Jules Fisher to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Tony Award
(USA) – Fisher Marantz Stone (FMS) has announced that its founder, Jules Fisher, will receive the 2026 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
As a lighting designer, Fisher is widely considered the “gold standard” of the art form, conceiving and designing concurrently for Broadway, film, the music industry, and digital animation. His Broadway career spans more than 60 years, during which he has designed more than 100 plays and musicals. He has also been nominated 25 times and honoured with nine Tony Awards (three solo awards, and an additional six in collaboration with long-time design partner, Peggy Eisenhauer).
Among his celebrated Broadway designs are the original versions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Ragtime, Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk, and Angels in America. Beyond Broadway, his innovations have illuminated live tours for the likes of the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Funkadelic and Whitney Houston.
Alongside his work in entertainment lighting, Fisher, together with Paul Marantz, in 1971 founded the award-winning architectural lighting firm, Jules Fisher & Paul Marantz (now FMS). Together, they designed lighting for such notable projects as Studio 54, the Washington Monument, The Park Avenue Armory, The National Gallery of London, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Centre, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and most recently, the Obama Presidential Center.
Notably, Fisher and his partners at FMS helped realise the iconic annual “Tribute in Light” at the National September 11th Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, New York.
Of the recognition, FMS says: “We are deeply honoured to celebrate Jules and this remarkable recognition of his life’s work. His vision helped shape the way we understand light – as something that gives depth to architecture, emotion to space, and a sense of magic to the built environment. His enduring curiosity and lifelong commitment to invention and experimentation established a culture of craft, care, and innovation that continues to guide our work today.”