The Off-Broadway League, which presents the Lortel Awards, previously announced the addition of four acting categories, which will now separately honor actors and actresses in the respective play and musical categories. Previously, the nominees in the Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress and Outstanding Featured Actor/Actress categories comprised performers from both plays and musicals.

Representatives of the Off-Broadway League, Actors' Equity Association, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, in addition to theatre journalists, academics and other Off-Broadway professionals, serve on the Voting Committee.

The nominees will be announced in late afternoon.

Emmy Award winner Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman will host the 29th Annual Lortel Awards on May 4. Held at 7 PM, the Lortel Awards will honor Tony-winning producer Robyn Goodman (Cinderella, In the Heights, Avenue Q) with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mullally and Offerman are set to co-star in the New Group's Off-Broadway premiere of Sharr White's Annapurna, which begins April 13.

"It's exciting for us that so many talented actors are drawn to Off-Broadway stages year after year," Off-Broadway League president George Forbes said in a statement. "Separating the acting categories gives us the opportunity to recognize more of these amazing artists who contribute to the vitality of Off-Broadway."

Michael Heitzman will direct the Lortel Awards for the fifth consecutive year. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by special arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

For more information, visit LortelAwards.org.