Laura Benanti Will Host 16th Annual BROADWAY SALUTES

On Tuesday, January 20, 2026, The Broadway League and the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) will present the 16th Annual Broadway Salutes, an industry-wide celebration honoring 450 Broadway veterans whose decades of work onstage and behind the scenes have shaped the fabric of the American theatre. The event will take place from 3:45pm to 5:15pm at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square (1501 Broadway between 43rd and 44th Street).

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, celebrating artists, craftspeople, and professionals recognized for 25, 35, and 50+ years of service to the Broadway community.

Benanti was most recently seen in her one-woman show Nobody Cares at the Minetta Lane Theater. She has previously appeared in Into the Woods, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, She Loves Me, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, In the Next Room, Nine, and others. Benanti is a four-time Tony Award® nominee who won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her star-making role as Louise in the revival of Gypsy.

The evening will also feature a performance of “What I Did for Love” by Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, known for her iconic roles in Spamalot, Beetlejuice, Something Rotten and many more.  Kritzer will be introduced by legendary performer  and original A Chorus Line cast member Baayork Lee.

Broadway Salutes offers a rare moment when the industry pauses to recognize the individuals whose long-standing commitment makes Broadway possible night after night. Honorees span every discipline across the theatre ecosystem, including actors, agents, attorneys, box office treasurers, casting directors, choreographers, composers, designers, directors, dressers, managers, musicians, orchestrators, producers, publicists, stagehands, stage managers, stylists, theatre owners, ticket sellers, ushers, writers, and many more theatre professionals who have dedicated their careers to the success of Broadway.

Since its inception in 2009, Broadway Salutes has honored more than 5,300 members of the Broadway community, celebrating careers built on artistry, craftsmanship, and dedication often unseen by audiences.

During the ceremony, the names of honorees will once again scroll across the electronic marquee in Shubert Alley (between Broadway & 8th Ave, 44th & 45th Streets) offering a public, citywide tribute to the individuals who have shaped Broadway’s legacy beginning at 5:30pm and continuing until 7pm.

“Broadway Salutes is about recognizing the people who have devoted decades of their lives to this industry, said The Broadway League’s Immediate Past Chair and Broadway Salutes Committee Co-Chair, Lauren Reid. Their work forms the foundation of Broadway’s success, and this celebration ensures their contributions are seen, honored, and remembered.”

“Behind every production is a vast community of professionals whose expertise and commitment make Broadway possible,” said Laura Penn, Executive Director of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society & Broadway Salutes Committee Co-Chair.  “The theatre workers of Broadway, whatever their role, exemplify the craft and skill necessary to create live theatre – a form that thrills audiences while contributing so much to New York’s economy.  Broadway Salutes is our opportunity to thank those who have given so much of themselves to this art form and this industry.”

Broadway remains a major economic and cultural engine for New York City, supporting thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue annually. Events like Broadway Salutes underscore the human infrastructure that sustains this impact.

Broadway Salutes’ Committee Co-Chairs are Laura Penn (SDC) and Lauren Reid (The Broadway League). Program Co-Directors are Marc Bruni and Paige Price (SDC). The Program Music Director is Meg Zervoulis.

The Broadway Salutes committee is additionally comprised of: Chris Brockmeyer (Broadway League), Teresa Gozzo (USA 829), Anthony LaTorella (Broadway League), Carl Mulert (USA 829), Dani Karliner Naish (Broadway League), Lawrence Paone (Local 751), Rina Saltzman (ATPAM), Stasia Savage (IATSE Stagecraft), Mark Schweppe (Broadway League), Mike Wexelblatt (Local One, IATSE), and Pat White (Local 764).