The annual awards honor designers for work in venues on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway, recognizing the categories of scenic design, costume design and lighting design, as well as "Notable Effects," which encompass sound, music, video, puppetry and other creative elements.

Peter Nigrini and Clint Ramos each received three nominations, and 15 other designers received two nominations each for their work during the 2012-2013 season. Four Off-Broadway productions received four nominations each: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812; the Public Theater's Here Lies Love; Lincoln Center Theater's Nikolai and the Others and Signature Theatre Company's production of Old Hats.

Productions receiving three nominations each included A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney, Chaplin, Golden Boy, Jackie, The Flick, The Nance and The Piano Lesson.

Originally known as the Maharam Awards at their inception in 1965, the Hewes Awards were later known as the American Theatre Wing Design Awards in honor of the Wing's sponsorship. They were renamed in 1999 for critic Henry Hewes, who created the awards and served as a board member of the American Theatre Wing until his death in 2006 at age 89.

The Henry Hewes Design Awards Committee includes theatre critics Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, chair; Dan Bacalzo; David Barbour; David Cote; Glenda Frank; Mario Fratti; Helen Shaw; Michael Sommers and Joan Ungaro.

More information can be found by visiting americantheatrewing.org/hewes.