The Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts, initially referred to as the Golden Quill, is a prize established in 1994 which is presented by the America-based Shakespeare Guild, founded by John F. Andrews, OBE, to "honor Sir John and perpetuate his legacy." The award is named in honor of the English actor Sir John Gielgud.
The Gielgud Award was created in April 1994 at a ceremony at the Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The ceremony contained speeches by Robert MacNeil, Tony Randall, and Susan Stamberg, who read a letter that Sir John had written for the occasion. It was announced that the award would, according to the Shakespeare Guild website, "preserve the heritage of Sir John Gielgud and pay tribute to the actors, directors, producers, and writers who are doing the most to perpetuate his legacy and that of the poet whose work he did so much to convey to succeeding generations of Shakespeare enthusiasts." The award was first presented in 1996 and has been given sporadically ever since.
| Year | Recipient | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Sir Ian McKellen | Folger Shakespeare Library |
| 1997 | Sir Derek Jacobi | Folger Shakespeare Library |
| 1998 | Zoe Caldwell | Folger Shakespeare Library |
| 1999 | Dame Judi Dench | Ethel Barrymore Theatre |
| 2000 | Sir Kenneth Branagh | Middle Temple, London |
| 2001 | No Award | |
| 2002 | Kevin Kline | Lincoln Center |
| 2003 | Lynn Redgrave | National Arts Club |
| 2004 | No Award | |
| 2005 | No Award | |
| 2006 | Christopher Plummer | National Arts Club |
| 2007 | Michael Kahn | British Embassy, Washington, D.C. |
| 2008 | Sir Patrick Stewart | National Arts Club |
| 2009 | No Award | |
| 2010 | F. Murray Abraham | National Arts Club |
| 2011 | No Award | |
| 2012 | No Award | |
| 2013 | No Award | |
| 2014 | Sir Donald Sinden (posthumously) received by Marc Sinden | Guildhall, London[1] |
| 2015 | Dame Eileen Atkins | Guildhall, London |
| 2016 | Vanessa Redgrave | Guildhall, London |
| 2017 | Sir David Hare | Guildhall, London |
| 2018 | Sir Richard Eyre | Guildhall, London |
| 2019 | Sir Cameron Mackintosh | Gielgud Theater |