Wilmington Theater Awards to Announce 2026 Nominees

Terry Collins Named Lela Thompson Award Honoree

The Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County invites the community to celebrate local theater excellence at the 2026 Wilmington Theater Awards Nomination Party, where nominees in all award categories will be officially announced.

The Nomination Party will take place at 7:00 p.m. on January 28, 2026, at The Eagle’s Dare, 420 N. Third Street in Wilmington. Theater artists, supporters, and fans are encouraged to attend as the spotlight turns to the performers, designers, directors, and technicians who made the past year on Wilmington stages exceptional.

In addition to announcing nominees, the Arts Council is proud to reveal that Terry Collins has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Lela Thompson Award for Enduring Contribution to Wilmington Theater. Each year, the Lela Thompson Award honors one individual whose positive and lasting impact has helped shape the local theater scene. The award is named in honor of Lela Thompson, the late co-founder of The Willis Richardson Players and a foundational figure in Wilmington theater.

For more than 25 years, Collins, founder of The Scenic Asylum, has been the Wilmington theater community’s go-to set designer. His work spans large-scale, multi-piece productions on Thalian Hall’s main stage as well as visually compelling designs for more intimate venues. Over the course of his career, Collins has designed dozens—if not hundreds—of productions in Wilmington alone.

Beyond the local stage, Collins’ résumé includes extensive work on Broadway national tours, both as a touring professional earlier in his career and through The Scenic Asylum, where he has prepared sets for productions traveling across the country. A multi-time Wilmington Theater Award winner, Collins most recently received top honors for set design for Opera House Theatre Company’s Death of a Salesman in 2025.

Collins’ selection for the Lela Thompson Award comes during a deeply challenging time, as he recently suffered a life-altering injury. His enduring influence, generosity, and commitment to the craft of theater have left a permanent and indelible mark on Wilmington’s artistic community.

Following the Nomination Party, public voting will open on the Arts Council website. The season will culminate at the 2026 Wilmington Theater Awards ceremony on March 25, 2026, at Thalian Hall, where winners in all categories will be announced live.

For more information, visit www.artswilmington.org.