The Jeff Awards experience this year included 150 nominations in 35 categories for Chicago Equity productions. Eligible productions opened between Aug. 1, 2007, and July 31, 2008.

With this year's awards, for the first time, the Jeff committee now groups large and midsize theatres (based on annual budget) into separate nominating categories for Production - Play, Production - Musical, Production - Revue, Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design, and Sound Design.

Production awards went to Marriott Theatre's Les Misérables (Production – Musical - Large), Bailiwick Rep's The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Production – Musical - Midsize), Chicago Dramatists' A Steady Rain (Production – Play – Midsize) and The Comedy of Errors Production – Play – Large).

The Jeff Award for New Work went to playwright Keith Huff for A Steady Rain. E. Faye Butler was up against herself (and others) in the Actress in a Revue category. She won for Ella (which also picked up awards for Production – Revue and director Rob Ruggiero).

There were two winners in the category of Director – Musical: Jim Corti for Sweet Charity at Drury Lane Oakbrook, and Dominic Missimi for Les Misérables at Marriott Theatre. Lois Smith won a Jeff for Actress in a Principal Role – Play for repeating her recent Off-Broadway turn in The Trip to Bountiful for Goodman Theatre.

As previously announced, Eileen Boevers, founder and recently retired executive artistic director of Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park, IL, received a Special Jeff Award. Boevers has produced, directed, taught, performed and written for Apple Tree Theatre since its founding in 1983.

The 40th Annual Jeff Awards ceremony was held at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL.

The 2008 Jeff Equity nominees and recipients are below. Recipients are in boldface with an asterisk.