Stars of Aladdin to announce DL Awards nominations

The five Drama League Awards categories include Outstanding Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical and the Distinguished Performance Award.

As previously reported, The 82nd Annual Drama League Awards ceremony will be hosted by Roundabout Theatre Company alumni Megan Hilty and Zachary Levi and will take place on 20 May 2016 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Hilty starred in the Roundabout's revival of Noises Off this season at the American Airlines Theatre, whilst Levi can currently be seen in the Roundabout's revival of She Loves Me at Studio 54.

The Drama League has already announced the three recipients of the 2016 Special Recognition Awards. Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner Sheldon Harnick will receive the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award. Olivier Award winner Ivo van Hove will be honored with the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, and lastly, Deaf West Theatre will be awarded the Unique Contribution to the Theatre Award.

First awarded in 1922 and formalized in 1935, The Drama League Awards are the oldest theatrical honors in America. They are the only major theatergoer awards chosen by audience members — specifically, by the thousands of Drama League members nationwide who attend Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

The first Drama League Award was presented to Katharine Cornell in 1935. Since then, the Distinguished Performance Award has been accorded to a roster of theatre legends such as Audra McDonald, Liam Neeson, Hugh Jackman, Patti LuPone, Glenn Close, Liev Schreiber, Sir John Gielgud, Harvey Fierstein, Cherry Jones, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Julie Harris, Helen Hayes, Jeremy Irons, Mary-Louise Parker, Sir Ian McKellen, Bernadette Peters, and Christopher Plummer.