George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism

The George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism is administered by the Cornell University Department of English and presented "to the American who has written the best piece of drama criticism during the theatrical year (July 1 to June 30), whether it is an article, an essay, treatise or book." The prize was established by the prominent drama critic, George Jean Nathan, who instructed in his will that the net income of half of his estate be awarded to the recipient of the award. Today, the award amounts to about $10,000. Winners are selected annually by a committee composed of the heads of the English departments at Cornell University, Princeton University, and Yale University. Drama specialists from each university now also contribute to the selection process. The first prize was awarded following the 1958–1959 theatrical year.

Recipients
Recipients of the George Jean Nathan Award are as follows:


 * 2022-2023: Rhoda Feng
 * 2021-2022: Vinson Cunningham
 * 2020–2021: Maya Phillips
 * 2019–2020: Alexis Soloski
 * 2018–2019: Soraya Nadia McDonald
 * 2017–2018: John H. Muse and Helen Shaw
 * 2016–2017: Sara Holdren
 * 2015–2016: Shonni Enelow
 * 2014–2015: Brian Eugenio Herrera and Chris Jones
 * 2013–2014: Michael Feingold
 * 2012–2013: Scott Brown
 * 2011–2012: Kenneth Gross and Jonathan Kalb
 * 2010–2011: Jill Dolan
 * 2009–2010: Charles McNulty
 * 2008–2009: Marc Robinson
 * 2007–2008: Randy Gener
 * 2006–2007: H. Scott McMillin
 * 2005–2006: Charles Isherwood
 * 2004–2005: Raymond Knapp
 * 2003–2004: Trey Graham
 * 2002–2003: Hilton Als
 * 2001–2002: Daniel Mendelsohn
 * 2000–2001: Laurence Senelick
 * 1999–2000: Albert Williams
 * 1998–1999: Michael Goldman
 * 1997–1998: Alisa Solomon
 * 1996–1997: Ben Brantley, Elinor Fuchs, and Todd London
 * 1995–1996: Michael Feingold
 * 1994–1995: Robert Hurwitt
 * 1993–1994: Marvin Carlson and John Lahr
 * 1992–1993: David Cole
 * 1991–1992: Kevin Kelly
 * 1990–1991: Jonathan Kalb
 * 1989–1990: Steven Mikulan
 * 1988–1989: Eileen Blumenthal
 * 1987–1988: Scott Rosenberg
 * 1986–1987: Robert Brustein
 * 1985–1986: Gordon Rogoff
 * 1984–1985: Jan Kott
 * 1983–1984: Bonnie Marranca
 * 1982–1983: Herbert Blau
 * 1981–1982: Julius Novick
 * 1980–1981: Carolyn Clay and Sylviane Gold
 * 1979–1980: Sean Mitchell
 * 1978–1979: Jack Kroll
 * 1977–1978: Mel Gussow
 * 1976–1977: Bernard Knox
 * 1975–1976: Michael Goldman
 * 1974–1975: No Award Given
 * 1973–1974: Albert Bermel
 * 1972–1973: Stanley Kauffmann
 * 1971–1972: Jay Carr
 * 1970–1971: Richard Gilman
 * 1969–1970: John Simon
 * 1968–1969: John Lahr
 * 1967–1968: Martin Gottfried
 * 1966–1967: Elizabeth Hardwick
 * 1965–1966: Eric Russell Bentley
 * 1964–1965: Gerald Weales
 * 1963–1964: Elliot Norton
 * 1962–1963: Walter Kerr
 * 1961–1962: Robert Brustein
 * 1960–1961: Jerry Tallmer
 * 1959–1960: C.L. Barber
 * 1958-1958: Harold Clurman