Obie Award

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The OBIE Awards, or "Off-Broadway Theater Awards," are annual awards bestowed by the newspaper The Village Voice on Off-Broadway theater artists performing in New York City. The Tony Awards are given to Broadway productions, while the OBIE's cover Off- and Off-Off-Broadway productions. Other awards for off-Broadway theatre include the Lucille Lortel Awards, the Drama Desk Awards, the Drama League Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Awards.

The OBIE Awards began after much thought and negotiations initiated by Ed(win) Fancher, publisher of the The Village Voice. Ed initially handled the financing and business side of the project. The awards were first handed out in 1956 under the direction of theater critic Jerry Tallmer. Originally, only Off-Broadway productions were eligible for Obies; in 1964, The Village Voice began including Off-Off-Broadway productions.

Award categories include Performance, Direction, Best Production, Design, Special Citations, Sustained Achievement, and Lifetime Achievement. Not every category is awarded every year. The Village Voice also awards annual OBIE grants to selected companies, and a Ross Wetzsteon Grant, named after its former theater editor.