The Boston Theater Critics Association has announced its nominees for their 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards.

More than 140 nominations make up over two dozen categories of actors, directors, designers, musicians and productions.

Janie E. Howland, a scenic designer based in Boston, has been selected as the recipient of this years Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence. She has previously won four Elliot Norton Awards for Outstanding Design and is making her Trinity Repertory Company debut in May with “La Cage aux Folles.”

An Education Award is also being awarded to Hyde Square Task Force, whose programs focus on the cultural development of Boston’s Latin Quarter and Afro-Latin arts enrichment.

Additionally, four awards have already been announced for visiting productions including “Moby Dick,” for Outstanding Visiting Production, “Girl from the North Country” for Outstanding Visiting Musical, Heidi Blickenstaff in “Jagged Little Pill” for Outstanding Visiting Performance in a Musical and “Alex Edelman: Just For Us,” winning Outstanding Visiting Solo Performance.

Joyce Kulhawik, president of the Boston Theater Critics Association, said the theater community was harshly impacted by COVID-19 — but is proud that many companies are still putting on extraordinary performances.

“There are more than 140 nominations this year on stage,” Kulhawik said. “That's a lot of work in a community that was really decimated by COVID and is still recuperating. But this community is relentless, and we are recuperating, and we're hoping that this event is even bigger and better than last year. It's really been a tough road, but this community is so passionate about what they do.”

Kulhawik encouraged people to turn out to theater productions across the state — from bigger theaters in downtown Boston, to smaller local productions.

“There's just a lot going on that I think people are unaware of,” she said “And partly this is because there aren't enough outlets in which to let people know, because everybody knows arts budgets are being slashed everywhere, because the arts are always considered a frill. And of course, they're not. They're our life's blood. I would say to people, look around, see what's playing, check it out, take a chance and prepare to be thrilled.”

The Elliot Norton Awards will be held on May 20 at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. The full list of nominees can be found here.