After a mammoth 20-day Festival that featured over 470 shows across the city and suburbs, Melbourne Fringe tonight celebrated the artistic excellence, risk-taking bravery and sheer creativity of the 2,600 artists participating in the 2023 Festival with its annual awards ceremony.
The honorees in the 40-strong list of awards received praise from judges, industry and audiences alike with Best in Category nods to each genre, touring awards sponsored by sister festivals at home and abroad, and a series of special awards acknowledging potential, innovation and artistic brilliance in the Festival’s enormous program this year.
The annual ceremony also included the announcement of the 2023 Melbourne Fringe Living Legend, Moira Finucane.
2023 Melbourne Fringe Awards
Best In Category Awards
Best Cabaret: Spunk Daddy – Darby James
Best Circus: In Common – One Fell Swoop Circus
Best Comedy: Stickybeak – Kimberley Twiner, Jessie Ngaio, Laura Trenerry and Patrick Dwyer
Best Dance & Physical Theatre: LUSH – gemma + molly
Best Experimental: Enemies of Grooviness Eat Sh!t – Betty Grumble
Best Kids: The Listies present ROFL – Final Season! – Rich and Matt
Best Music: Walking Songs – Milly Moon
Best Theatre: Someday We’ll Find It – Karla Livingstone-Pardy and Zachary Sheridan
Best Visual Arts & Film: Sky Symphony – Shaun Rigney and LASER-VISION
Best Words & Ideas: Yalinguth LIVE by the Birrarung – Jason Tamiru and Storyscape
Artist Development Awards
Best Emerging Indigenous Artist
Supported by the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts & Cultural Development (VCA & MCM)
Amelia Jean O’Leary for STAUNCH ASF
Best Emerging Producer
Supported by MILKE
Olly Lawrence for Le Freak, T4T: A Transgender Showcase and An Evening with JK
Comedy New Work Award
Supported by Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Success in Everything – Noah Szto
Emerging Company Incubator Award
Supported by Monash University’s Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance
Full Cream – Em Keagan, Ryan Hamilton, Georgie Wolfe, and Jonno Graffam O’Meara
Headroom Award
Supported by RISING
Burnout Paradise – Pony Cam
Innovation in Circus
Supported by Theatre Network Australia
Le Freak – Themme Fatale and Elle Diablo, with Sarah Birdgirl, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, and Bella de Jac, produced by Olly Lawrence
Innovation in Dance
Supported by Theatre Network Australia
~~~~~ “…derelict in uncharted space…” – Fayen d’Evie and Benjamin Hancock
Innovation in Theatre
Supported by Theatre Network Australia
A Dodgeball Named Desire – Bloomshed
Market Ready Award
Supported by Regional Arts Victoria
NIUSIA – a ry presentation with Beth Paterson and Kathryn Yates
2023 Touring Awards
The New Zealand Touring Award
Supported by New Zealand Fringe
Sam Kissajukian: 300 Paintings – Sam Kissajukian
The NSW Touring Award
Supported by Sydney Fringe
A Dodgeball Named Desire – Bloomshed
The QLD Touring Award
Supported by Brisbane Comedy Festival
Am I the Drama? – Andy Balloch
The SA Touring Award
Supported by Adelaide Fringe
Hot Fat Crazy – Tommy & Eadie
The WA Touring Award
Supported by FRINGE WORLD Festival
Le Freak – Themme Fatale and Elle Diablo, with Sarah Birdgirl, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, and Bella de Jac, produced by Olly Lawrence
Special Awards
Access and Inclusion Award
I Am (Not) This Body – Leisa Prowd
Best Work by an Emerging Artist
The Coconuts – Brown on the Outside, White on the Inside – The Coconuts
Director’s Choice
Zaffé – Stéphanie Ghajar & Collaborators
People’s Choice Award
Mechorstra – Scimm. Dance Company
Sound and Technical Excellence Award
~~~~~ “…derelict in uncharted space…” – Fayen d’Evie and Benjamin Hancock
Spirit of the Fringe
Burnout Paradise – Pony Cam
Venue of the Year
Abbotsford Convent
Image: Bryce James Haggett
