The Bettys are coming: Inside the secretive process behind Calgary’s theatre awards

Posted Jun 6, 2025 12:59 pm.
Last Updated Jun 10, 2025 11:08 am.
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How many shows is a suspicious amount of shows to go to?
Maybe you’ve seen them in the audience more than a few times. Quiet. Observing.
But don’t expect them to introduce themselves.
For Calgary’s Betty Mitchell Awards — the city’s annual celebration of professional theatre — the judges are watching everything. And they’re not allowed to say a word, not even to each other.
This weekend the nominations for the 2024-2025 Betty’s will be unveiled, but long before the envelopes are sealed, around a dozen Calgarians accept a momentous task.
It’s kind of a secret mission says Ryan Wesley Gray, a board member with the Betty Mitchell Awards.
Each year, a dozen theatre professionals are quietly selected to serve on the nominations committee. They’re expected to see at least 75 percent of the season’s eligible shows — but most push for 100.
This year, that worked out to 60 productions. Judges do see all of those shows for free, but the commitment may outweigh the benefit at some point in the year.
Gray says some weeks, that means seeing four productions, and they don’t share their thoughts with anyone, not even each other.
“We encourage them not to even discuss the shows amongst themselves,” says Gray. “Their votes are their own. No influence. No bias. Just their personal take on what they saw.”
Not just any show is eligible for a Betty. Each production must be submitted for eligibility, with proof that it’s a professional equity production. That means it pays artists union wages, works with IATSE technicians, and meets the standards of Calgary’s theatre industry.
Once submissions are approved, committee members map out their season, bouncing between venues for months. The time and dedication required are immense, but the payoff is priceless.
“You get to see everything — from Shakespeare to new Canadian work. It’s a theatre lover’s dream,” Gray says.
If it sounds like a dream to you and you don’t make the dozen cut, there is a way to work your way up into the opportunity.
Through the Bettys Passport Program, anyone can collect stamps at eligible shows. See 25 or more in a season, and your ballot counts.
It’s not weighted as heavily as a committee vote (those carry more points), but it’s part of what makes the Bettys unique: a blend of insider knowledge and public perspective.
When the season wraps, committee members rank their top picks in each category. Their ballots go straight to a third-party tabulator — a firm that handles the results independently.
Even the board doesn’t see them. The board doesn’t touch them. Even the award envelopes are sealed and delivered straight to the show.
“I will find out the nominees when the public finds out. Same with the winners,” Gray says. “We go to great lengths to protect that process. It has to be clean. It has to be trusted.”
Beyond the recognition, many Bettys come with sponsored perks: cash, rehearsal space, or access to facilities.
Recent award sponsors include Arts Commons, ACTRA, the University of Calgary, IATSE, and Company of Rogues.
“It’s not just a pat on the back,” Gray says. “There is financial sponsorship that also is invested in these awards as well.”
At this point, Friday,June 6, it is unclear which productions have made the cut this year.
Nominations are expected to drop Saturday, June 7.
In the meantime, do you have any suspects for a Bettys judge?
Stay tuned early next week for more news on the Betty’s and even a chance to win your way into one of Calgary’s most star-studded local thespian celebrations.
Full rules for the Betty Mitchell Awards and more information: bettymitchellawards.com/