Nominations for the annual ceremony will be announced April 27 at 9 AM ET at the New York Friars Club on East 55th Street. Nominees will receive their nomination certificate at a private ceremony May 5 at 4 PM at a location to be announced.

The Drama Desk is an organization of theatre critics, writers and editors that honors excellence in all areas of New York theatre: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and not-for-profit.

The 2008-2009 Drama Desk nominating committee comprises Barbara Siegel (Chairperson) TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com; Dan Bacalzo, TheaterMania.com; Christopher Byrne, Gay City News; Patrick Christiano, TheaterLife.com, Dan's Papers; Jason Clark, Entertainment Weekly, TheaterOnline.com; Gerard Raymond, Back Stage, The Advocate; and Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV.

Robert R. Blume is executive producer of the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards.

The Drama Desk, organized in 1949, presented its first awards in 1955.