The Toronto Theatre Critics Awards are annual awards, presented by a committee of theatre critics in the media of

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, to honour achievements in the city's

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

production in the previous year. The awards were launched in 2011 by John Colbourn of the ''

Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices are located at Pos ...

'',

Richard Ouzounian Richard Ouzounian (born March 8, 1950) is a Canadian journalist and theatre artist. He was the chief theatre critic for the ''Toronto Star'' and the Canadian theatre correspondent for ''Variety''. Early life, family and education Ouzounian was b ...

of the ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'', Robert Cushman of the ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.

'' and

J. Kelly Nestruck James Kelleher Nestruck ( ; styled as J. Kelly Nestruck) is a Canadian journalist and arts critic. After a longtime stint as the chief theatre critic for ''The Globe and Mail'', he shifted in October 2024 to become a television critic for the paper ...

of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', as the first new opportunity for Toronto theatre critics to vote on or present awards since the discontinuation of the

Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award The Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award was a Canadian literary award given to Canadian plays produced by any professional Canadian theatre company, and having performances in the Toronto area. The prize had a monetary value of $25,000, and wa ...

in 2001.

, "The Tonys, the Doras - now the critics weigh in on the best of the theatre season". ''

'', June 7, 2011. The awards went on hiatus after 2020, due to the impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

on theatre production.

"Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards laud Natasha and Pierre, The Master Plan and Casey and Diana"
''

'', June 11, 2024. They returned in 2024.Liam Donovan
"Toronto Theatre Critics’ Awards announce 2024 winners"
''Intermission'', June 11, 2024.

Awards

Best New Canadian Play

Best New International Play

To be eligible for this award, a play only has to have received its first production in the Toronto market within the eligibility period, and does not necessarily have to be a world debut.

Best New Musical

Best Production of a Play

Best Production of a Musical

Best Lead Performance in a Play

Best Lead Performance in a Musical

Best Supporting Performance in a Play

Best Supporting Performance in a Musical

Best Ensemble Performance in a Play

Best Ensemble Performance in a Musical

Best Solo Performance in a Play or Musical

Best Director of a Play

Best Director of a Musical

Best Design of a Play or Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play or Musical

Best Lighting Design of a Play or Musical

Best Costume Design of a Play or Musical

Best Sound Design of a Play or Musical

Special Citation

References

{{reflist Canadian theatre awards Theatre in Toronto Awards established in 2011 2011 establishments in Ontario