The Award Goes To…. The Auckland Fringe Award Winners Announced

The 2020 Auckland Fringe festival came to a close on Sunday after three weeks jam packed with silly, intense, enthusiastic, powerful, heart-warming and breaking shows. Winners of the 2020 Auckland Fringe Awards, were held at the Phoenix Cabaret with the notorious and highly talented Donna Brookbanks and Michele A’Court as hosts. And the winners are…
The impressive programme of over 70 events included four-hour long shows, dance, light works, comedy, poetry, alternative organ music, theatre, solo shows and ensemble casts, and everything in between! The judges saw it all, and the winners of the 2020 Auckland Fringe Awards are…

Phil Middleton

BEST NEWCOMER AWARDS

  • Best Newcomer (Ensemble): Burning Opinion
  • Best Newcomer (Individual): Phil Middleton

PRODUCTION ELEMENTS AWARDS

  • Best Sound Design: Faceless Hair Cry
  • Best Costume: Emerald
  • Best Production Design: Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle
Perry

BEST PERFORMANCE AWARDS:

  • Best Performance (Ensemble): The Incredible and Glorious World According to the Fitzroys
  • Best Performance (Dance): Faceless Hair Cry
  • Best Performance (Music): Lucy Suttor (Dick Move)
  • Best Performance (Theatre Individual): Perry

BEST IN CATEGORY AWARDS:

  • Jelly Baby

    Best Comedy: Lust Island

  • Best Contemporary Performance & Live Art: Jelly Baby
  • Best Dance: Taurite
  • Best Music: Sarah Mary Chadwick
  • Best Performance Poetry: Poetry to the Max
  • Best Theatre: Alone
  • Best Visual Arts: Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle

AUCKLAND FRINGE COMMUNITY AWARDS:

  • Best “Off-Broadway” Venue: Cupid Bar
  • Outstanding Community Engagement: Let Me Tell You About Auckland
  • Intergenerational Award: #UsTwo

    Us Two
  • Auckland Fringe Hero: Harry the dead poet
  • Best Use of Language: I Did it My Way
  • Mana Enhancing: Alien Weaponry
  • Unfuck the world: Have You Ever Been With an Asian Womxn? 
  • Organised Chaos: Munchies
  • Pick of the Fringe: Taurite
  • Spirit of Fringe: Basement Theatre Durationals (Just One More, Infomercial Project, Jell Baby, Cleaning the Room, An Open Apology)

DEVELOPMENT AWARDS:

  • Sharu Loves Hats ‘Emerging Producers Mentorship’ Award: Loose Change
    Sharu Loves Hats will commit time to spending with the chosen company to see what needs they have to develop their project and walk alongside them to achieve their goals. Loose Change
  • Auckland Live ‘Free Your Mind’ Award: Tom Clarke – Perry
    The winning Artist/Company of the Auckland Live Free Your Mind Award will be given $1,500 of cold hard cash to develop a new idea for ‘something’ that could be presented at one of Auckland Live’s venues. As part of the award you will also get to spend time with the Auckland Live programming team, which will give us a chance to get to know you better as an artist(s), and help us to best support your work.
  • Burning Opinion

    PANNZ Tour Ready Award: Burning Opinion
    An opportunity for a pitch slot, as well as a full delegate registration for the PANNZ Arts Market 2021
    Winner PANNZ emerging artist award: Lunar State, Alone & Perry
    3 awards of full delegation registration for PAANZ Arts Market 2021

  • Auckland Arts Festival ‘Best of the Fringe’ Award: Taurite
    The Auckland Arts Festival Award is awarded for the ongoing development and life of an outstanding production looking to tour in both New Zealand and overseas. The award includes $1,000 and mentoring advice from the Auckland Arts Festival team.
  • I Know What I’m Doing

    Basement Theatre Disruptor Award: I KNOW WHAT I’M DOING
    This award is presented to an artist that the Basement reckons is an artistic disruptor who isn’t afraid of challenging form and chasing new ideas. The recipient of this award is entitled to a coveted spot in Basement’s Ideas In Residence programme: an artist development initiative that invites them to work on the seed of a new idea with a personally selected dramaturg or mentor for five months.  The artist will receive a weekly stipend, dedicated time with Basement’s programming team and tickets to shows at Basement, Auckland Theatre Company, Massive theatre Company and Silo theatre for the year.  As well as this the artist is invited to present a return season in Basement’s Spring programme.

  • Best Theatre: Alone

    Taurima Vibes Grassroots Awards: Lunar State & The Dolls House
    Taurima Vibes will award 2 prizes of $500 for the 2 shows that they believe align with Taurima and Fringes kaupapa of uplifting authentic voices, community and artistic development. As well as cash Taurima will offer the opportunity to work alongside the artist/ company to help them to understand how to move their piece to the next stage of development. This includes hui, production advice, timelining and networking

  • Whakawhirinaki Awards: Poetry to the Max & After
    Fringe awards 2 prizes of $500 for the 2 shows that they believe align with Fringes kaupapa of uplifting authentic voices, emerging voices, doggedness and need for development. As well as cash Fringe will offer the opportunity to work alongside the artist/ company to help them to understand how to move their piece to the next stage of development. This includes hui, production advice, timelining and networking.