At a February 4, 2019, event in the Helen Hayes Gallery of the National Theatre in Washington, DC, theatreWashington announced the nominees for the 2019 Helen Hayes Awards, which recognize excellence in professional theater throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

The 35th annual awards ceremony, with 250 nominations in 47 categories, will be held Monday, May 13, 2019, at the Anthem on the Wharf in Southwest Washington.

This year's nominations recognize work from 88 eligible productions presented in the 2018 calendar year, grouped into two categories: "Helen" (majority non-Equity) and "Hayes" (majority Equity). Four theater companies—Annapolis Shakespeare Company, Brave Spirits Theatre, Compass Rose Theater, and Monumental Theatre Company (recipient of the 2018 John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company)—received nominations for the first time.

Arena Stage (Hayes) and 1st Stage (Helen) saw the largest number of nominations among theaters, with 25 and 22 respectively. Productions with the most nominations are The Wiz at Ford's Theatre, with 13; Fly by Night at 1st Stage, nine; and with eight each, Anything Goes at Arena Stage, Chicago at The Keegan Theatre, and Girlfriend at Signature Theatre.

The complete lists of nominations, by production and theater, can be found at www.theatreWashington.org.