Druten, I Remember Mama
Garson Kanin, Born Yesterday
Elia Kazan, All My Sons
Elia Kazan, A Streetcar Named Desire
Elia Kazan, Death of a Salesman
Harold Clurman, The Member of the Wedding
Daniel Mann, The Rose Tattoo
José Ferrer, The Shrike
Joshua Logan, Picnic
Elia Kazan, Tea and Sympathy
Elia Kazan, ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof''

Actor (play)

Paul Robeson, Othello
Frank Fay, Harvey
Louis Calhern, The Magnificent Yankee
Laurence Olivier, Oedipus Rex
Paul Kelly, Command Decision
Lee J. Cobb, Death of a Salesman
Sidney Blackmer, Come Back, Little Sheba
Claude Rains, Darkness at Noon
José Ferrer, The Shrike
Tom Ewell, The Seven Year Itch
Lloyd Nolan, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Paul Muni, ''Inherit the Wind''

Actress (play)

Supporting Actor (play)

Supporting Actress (play)

Male Debut (play)

Paul Douglas, Born Yesterday
Claude Dauphin, No Exit
James Whitmore, Command Decision
Charles Boyer, Red Gloves
Brandon deWilde, The Member of the Wedding
Denholm Elliott, Ring Round the Moon
John Hodiak, The Chase
Menasha Skulnik, The Fifth Season
Louis Jourdan, The Immoralist
Buddy Hackett, ''Lunatics and Lovers''

Female Debut (play)

Susan Douglas, He Who Gets Slapped
Patricia Neal, Another Part of the Forest
June Lockhart, For Love or Money
Martita Hunt, The Madwoman of Chaillot
Joan Lorring, Come Back, Little Sheba
Dominique Blanchar, L'Ecole des Femmes
Audrey Hepburn, Gigi
Geraldine Page, Mid-Summer
Deborah Kerr, Tea and Sympathy
Loretta Leversee, ''Home Is the Hero''

Settings (play)

Stewart Chaney, The Voice of the Turtle
George Jenkins, I Remember Mama
Jo Mielziner, Dream Girl
Cecil Beaton, Lady Windermere's Fan
Jo Mielziner, A Streetcar Named Desire
Jo Mielziner, Death of a Salesman
Jo Mielziner, The Innocents
Frederick Fox, Darkness at Noon
Cecil Beaton, The Grass Harp
Lemuel Ayers, Camino Real
Peter Larkin, The Teahouse of the August Moon
Peter Larkin, ''Inherit the Wind''

Costumes (play)

Motley Theatre Design Group, Lovers and Friends
Lucinda Ballard, I Remember Mama
Motley Theatre Design Group, Pygmalion
Cecil Beaton, Lady Windermere's Fan
David Ffolkes, Man and Superman
Christian Bérard, The Madwoman of Chaillot
James Bailey, As You Like It
Oliver Messel, Romeo and Juliet; and Castillo, Ring Round the Moon
Audrey Gruddas, Caesar and Cleopatra
Lemuel Ayers, Camino Real
Richard Whorf, Ondine
Cecil Beaton, ''Quadrille''

Musicals

Musical

Carmen Jones Carousel Show Boat Finian's Rainbow High Button Shoes South Pacific The Consul Guys and Dolls Pal Joey Wonderful Town The Golden Apple

''The Pajama Game''

Director (musical)

Hassard Short, Carmen Jones
Rouben Mamoulian, Carousel
George Abbott, Billion Dollar Baby
Joshua Logan, Annie Get Your Gun
George Abbott, High Button Shoes
Joshua Logan, South Pacific
Gian Carlo Menotti, The Consul
George S. Kaufman, Guys and Dolls
David Alexander, Pal Joey
George Abbott, Wonderful Town
Albert Marre, Kismet
George Abbott and Jerome Robbins, ''The Pajama Game''

Actor (musical)

Actress (musical)

Mary Martin, One Touch of Venus
Beatrice Lillie, Seven Lively Arts
Betty Garrett, Call Me Mister
Ethel Merman, Annie Get Your Gun
Nanette Fabray, High Button Shoes
Mary Martin, South Pacific
Patricia Neway, The Consul
Shirley Booth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Vivienne Segal, Pal Joey
Rosalind Russell, Wonderful Town
Shirley Booth, By the Beautiful Sea
Mary Martin, ''Peter Pan''

Supporting Actor (musical)

Kenny Baker, One Touch of Venus
Burl Ives, Sing Out, Sweet Land
Tom Helmore, Day Before Spring
David Wayne, Finian's Rainbow
Jack McCauley, High Button Shoes
Myron McCormick, South Pacific
Wally Cox, Dance Me a Song
Russell Nype, Call Me Madam
Tony Bavaar, Paint Your Wagon
Jack Whiting, Hazel Flagg
Harry Belafonte, John Murray Anderson's Almanac
Cyril Ritchard, ''Peter Pan''

Supporting Actress (musical)

Male Debut (musical)

Jules Munshin, Call Me Mister
Albert Sharpe, Finian's Rainbow
Sid Caesar, Make Mine Manhattan
Ezio Pinza, South Pacific
Wally Cox, Dance Me a Song
Robert Alda, Guys and Dolls
Tony Bavaar, Paint Your Wagon
Ronny Graham, New Faces of 1952
Billy De Wolfe, John Murray Anderson's Almanac
David Daniels, ''Plain and Fancy''

Female Debut (musical)

Pearl Bailey, St. Louis Woman
Marion Bell, Brigadoon
Valerie Bettis, Inside U.S.A.
Yvonne Adair, Lend an Ear
Gloria Lane, The Consul
Vivian Blaine, Guys and Dolls
Olga San Juan, Paint Your Wagon
Edie Adams, Wonderful Town
Hermione Gingold, John Murray Anderson's Almanac
Julie Andrews, ''The Boy Friend''

Dance Direction

Male Dancer

Female Dancer

Sono Osato, One Touch of Venus
Bambi Linn, Carousel
Joan McCracken, Billion Dollar Baby
Anita Alvarez, Finian's Rainbow
Valerie Bettis, Inside U.S.A.
Viola Essen, Along Fifth Avenue
Anita Alvarez, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Janet Collins, Out of This World
Gemze de Lappe, Paint Your Wagon
Nora Kaye, Two's Company
Gwen Verdon, Can-Can
Carol Haney, ''The Pajama Game''

Book (musical)

Oscar Hammerstein II, Carmen Jones
Oscar Hammerstein II, Carousel
Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat
Yip Harburg and Fred Saidy, Finian's Rainbow
Oscar Hammerstein II, Allegro
Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific
Gian Carlo Menotti, The Consul
Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, Guys and Dolls
John O'Hara, Pal Joey
Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov, Wonderful Town
John La Touche, The Golden Apple
George Abbott and Richard Bissell, ''The Pajama Game''

Lyrics (musical)

Oscar Hammerstein II, Carmen Jones
Oscar Hammerstein II, Carousel
Oscar Hammerstein II, Show Boat
Irving Berlin, Annie Get Your Gun
Oscar Hammerstein II, Allegro
Oscar Hammerstein II, South Pacific
Gian Carlo Menotti, The Consul
Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls
Lorenz Hart, Pal Joey
Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Wonderful Town
John La Touche, The Golden Apple
Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, ''The Pajama Game''

Score (musical)

Georges Bizet, Carmen Jones
Richard Rodgers, Carousel
Jerome Kern, Show Boat
Irving Berlin, Annie Get Your Gun
Richard Rodgers, Allegro
Richard Rodgers, South Pacific
Gian Carlo Menotti, The Consul
Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls
Richard Rodgers, Pal Joey
Leonard Bernstein, Wonderful Town
Alexander Borodin, Kismet
Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, ''The Pajama Game''

Settings (musical)

Howard Bay, Carmen Jones
Howard Bay, Up in Central Park
Robert Edmond Jones, Lute Song
Oliver Smith, Brigadoon
Oliver Smith, High Button Shoes
Lemuel Ayers, Kiss Me, Kate
Oliver Smith, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Jo Mielziner, The King and I
Oliver Smith, Pal Joey
Raoul Pene Du Bois, Wonderful Town
William and Jean Eckart, The Golden Apple
Oliver Messel, ''House of Flowers''

Costumes (musical)