Jones is a previous recipient of the League's Distinguished Performance Award. This season's awards, honoring productions both on and Off-Broadway, will be given for Distinguished Performance, Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play and Distinguished Revival of a Musical. Other honors include Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre, Unique Contribution to the Theatre and the Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing.

Fifty stars from the 2004-2005 theatre season will be featured at the 71st Drama League ceremony. And, the annual event will be co-chaired by six theatre regulars: Lea DeLaria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sutton Foster, John Lithgow, Frances Sternhagen and Leslie Uggams.

Nominations will be announced April 18; the cut-off date for this year's nominations is April 13.

Last season, Drama League Awards were bestowed upon The Boy From Oz's Hugh Jackman (Distinguished Performance), I Am My Own Wife (Distinguished Production of a Play), Wicked (Distinguished Production of a Musical), Henry IV (Distinguished Revival of a Play), Assassins (Distinguished Revival of a Musical), Wonderful Town's Donna Murphy (Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre), City Center Encores! (Unique Contribution to the Theatre) and George C. Wolfe (The Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing).

Proceeds from the Annual Awards Luncheon support the training programs of The Drama League Directors Project.

The Drama League is devoted to supporting and strengthening theatre in America "by broadening and stimulating the audience for quality theatre and by developing emerging talents for careers in the theatre."