Black Women on Broadway Reveals 2026 Honorees

The Black Women on Broadway Awards announced the honorees for its fifth annual celebration, set to take place on June 1, 2026, at CURRENT at Chelsea Piers in New York City. This year’s ceremony will spotlight four exceptional women whose artistry, leadership, and legacy continue to shape and inspire the Broadway community. 

About Debra Martin Chase

Debra Martin Chase will receive the Audra McDonald Legacy Award, which recognizes an artist who has a storied career and significant theatre achievements. A groundbreaking producer and industry trailblazer, Chase has made an indelible impact across film, television, and theatre with work defined by vision and cultural resonance. Her credits include television projects such as The Equalizer and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and films including Harriet, Being Mary Tyler Moore, The Princess Diaries, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and The Cheetah Girls franchises. On Broadway, she has co-produced a  remarkable slate of award-winning productions, including the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play winner Purpose, The Outsiders, Illinoise, Topdog/Underdog, and A Strange Loop. She is currently co-producing the stage adaptation of Purple Rain and the Off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. With decades of contributions to stage and screen, her artistry and leadership exemplify the enduring spirit of the Audra McDonald Legacy Award. 

About Whitney White

Whitney White will receive the Kathy A. Perkins Behind The Curtain Award, which recognizes an artist whose work backstage shines brightest on stage. An Obie Award winning and Tony Award nominated director, writer, and performer, White has emerged as a dynamic force behind the scenes. Her Broadway directing credits include Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, The Last Five Years, and Liberation, with an upcoming revival Jocelyn Bioh's award winning play School Girls: or the African Mean Girls Play. Her work spans leading institutions including the Royal Shakespeare Company (All Is But Fantasy), The Public Theater (Jordans), and New York Theatre Workshop (On Sugarland), earning multiple award nominations. As a creator, her original works include Macbeth in Stride, which earned her an Elliot Norton Award, and she has also written for Boots Riley's I’m a Virgo with Amazon Studios and Media Res. A recipient of the Herb Alpert Award and Susan Stroman Directing Award, her visionary leadership and collaborative spirit exemplify the essence of the Kathy A. Perkins Behind The Curtain Award. 

About Alana Raquel Bowers

Alana Raquel Bowers will receive the Florence Mills Shining Star Award, which recognizes an early-career talent – or a rising artist whose brilliance is just beginning to be widely seen. A dynamic actor, dancer, and producer, Bowers has quickly emerged as a compelling new voice across stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in Chicken and Biscuits and has built an impressive body of work Off-Broadway with productions including Cold War Choir Practice, The Miser, Bernarda’s Daughters, and What to Send Up When It Goes Down, alongside regional acclaim in The Comeuppance. Her screen credits include appearances on Dr. Death, FBI: Most Wanted, and Best Medicine, as well as the films There She Goes and Fantasy Life. As a producer, she has contributed to internationally recognized work including The Black Wolfe Tone and collaborations with Irish Repertory Theatre and The Apollo. With each performance, her star rises higher, making her a shining embodiment of the promise celebrated by the Florence Mills Shining Star Award. 

About Destiny Lilly

Destiny Lilly will receive this year's Special Citation Trailblazer Award for her incredible work as a casting director. An acclaimed casting director working across theater, film, and television, Lilly has become a driving force behind some of the most celebrated productions of today. A three-time Emmy nominee for Only Murders in the Building, her film work includes the Oscar-nominated The Color Purple. On Broadway, her credits include the Tony Award winning A Strange Loop, Purlie Victorious, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Clyde’s. With more than 50 Off-Broadway and regional productions to her name including premieres by leading voices such as Robert O’Hara, Jeremy O. Harris, and Lena Waithe. She has earned five Artios Awards and 29 nominations for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. As President of the

Casting Society and a professor at Fordham University, her leadership and impact continue to open doors for the next generation, exemplifying the spirit of the Special Citation Trailblazer Award. 

“This milestone year is a powerful reminder of why we started the Black Women on Broadway Awards. This moment is designed to uplift and celebrate the achievements of Black women in theater and enjoy an afternoon where this incredible community can really see and feel the impact that we have made both in the industry and for each other, ” said co-founders Danielle Brooks, Amber Iman and Jocelyn Bioh. “We are proud to honor these four incredibly talented and hardworking women, Debra Martin Chase, Whitney White, Alana Raquel Bowers, and Destiny Lilly, for their outstanding accomplishments and lasting impact both on and off Broadway.” 

The Black Women on Broadway Awards is an annual celebration dedicated to honoring the achievements and amplifying the voices of Black women in the theater industry who work across all creative lines. The ceremony brings together artists, advocates, and industry leaders to recognize brilliance, foster community through free mentorship and fellowship programs, and inspire the next generation of theatrical storytellers. Since their debut event in June 2022, the organization has honored industry titans and rising stars including Cynthia Erivo, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, LaChanze, Khaila Wilcoxon, Irene Gandy, Aisha Jackson, Dede Ayite, Lynn Nottage, Qween Jean, Kara Young, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Joy Woods, Nikiya Mathis. 

Through their massive yearly fundraising efforts, the BWOB Awards has grown to be a huge success, expanding their invite list each year. The awards have grown from a modest 75 women in 2022, to inviting over 200 women last year at the 2025 awards. 

Black Women on Broadway keeps an exhaustive list of every Black woman involved in shows each season. Their research has also expanded to include musicians who play in the orchestras of both Broadway and Off Broadway shows. For the 2025-26 season, their list has close to 600 Black women - the highest of any season since they have started keeping a record. 

Black Women on Broadway was founded in 2019 and is led by Oscar and Tony nominee Danielle Brooks, Tony nominee Amber Iman and Tony nominee Jocelyn Bioh. Their goal is to keep expanding the BWOB Awards in the hopes of one day hosting an event that includes every Black woman involved in every show each season. That is why fundraising is such a huge part of the organization’s mission - to ensure that every event and program hosted is free of charge to attendees. 

In October 2025, the organization expanded announce the launch of a new initiatives including Danielle Brooks’ Century Cycle Continues Monologue Competition, which invites high school students to perform works by playwrights of color in the spirit of August Wilson’s legacy, and the Black Women on Broadway Reading Series, which supports emerging Black women playwrights through staged public readings of new work.