WILMINGTON — Hosted by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, the 2026 Wilmington Theater Awards will take place next March.
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Returning to Thalian Hall, the council announced the March 25 date, with the ceremony being hosted by local theater veteran and Broadway touring performer Erin Sullivan.
Sullivan has spent three decades on stage, touring the country and internationally. She also is a multi-time Wilmington Theater Awards nominee, such as in 2023 for Best Play, Best Direction, and Best Actress in a Play for her run with the one-of-a-kind “With Love, Marilyn” — a show developed by Oscar-nominated, Tony-Award-winning Mark Medoff, which Sullivan founded the role in.
In 2018 she won the Broadway World Los Angeles Best Female Cabaret Artist for her performance as Marilyn and four years later helped co-write and co-produce it locally for Opera House Theatre Company. Local performances also starred Sydney Martin Smith as Marilyn who won the Outstanding Actress in a Play at the Wilmington Theater Awards in 2023.
Sullivan, who recently hosted the Arts Council’s Art Party last month, has launched her own arts studio, Center Stage. She teaches young performers and adults the ins and outs of musical theater and acting at large; Sullivan also has written a book, “Theatrical Baggage: A Manual, Workbook and Bible on How to Survive a National Tour and Other Gigs.”
The Wilmington Theater Awards nominees are normally announced in January, with a party taking place to celebrate the recognitions. The date and location has yet to be announced, though after nominations go live, public voting will open.
The Wilmington Theater Awards has more than 20 categories celebrating performers, theater companies, directors, behind-the-scenes talent and more. The March 25 ceremony also includes performances from nominees and a red carpet event. Tickets will open at Thalian Hall’s box office and on its website early in the new year.
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