The Donaldson Awards were a set of theatre awards established in 1944 by the drama critic Robert Francis in honor of W. H. Donaldson (1864–1925), the founder of The Billboard (now Billboard) magazine.
Categories included "best new play", "best new musical", "best performance", "best debut" and "best costumes and set design". The winners were chosen by votes of the theatre community at large with no predetermined nominees and the winners were presented with a gold key and a scroll.
According to an article in Billboard, "The Donaldson Awards are the stages' accolades to their own."
The awards were discontinued in 1955 having been overshadowed by the Antoinette Perry Awards (Tony Awards).
List of winners
(Note: on occasion a single performance won in multiple categories, such as Nanette Fabray winning as both actress and supporting actress for High Button Shoes.)
Plays
Play
The Voice of the Turtle (1943–44) The Glass Menagerie (1944–45) State of the Union (1945–46) All My Sons (1946–47) A Streetcar Named Desire (1947–48) Death of a Salesman (1948–49) The Member of the Wedding (1949–50) Darkness at Noon (1950–51) The Shrike (1951–52) Picnic and The Crucible (1952–53) The Teahouse of the August Moon (1953–54) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1954–55)
First Play
Born Yesterday (1945–46) No Exit (1946–47) Mister Roberts (1947–48) Edward, My Son (1948–49) The Member of the Wedding (1949–50) Billy Budd (1950–51) The Shrike (1951–52) The Love of Four Colonels (1952–53) Tea and Sympathy (1953–54) Inherit the Wind (1954–55)
Director (play)
Moss Hart, Winged Victory (1943–44) John Van Druten, I Remember Mama (1944–45) Garson Kanin, Born Yesterday (1945–46) Elia Kazan, All My Sons (1946–47) Elia Kazan, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947–48) Elia Kazan, Death of a Salesman (1948–49) Harold Clurman, The Member of the Wedding (1949–50) Daniel Mann, The Rose Tattoo (1950–51) José Ferrer, The Shrike (1951–52) Joshua Logan, Picnic (1952–53) Elia Kazan, Tea and Sympathy (1953–54) Elia Kazan, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1954–55)
Actor (play)
Paul Robeson, Othello (1943–44) Frank Fay, Harvey (1944–45) Louis Calhern, The Magnificent Yankee (1945–46) Laurence Olivier, Oedipus Rex (1946–47) Paul Kelly, Command Decision (1947–48) Lee J. Cobb, Death of a Salesman (1948–49) Sidney Blackmer, Come Back, Little Sheba (1949–50) Claude Rains, Darkness at Noon (1950–51) José Ferrer, The Shrike (1951–52) Tom Ewell, The Seven Year Itch (1952–53) Lloyd Nolan, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1953–54) Paul Muni, Inherit the Wind (1954–55)
Actress (play)
Margaret Sullavan, The Voice of the Turtle (1943–44) Laurette Taylor, The Glass Menagerie (1944–45) Judy Holliday, Born Yesterday (1945–46) Ingrid Bergman, Joan of Lorraine (1946–47) Judith Anderson, Medea (1947–48) Martita Hunt, The Madwoman of Chaillot (1948–49) Shirley Booth, Come Back, Little Sheba (1949–50) Uta Hagen, The Country Girl (1950–51) Julie Harris, I Am a Camera (1951–52) Shirley Booth, The Time of the Cuckoo (1952–53) Deborah Kerr, Tea and Sympathy (1953–54) Kim Stanley, Bus Stop (1954–55)
Supporting Actor (play)
José Ferrer, Othello (1943–44) Anthony Ross, The Glass Menagerie (1944–45) Marlon Brando, Truckline Cafe (1945–46) Tom Ewell, John Loves Mary (1946–47) Karl Malden, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947–48) Arthur Kennedy, Death of a Salesman (1948–49) Dennis King, The Devil's Disciple (1949–50) Eli Wallach, The Rose Tattoo (1950–51) John Cromwell, Point of No Return (1951–52) John Williams, Dial "M" for Murder (1952–53) John Kerr, Tea and Sympathy (1953–54) Ed Begley, Inherit the Wind (1954–55)
Supporting Actress (play)
Audrey Christie, The Voice of the Turtle (1943–44) Josephine Hull, Harvey (1944–45) Barbara Bel Geddes, Deep Are the Roots (1945–46) Margaret Phillips, Another Part of the Forest (1946–47) Kim Hunter, A Streetcar Named Desire (1947–48) Mildred Dunnock, Death of a Salesman (1948–49) Julie Harris, The Member of the Wedding (1949–50) Phyllis Love, The Rose Tattoo (1950–51) Marian Winters, I Am a Camera (1951–52) Kim Stanley, Picnic (1952–53) Jo Van Fleet, The Trip to Bountiful (1953–54) Eileen Heckart, The Bad Seed (1954–55)
Male Debut (play)
Paul Douglas, Born Yesterday (1945–46) Claude Dauphin, No Exit (1946–47) James Whitmore, Command Decision (1947–48) Charles Boyer, Red Gloves (1948–49) Brandon deWilde, The Member of the Wedding (1949–50) Denholm Elliott, Ring Round the Moon (1950–51) John Hodiak, The Chase (1951–52) Menasha Skulnik, The Fifth Season (1952–53) Louis Jourdan, The Immoralist (1953–54) Buddy Hackett, Lunatics and Lovers (1954–55)
Female Debut (play)