The True West Awards return Dec. 1 as both a celebration and a history of Colorado theatre for 17 years running.  

The ever-evolving True West Awards, which began as the Denver Post Ovation Awards in 2001, are the longest-running continuously administered awards program in Colorado theater. In 2014, the annual awards were re-conceived to celebrate the local theatre community by recognizing 30 achievements for the year over 30 days, without categories or nominations.

The awards are curated by DCPA Senior Arts Journalist John Moore with solicited input from the Colorado theatre community. This year, additional suggestions were accepted for consideration through mid-November.

The 2017 honorees will be unveiled on the DCPA NewsCenter daily starting Dec. 1. A different recipient will be singled out each day for 30 days. In the meantime, here are links to stories honoring all winners from the past three years (click on any link to read more):

• BALLS! A Holiday Spectacular, 2015
• Gleason Bauer, 2014
• Joan Kuder Bell, 2016
• Diana Ben-Kiki, 2016
• donnie l. betts, 2016
• Beth Beyer, 2016
• Scott Beyette, 2015
• Jacquie Jo Billings, 2014
• Benjamin Bonenfant, 2015
• Jimmy Bruenger, 2015
• Buntport Theater’s Naughty Bits, 2014
• Matthew Campbell, 2016
• Bernie Cardell, 2015
• Gabriella Cavallero, 2016
• Mark Collins, 2015
• Benjamin Cowhick, 2014
• Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, Annapurna, 2014
• Rob Costigan, 2015
• Creede Repertory Theatre’s 50th anniversary season, 2015
• Curious Theatre: Cast of The Whipping Man, 2014
• Laurence Curry, 2015
• Todd Debreceni, 2015
• DCPA Education’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, 2015
• Jada Suzanne Dixon, 2016
• Meghan Anderson Doyle, 2016
• Jason Ducat, 2016
• Michael R. Duran, 2014
• Adrian Egolf, 2014
• Patrick Elkins-Zeglarski, 2016
• Equinox Theatre, Night of the Living Dead, 2016
• Keith Ewer, 2015
• Jonathan Farwell, 2015
• J. Michael Finley, 2014
• Kate Folkins, After Orlando, 2016
• Kate Gleason, 2014
• Rachel D. Graham, 2015
• Sam Gregory, 2014, 2016
• Hugh Hanson, 2016
• John Hauser, 2016
• Emily K. Harrison, 2016
• Clare Henkel, 2016
• Jim Hogan, 2014
• TJ Hogle, 2015
• Tim Howard, 2014
• Yasmine Hunter, 2015
• Wendy Ishii, 2014
• Aisha Jackson, 2014
• Shauna Johnson, 2015
• John Jurcheck, 2015
• Geoffrey Kent, 2015
• The Killer Kids of Miscast, 2016
• Daniel Langhoff, 2016
• Mary Louise Lee, 2015
• LIDA Project, Colorado Springs TheatreWorks, Ludlow, 1914, 2014
• Henry Lowenstein, 2014
• Susan Lyles, 2015
• Charles R. MacLeod, 2016
• Jeremy Make, 2014
• Billie McBride, 2016 Theatre Person of the Year
• Shannon McKinney, 2015
• Jake Mendes, 2016
• Emma Messenger, 2014, 2015
• Charlie Miller, 2015
• Bob Moore, 2015
• Missy Moore, 2015
• Norrell Moore, 2014
• Wendy Moore, 2015
• Michael Morgan, 2016
• David Nehls, 2014
• Jeff Neuman, 2016, After Orlando
• Laura Norman, 2014
• Leslie O’Carroll, 2016
• Yolanda Ortega, 2016
• Jeremy Palmer, 2014
• Matthew D. Peters, 2014
• Phamaly Theatre Company’s Cabaret, 2015
• Beki Pineda, 2015
• Rebecca Remaly, 2015, 2016
• Andre Rodriguez, 2015
• Pesha Rudnick, 2016
• Kristen Samu and Denver Actors Fund volunteers, 2014
• Robert Michael Sanders, 2014, 2016
• Jonathan Scott-McKean, 2016
• Donald R. Seawell, 2015
• Christopher L. Sheley, 2015
• Warren Sherrill, 2016
• Jason Sherwood, 2016
• Sesugh Solomon Tor-Agbidye, 2015
• Shannan Steele, 2014
• Miriam Suzanne, 2016
• Emily Tarquin, 2015
• Becky Toma, 2015
• Town Hall Arts Center’s Spring Awakening, outstanding musical 2014
• Daniel Traylor, 2014
• Augustus Truhn, 2015
• Megan Van De Hey, 2014
• Allison Watrous, 2015
• Jalyn Courtenay Webb, 2015
• Sharon Kay White, 2016
• Amanda Berg Wilson, 2014, 2016
• Steve Wilson, 2014 Theatre Person of the Year, 2016
• Lon Winston, 2016
• Patty Yaconis, 2016
• Rick Yaconis, 2014

2013 True West Award winners

John Moore was named one of the 12 most influential theater critics in the U.S. by American Theatre Magazine in 2011. He has since taken a groundbreaking position as the Denver Center’s Senior Arts Journalist.

Colorado Theatre Person of the Year winners:

• 2016 Billie McBride, actor and director
• 2015 Donald R. Seawell, Denver Center founder
• 2014 Steve Wilson, Phamaly Theatre Director and Artistic Director
• 2013 Shelly Bordas, Actor, teacher, director and inspirerer (pictured right)
• 2012 No award given
• 2011: Maurice LaMee, Creede Repertory Theatre artistic director
• 2010: Anthony Garcia, Su Teatro artistic director
• 2009: Kathleen M. Brady, Denver Center Theatre Company actor
• 2008: Wendy Ishii, Bas Bleu Theatre co-founder and actor
• 2007: Ed Baierlein, Germinal Stage-Denver founder, actor, director
• 2006: Bonnie Metzgar, Curious Theatre Company associate artistic director
• 2005: Chip Walton, Curious Theatre Company artistic director
• 2004: Michael R. Duran, Actor/set designer/director/playwright
• 2003: Nagle Jackson, Denver Center Theatre Company director/playwright
• 2002: Chris Tabb, Actor and director

2001-11: List of all Denver Post Ovation Award winners

All-time leaders in Ovation/True West Awards received since 2001:

• Nick Sugar 8
• Brian Freeland 7
• Karen Slack 6
• John Arp 5
• Ed Baierlein 5
• Sam Gregory 5*
• Erin Rollman 5
• Steve Wilson 5
• Gene Gillette 4
• Wendy Ishii 4
• Megan Van De Hey 4
• Chip Walton 4
• Sharon Kay White 4
• Steven J. Deidel 3
• Michael R. Duran 3
• William Hahn 3
• Billie McBride 3
• Emma Messenger 3
• Erik Sandvold 3
• Christopher L. Sheley 3

*For 11 years, the Denver Post Ovation Awards included a separate list of “Best of the Denver Center” winners. Gregory’s five wins here represent only those Ovation/True West Awards he won for other Colorado theatre companies (Paragon, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company). Otherwise, his total would be eight.