The Tel Aviv Theatre Awards ceremony was held for the first time at Habima National Theatre, announcing the winners for 2025. The new municipal award is intended to be held at a different city theater each year and to summarize the previous year in theater.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to poet, translator and playwright Aharon Shabtai. Beit Lessin’s “Rhinoceros” was named Production of the Year, while Noga Ashkenazi’s “Footnote” at Habima National Theatre was named Play of the Year.
In the acting categories, Dvir Benedek won Actor of the Year for “The Whale” at the Cameri Theatre. Norman Issa received the Supporting Actor award for “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” at Habima, and Nikita Goldman received the Breakthrough Award for “Mother Courage and Her Children” at Gesher Theatre.
The directing award went to Shir Goldberg for “A Streetcar Named Desire” at the Cameri Theatre. “Rhinoceros” also won the set and lighting awards, presented to Polina Adamov and Felice Ross. Anna Agafonova won the costume award for “Krum” at Gesher Theatre, Eli Bijaoui won the translation award for “The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” and Lior Ronen won the music award for “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
The judging committee was chaired by Chen Arieli, a city council member holding the culture portfolio, alongside Gili Gaon, Maya Geyer, Roi Yosef, Prof. Dorit Yerushalmi, Orly Katan and Prof. Ruth Kanner. A separate jury for Play of the Year included Meital Zohar, Orly Katan, Yakir Ben Moshe, Dolev Mor and Udi Sharabani.
Source: Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality
