Del Hughes Awards announce 2026 honorees

The Stage Managers’ Association of the United States (SMA) has named the recipients of its 2026 Del Hughes Awards, honoring excellence in stage management. Lifetime Achievement honorees include Jill Gold, Beverly Jenkins, and Ira Mont. Gold, who joined Actors' Equity Association in 1984, has managed productions across California, Off-Broadway, and touring shows like *Les Misérables* and *Wicked*, while also teaching at Occidental College and UCLA. She will begin her role as Center Theatre Group’s resident stage manager on September 1. Beverly Jenkins, currently the production supervisor for *The Outsiders* on Broadway and touring, has managed productions like *The Piano Lesson* and *Hadestown* over her 35-year career. She co-founded Broadway and Beyond: Access for Stage Managers of Color and serves on the boards of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Beyond the Stage Door. Jenkins previously received a Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre in 2020. Ira Mont, a 40-year stage management veteran, has worked on Broadway shows such as *Love! Valour! Compassion!* and *The Producers*. He served on Equity Council for 30 years, including 19 as vice president, and remains active in mentorship through the Theatre Development Fund’s Wendy Wasserstein Project. Mont is also a vice president of Broadway Cares and a board member of the Foundation for Stage Managers and the Actors’ Equity Foundation. Nancy Uffner will receive the Founders Award for her 45-year career spanning regional theater, opera, and education. She has taught at Eastern Michigan University, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan for 29 years, earning awards including the UM School of Music, Theatre and Dance Teaching Excellence Award. The ceremony will also honor Jon Goldman and W. Wilson Jones with the Special Recognition Award for their service to the SMA. The 26th annual Del Hughes Awards will take place on October 26, 2024, with leading sponsorship from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The awards, named for Broadway and television stage manager Del Hughes, were established in 1986 and recognize achievements in stage management. Nominees are submitted by industry members, with a committee of stage managers from across the U.S. selecting the honorees.