Patti Murin, currently playing the title role in Lysistrata Jones on Broadway, was nominated for her Outstanding Leading Performance as Emma in the musical of Austen's novel. Jeffrey DeMunn, the Broadway actor who stars in TV's "The Walking Dead," was nominated for Leading Actor as Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman at The Old Globe.

In the Outstanding Touring Production category, the nominees are Jesus Christ Superstar (the Broadway-bound Stratford Shakespeare Festival staging at La Jolla Playhouse); Next to Normal (Broadway/San Diego) and Shrek the Musical (Broadway/San Diego).

The health of a theatre community is often indicated by the presence of new plays. In the category of Outstanding New Play, the nominees are Kirsten Greenidge for Milk Like Sugar at La Jolla Playhouse; Matthew Lopez for Somewhere at The Old Globe; Stephen Metcalfe for The Tragedy of the Commons at Cygnet Theatre; and David Myers for Small Prophecies at University of California, San Diego, Baldwin New Play Festival.

The 10th annual Craig Noel Awards ceremony will be held 6-10 PM Feb. 6, 2012, at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, CA.

Critics Circle president Pam Kragen announced the establishment of a new annual award in memory of longtime critic and arts writer, Don Braunagel, who died in August. Established in Braunagel's memory by his widow Yolanda Braunagel, the cash award will honor special achievements at small-budget theatre companies. Nominees for the 2011 Craig Noel Awards

Outstanding Resident Musical
Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Little Shop of Horrors, Cygnet Theatre
Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse
The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Female
Melissa Fernandes, Little Shop of Horrors, Cygnet Theatre
Linda Libby, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, ion Theatre
Patti Murin, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Karson St. John, Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
Aspen Vincent, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical, Male
Geno Carr, The Servant of Two Masters, Lamb's Players Theatre
Randall Dodge, The Fantasticks, Welk Resorts Theatre
Bryce Ryness, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse
B. Slade, The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre
Robert Townsend, The Story of My Life, San Diego Musical Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Male
Doug Davis, Hairspray, Moonlight Stage Productions
Derek Gaffney, Spring Awakening, Actors' Conservatory Theatre
Randall Hickman, Hairspray, Moonlight Stage Productions
Dick Latessa, Little Miss Sunshine, La Jolla Playhouse
Bob Stillman, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, Female
Melissa Fernandes, Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
Linda Libby, Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
Dani Marcus, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Jill Van Velzer, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, San Diego REPertory Theatre
Katie Whalley, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, ion Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Steve Glaudini, Hairspray, Moonlight Stage Productions
Sean Murray, Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
Claudio Raygoza and Kim Strassburger, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, ion Theatre
Sam Woodhouse, The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Musical Direction
Laura Bergquist, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Steve Gunderson, The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre
Don LeMaster, A Chorus Line, San Diego Musical Theatre
Elan McMahan, Hairspray, Moonlight Stage Productions

Outstanding Choreography
David Brannen, Cabaret, Cygnet Theatre
JT Horenstein, Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, The Old Globe
Michael Mizerany, Dooley, Diversionary Theatre
Doug Varone, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse
Javier Velasco, The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Music for a Play
Shaun Davey, The Tempest, The Old Globe
John Gromada, A Dram of Drummhicit, La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Dramatic Production
Angels in America, ion Theatre
August: Osage County, The Old Globe
Dead Man's Cell Phone, Moxie Theatre
Lend Me A Tenor, North Coast Repertory Theatre
Of Mice and Men, New Village Arts Theatre
The Tempest, The Old Globe

Outstanding Ensemble
Angels in America, ion Theatre
August: Osage County, The Old Globe
Dead Man's Cell Phone, Moxie Theatre
Lend Me a Tenor, North Coast Repertory Theatre
Peer Gynt, La Jolla Playhouse

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Male
Miles Anderson, The Tempest, The Old Globe
Jeffrey DeMunn, Death of a Salesman, The Old Globe
Manny Fernandes, Of Mice and Men, New Village Arts Theatre
Robert Foxworth, Superior Donuts, San Diego REPertory Theatre
Jon Rua, Somewhere, The Old Globe
Kyle Sorrell, Angels in America, ion Theatre

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Female
Jill Drexler, Foxfire, Moonlight Stage Productions
Melinda Gilb, Walter Cronkite is Dead, San Diego REPertory Theatre
Jo Anne Glover, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Moxie Theatre
Lois Markle, August: Osage County, The Old Globe
Rosina Reynolds, The Glass Menagerie, Cygnet Theatre
Aubrey Saverino, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), San Diego REPertory Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Female
Lisel Gorell-Getz, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play) San Diego REPertory Theatre
Catalina Maynard, Angels in America, ion Theatre
Tonya Pinkins, Milk Like Sugar, La Jolla Playhouse
Diana Reasonover, Stick Fly, Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company
Karson St. John, Ten Cent Night, Moxie Theatre

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Male
Ben Diskant, The Tempest, The Old Globe
David Ellenstein, My Name is Asher Lev, North Coast Repertory Theatre
Nick Kennedy, Grace, ion Theatre
Brian Mackey, The Glass Menagerie, Cygnet Theatre
Matt Thompson, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Moxie Theatre
Jay Whittaker, Amadeus, The Old Globe

Outstanding New Play
Kirsten Greenidge, Milk Like Sugar, La Jolla Playhouse
Matthew Lopez, Somewhere, The Old Globe
Stephen Metcalfe, The Tragedy of the Commons, Cygnet Theatre
David Myers, Small Prophecies, University of California, San Diego, Baldwin New Play Festival

Outstanding Direction of a Play
Sam Gold, August: Osage County, The Old Globe
Adrian Noble, The Tempest, The Old Globe
Glenn Paris & Claudio Raygoza, Angels in America, ion Theatre
Daren Scott, Of Mice and Men, New Village Arts Theatre
Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Moxie Theatre
Matthew Wiener, Lend Me A Tenor, North Coast Repertory Theatre Outstanding Sound Design
David Ballard, Amadeus, The Old Globe
Melanie Chen, Angels in America, ion Theatre
Deborah Gilmour Smyth, The Book of the Dun Cow, Lamb's Players Theatre
Jeremy J. Lee, Somewhere, The Old Globe
George Ye, Tragedy of the Commons, Cygnet Theatre

Outstanding Costume Design
Deirdre Clancy, Amadeus, The Old Globe
Jennifer Brawn Gittings, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), San Diego REPertory Theatre
Jennifer Brawn Gittings, The Who's Tommy, San Diego REPertory Theatre Sonia Elizabeth Lerner, Lend Me A Tenor, North Coast Repertory Theatre
Jeanne Reith, The Servant of Two Masters, Lamb's Players Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design
Christopher Akerlind, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, La Jolla Playhouse
Alan Burrett, The Tempest, The Old Globe
Karen Filijan, Angels in America, ion Theatre
Michael Gilliam, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe
Japhy Wiedeman, August: Osage County, The Old Globe

Outstanding Set Design
Marty Burnett, Lend Me a Tenor, North Coast Repertory Theatre
David Korins, Little Miss Sunshine, La Jolla Playhouse
Michael McKeon, Trying, Lamb's Players Theatre
Tobin Ost, Jane Austen's Emma, The Old Globe

Victoria Petrovich, In the Next Room (or the vibrator play), San Diego REPertory Theatre
David Zinn, August: Osage County, The Old Globe

Other awards to be announced on Feb. 6:

Outstanding Young Artist/Sandra Ellis-Troy Scholarship
Outstanding Special Event
Actor of the Year
Braunagel Award