Norbay Theater Awards Honor North Bay Artists
The 2026 awards recognized theater productions and artists from the 2025-2026 season at a Santa Rosa ceremony.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Food and Drink
The 2026 Norbay Theater Awards were presented on Sunday, October 18, at The California in Santa Rosa, recognizing work from the 2025-2026 season across 18 categories. The event drew more than 150 attendees.
Why it matters
The awards spotlight local theater talent and productions in the North Bay region, giving recognition to artists and companies that contribute to the Santa Rosa arts community. The ceremony is relaunched and renamed in association with the North Bay Bohemian.
The ceremony honored work across 18 categories chosen by ranked-choice voting of the Marquee Theater Journalist Association membership. Vote margins and category-level totals were not provided in the source.
The players
Marquee Theater Journalist Association (MTJA)
The MTJA is the membership organization whose members vote in ranked-choice ballots to determine the award winners.
North Bay Bohemian
The North Bay Bohemian is a regional publication that partnered in relaunching and renaming the awards.
The details
Donnie Frank won Outstanding Costume Design for Spreckels Theatre Company's Into the Woods, which also earned Outstanding Scenic Design for Eddy Hansen and Outstanding Sound Design for Jessica Johnson. April George received Outstanding Lighting Design for Cinnabar Theater's The Secret Garden, and Alex Gomez won Outstanding Choreography for Lucky Penny of Napa's The Drowsy Chaperone. The evening opened with an hour of meeting and greeting before the presentations began.
Timeline
2015: The awards began as the Marquee Theater Journalist Association (MTJA) Awards.
Last year (2025): The awards were relaunched and renamed in association with the North Bay Bohemian.
October 18, 2026: The Norbay Theater Awards ceremony was held at The California in Santa Rosa.
Big Picture
The Norbay Theater Awards extend the MTJA Awards program that began in 2015, now carried forward in partnership with the North Bay Bohemian. The 2026 ceremony continues that tradition of recognizing regional theater work.
Attendees and local theatergoers can find the complete nominee and recipient listing with event photos on the Norbay Stage and Screen website. The awards recognize productions that audiences can see at venues across the North Bay.
The takeaway
Recognition from peer-voted awards highlights the depth of talent in the North Bay theater community. Readers interested in local productions can follow the awards listings to discover companies and artists in their area.
Further reading
Explore more Food and Drink coverage from the Santa Rosa area.
More information
View the complete nominee and recipient listing with event photos on the Norbay Stage and Screen site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by North Bay Bohemian.
