Awards and Honors

The Tennessee Theatre Association regularly recognizes and commends those persons or organizations that make outstanding contributions to theatre in Tennessee. The Distinguished Service Award honors not only dedicated long-term support of theatre in the state but also conspicuous service to the Tennessee Theatre Association. The Distinguished Achievement Award is a commendation for an outstanding achievement in theatre during the previous year. 

Distinguished Service Award
1974 Elizabeth Rike and Ann S. Hill
(Governor’s Award Winners)
1975 Freda Kenner (Governor’s Award Winner)
1976 Fred Fields
1977 Dorothy Hackett Ward
1978 Dorethe Tucker
1979 Thomas P. Cooke
1980 Sherwood Lohrey
1981 Dicki Farrar
1982 Lorayne W. Lester
1983 Jean K. Prince
1984 Richard Boyd
1985 Freda Kenner
1986 Robert Mashburn
1987 Joe Filippo
1988 Daryl Frank
1989 Elizabeth Rike
1991 Paul Ebert 1992 Rodney Van Valkenburg
1993 Sherwood Lohrey
1994 Tom Naylor
1995 Wanda Wilson
1996 Doug Mason
1997 Sally Welch
1998 Mary Hargrove
1999 Bud Frank
2000 Judy Duke
2001 Pat Alford
2003 Elizabeth Rike
2009 Cecilia Chilton
2010 Chad McDonald
2012 Tom Parkhill
2013 Les Beaver
2014 The Clayton Center for the Arts
2015 Melissa Shafer
2016 Meleia Lewis
2017 Steve Gwilt
2019 Darren Michael 2021 Rex Knowles 2022 Allison Michael 2023 Chris Luter

Distinguished Achievement Award
1980 Warren K. Sumners
1981 Jackie Nichols
1983 James G. Walls, Jr.
1984 Mac Pirkle
1985 Harold Frank
1986 Clara Hieronymus
1987 Paul Ebert
1988 Pulaski National Bank
1989 Bea Miller
1991 Some Magazine - Jeff Ellis 1992 Rodney Van Valkenburg
1993 Theatre Memphis
1994 MTSU Governor’s School
1995 Patricia Neal
1997 Nashville Children's Theatre
1998 Cumberland County Playhouse
1999 Carpetbag Theatre
2001 Jessie Byrum
2003 Chattanooga Theatre Centre
2005 Dennis Haskins
2006 Daryl Frank
2009 David Keith
2010 Carol Mayo Jenkins
2011 Adriane Lenox
2013 Park Overall
2014 Kenton Yeager
2015 Cherry Jones
2016 David Dwyer
2017 Nate Eppler
2018 Levi Kreis
2019 Ashlee Latimer. 2021 Jared Bradshaw and Lindsay Northen Bradshaw 2022 Paul Carrol Binkley 2023 Ashley Kate Adams & Audrey Belle Adams