The Tony Awards and partner Carnegie Mellon University are seeking nominations for the third annual Excellence in Theatre Education Award to be acknowledged at the Tony Awards telecast June 11.

The Tonys are seeking “the teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. These are dedicated professionals who discover talented students, nurture them, inspire them, and set them off on a lifelong journey as theatre supporters and professionals.”

Deadline for all application materials is February 10, 2017. Submissions are being accepted online for K-12 theatre educators at an accredited institution or recognized community theatre organization. Anyone—from students and school administrators, to friends, neighbors, and family—can submit a worthy teacher for consideration. He or she must be a teacher whose position is dedicated to and/or includes aspects of theatre education. Submissions can be made at TonyAwards.com/EducationAward.

The winner will also receive a cash prize for his or her school, a flight to New York City, hotel accommodations, and a pair of tickets to the Tony Awards ceremony and gala.

Candidates will be screened by a panel of judges from The Broadway League, the American Theatre Wing, and Carnegie Mellon University. The finalists will be announced at a date to be announced in the spring.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue to shine a light on some incredible teachers – whose influence we see on our stages every night. Often times, teachers are the first ones thanked in Tony Awards acceptance speeches,” said Heather Hitchens, president of the American Theatre Wing, and Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, in a joint statement. “And we look forward to hearing more inspiring stories from around the country for this year’s Excellence in Theatre Education Award.”

The inaugural Excellence in Theatre Education Award went to Corey Mitchell, a Theater Arts teacher at the Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC.

Last year’s second award went to Marilyn McCormick, a drama teacher at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. McCormick and the Cass Tech students who nominated her were informed of her selection by a surprise visit to McCormick’s classroom by Renée Elise Goldsberry, a 2016 Tony Award winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for her role in Hamilton. Goldsberry is a CMU alumna and served on last year’s judge’s panel.

Excellence in Theatre Education Award Winner Says Winning a Tony Was a "Dream I Had Put on a Shelf"