2026 NJACT Perry Awards Coming To Lakewood’s Strand Theater

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Community theater artists, volunteers and organizations from across New Jersey will gather in Lakewood next month for an evening celebrating their work onstage and behind the scenes.

The 2026 NJACT Perry Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday, October 4, at the Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Avenue. The event is organized by the New Jersey Association of Community Theaters, which presents the awards for achievements in community theater throughout the state.

Regular admission costs $52 through the day of the ceremony, plus a $2 processing fee. Tickets are available through the official Strand ticketing page.

Nominees represent numerous theater companies and disciplines. The 2026 nominee list includes contenders for outstanding productions, direction, acting, choreography, music direction, scenic design, lighting, sound, costumes and properties.

Productions nominated in major categories include “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “The 39 Steps,” “Harvey,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “The SpongeBob Musical.”

The awards offer Lakewood residents a chance to see artists from community theaters around New Jersey recognized at the township’s historic performing arts venue.

NJACT President PJ Campacci described the ceremony as “a celebration of theater, you, and the community.”

“It is not about a trophy but coming together to celebrate each other,” Campacci wrote in the organization’s September message.

The organization is also accepting advertisements for the ceremony’s digital program through Thursday, September 10. Details and submission instructions are available on the NJACT website.

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