Set the Stage: The Gregorys’ Big Comeback at Town Hall Seattle

Group of People’s Choice winners from 2016 Gregorys

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The Seattle theater community harbors a rich assortment of passionate and talented artists who strive each year to share their creations and their love of the arts with the public. Performers take to the stage and immerse audiences in tales of joy and grief and offer a safe space to explore the terrifying, yet wondrous parts of being human. 

Tucked in the jagged seam between the end of one theatrical season and the start of another sits the Gregory Awards: a chance for the artists and theater companies of the region to be recognized and celebrated for their achievements and outstanding performances throughout the year. 

The Gregory Awards were founded by Theatre Puget Sound, an organization whose mission it is to foster and advocate for equitable access to the creation of the performing arts. The ceremony honors Gregory A. Falls, founder of ACT and impresario of the local theatrical scene. After his death in 1997, Theatre Puget Sound offered up the Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award to an outstanding production. In the years that followed, the award categories grew more numerous, and the ceremony acquired greater numbers of attendees. Today it consists of around thirty categories and a surplus of nominees. 

Such a robust ceremony hasn’t been possible in recent years. In the wake of the pandemic, TPS and the Gregory Awards took a significant hit. In 2024, the community rallied behind them, and with their help, they returned with a scaled-back, in-person ceremony. This year, they hope to make it bigger and better and bring back some of the glamour of former years. 

Gregorys promo image

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When asked what she most looked forward to with this year’s ceremony, Malia Tippets, Web and Tech director at TPS, stated, “I am excited to be a part of a really incredible team that has been working for months now to ideate, plan, and bring to fruition this magical night. We are bringing back live performances, People's Choice Awards, and of course our community-favorite host Jimmy Shields. By hosting this event at Town Hall Seattle this year, we are saying to our community that we have heard their feedback and that we are ready and able to bring back this special event to the caliber of years past.” 

The event will take place on October 27, 2025, with the theme “One Stage: Many Stars” and will showcase a live band and performances from nominees. It is the 25th celebration of the Gregorys, marking a milestone for the company at a time when honoring the arts is most necessary. As arts programs around the nation are being shut down and defunded, this ceremony comes at a crucial time. 

Supporting the arts has never been more important. Tippets stated on a personal note, “The performing arts have always been radical, and by coming together to celebrate right now, at this moment, we are proving that we are a force of collaboration and creativity and love to be reckoned with. We are strongest when we come together. That's what this night is about.”