On Thursday, June 6, Fringe was pleased to host the nominations announcement for the 36th annual Sterling Awards.

Folks gathered ‘round Fringe Grounds Cafe or streamed the announcement on FringeTV! (Did you know you can catch a recording of the announcement right now?) We’re thrilled to see how many Fringe-related shows were featured!

Tickets are on sale now for the gala event on June 24. Affectionately known as ‘Theatre Prom,’ this year’s shindig will be presented in Fringe’s Westbury Theatre in the Arts Barns. The awards ceremony will also be livestreamed on FringeTV. 

Shout out to Small Matters Productions show The Spinsters! Presented as part of Fringe Theatre’s 2023/24 Season, The Spinsters received a staggering five nominations! Did you know Season Passes are available for next year’s Fringe Theatre Season? Just saying.  

We were also excited to see many of the shows that played in our Arts Barns receive nods including The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective), The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts), Donna Orbits The Moon and Candy and the Beast (Northern Light Theatre)

We also want to send a special shout-out to all the familiar faces nominated for the Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production category: Andrea Handal Rivera, Kat Evans, Liv Bunge, Simon Wicks, and Gina Moe!  

And a special shout out to those Fringe shows who received nods! Including Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions) and This Won’t Hurt, I Promise (Tiny Bear Jaws), who were both Fringe Holdovers last year! Props to all the other Fringe show nominees including Mowat Diversity award recipient The Catalogue of Sexual Anxieties (Hysterical Ladies), and many other phenominal shows including Stigma, Pistil & Stile (Wee Witches and Erin Pettifor), Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre), Morningside Road (Morningside Road Productions), Talk Treaty to Me (ReadyGo Theatre), The Cabin on Bald Dune (Dog Heart Theatre), Interwebbed (HeyWired Theatre), and What Was is All (Nextfest Theatre).

One thing remains true above all – Edmonton is a rockin’ theatre community, y’all. From the big shows in the big houses to the staggering number of indie productions to Fringe shows, our hearts are full. 

An important note: while we celebrate these folks, we know there are many, MANY, incredible theatre creators in this fantastic city that did not receive nods this year. We see you. We are honoured to work alongside you, see your growth, and watch your fantastic shows. Awards are lovely little sprinkles on the cake, but we all know there’s much more to cake than just sprinkles. So, a big hearty Fringe congrats to all the nominees and much love to the fantastic city we all know, love and work in.

Here’s to great theatre!

Here’s a list of all the Artists nominated for the 36th Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards.  

Outstanding Production of a Play:
Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre)
Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAFire Festival)
Wonderful Joe (Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes at Theatre Network)
The Spinsters (Small Matters Productions and Edmonton Fringe Theatre)
The Drawer Boy (Shadow Theatre)

The Timothy Ryan Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical:
Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Grease (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)
Rubaboo (Citadel Theatre)
The Sound of Music (Citadel Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
With Bells On! The Musical (Theatre Network in association with Mary J. Davis, MBL Productions and Live & In Color)

Outstanding Independent Production:
The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective)
There We Are. There (Good Women Dance Collective)
The Great Great Spiegel Spectacular (Firefly Theatre and Circus)

Outstanding New Play (award to playwright):
Beth Graham, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Trevor Schmidt, Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre)
Ronnie Burkett, Wonderful Joe (Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes at Theatre Network)
Conni Massing, Dead Letter (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
S.E. Grummett, The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role – Play:
Patricia Cerra, The Mountaintop (Citadel Theatre)
Dayna Lea Hoffmann, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Ronnie Burkett, Wonderful Joe (Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes at Theatre Network)
Ray Strachan, The Mountaintop (Citadel Theatre)
Lora Brovold, Dead Letter (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)

Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role – Musical:
Andrea Menard, Rubaboo (Citadel Theatre)
Synthia Yusuf, Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Tenaj Williams, Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Priya Narine. The Sound of Music (Citadel Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Andrea House, Everybody Goes To Mitzi’s (Teatro Live!)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role – Play:
Jayce McKenzie, Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre)
Tia Ashley Kushniruk, Mermaid Legs (Skirtsafire)
Abigail McDougall, Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre)
Graham Mothersill, Mob (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
Brett Dahl, The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective)

Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role – Musical:
John Ullyatt, Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Chariz Faulmino, Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s (Teatro Live!)
Christina Nguyen, The Sound of Music (Citadel Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Bella King, Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s (Teatro Live!)
Melissa MacPherson, Grease (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Play or Musical:
Six: The Musical (Citadel Theatre/ Mirvish Productions)
Robot Girls (Shadow Theatre); Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Rubaboo (Citadel Theatre)
The Great Great Spiegel Spectacular (Firefly Theatre and Circus)

Outstanding Set Design:
Anahita Dehbonehie, The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective)
Cory Sincennes, The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Michael Gianfrancesco, The Importance of Being Earnest (Citadel Theatre)
Narda McCarroll, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Daniel vanHeyst, The Drawer Boy (Shadow Theatre)

Outstanding Costume Design:
Adam Dickson / Ian Walker, The Spinsters (Small Matters Productions and Edmonton Fringe Theatre)
Michael Gianfrancesco, The Importance of Being Earnest (Citadel Theatre)
Rebecca Cypher, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Leona Brausen, Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s (Teatro Live!)
Cory Sincennes, The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)

Outstanding Lighting Design:
Whittyn Jason, The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective)
Alison Yanota, Mob (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
Sophie Tang, The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre)
Sandi Somers, Pochsy IV (Keep Frozen at Theatre Network)
Rae McCallum, Donna Orbits The Moon (Northern Light Theatre)

Outstanding Multimedia Design:
Tori Morrison, This is the Story of the Child Ruled by Fear (Strange Victory Performance at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
Matt Schuurman, Donna Orbits the Moon (Northern Light Theatre)
Kira Franchuk, Mob (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
Ian Walker, The Spinsters (Small Matters Productions and Edmonton Fringe Theatre)
Amelia Scott, The Mountaintop (Citadel Theatre).

Outstanding Sound Design:
Michael Caron, The Spinsters (Small Matters Productions and Edmonton Fringe Theatre)
Dave Clarke, Candy and the Beast (Northern Light Theatre)
Aaron Macri, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Darrin Hagen, Mob (Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre)
Chantal Vitalis, Pochsy IV (Keep Frozen at Theatre Network)

Outstanding Score of a Play or Musical:
Tommy Newman, With Bells On! The Musical (Theatre Network in association with Mary J. Davis, MBL Productions and Live & In Color)
Simon Abbott, Die Harsh (Grindstone Theatre)
Michael Caron and Lindsey Walker, The Spinsters (Small Matters Productions and Edmonton Fringe Theatre)
Andrea Menard, Rubaboo (Citadel Theatre)
Ruaridh MacDonald and Rae Spoon, The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)

Outstanding Musical Director:
Caitlin Hayes and Ruth Alexander, Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Jennifer McMillan, Grease (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)
Andrew St. Hilaire, The Sound of Music (Citadel Theatre/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre)
Robert Walsh, Rubaboo (Citadel Theatre)
Ryan Sigurdson, With Bells On! The Musical (Theatre Network association with Mary J. Davis, MBL Productions and Live & In Color)

Outstanding Choreographer, Fight Director, Intimacy Director:
Ainsley Hillyard, choreography, Mermaid Legs (SkirtsAfire Festival)
Jonathan Hawley Purvis, fight choreography, The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)
Julio Fuentes, choreography, Grease (Mayfield Dinner Theatre)
Corey Tazmania, intimacy direction, The Hooves Belonged to the Deer (In Arms Theatre Collective)
Gianna Vacirca, choreography, Little Shop of Horrors (Citadel Theatre/ Vancouver Arts Club Theatre Company)

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production:
Andrea Handal Rivera, Stage Manager.
Kat Evans, Production Manager.
Liv Bunge, Production Manager.
Simon Wicks, House Tech.
Gina Moe, Stage Manager.

Outstanding Production for Young Audiences:
The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)
Cinderella (Alberta Musical Theatre Company)
Silver Skate Folk Trail 2024 (Silver Skate Festival)

Outstanding Artistic Achievement for Young Audiences:
Jay Northcott, Director, The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)
Farren Timoteo, Director, Cinderella (Alberta Musical Theatre Company)
Even Gilchrist, Designer, The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)
Deanna Finnman, Costume Design, Cinderella (Alberta Musical Theatre Company)
Ali Deregt, S.E. Grummett, Rowan Pantel, Monica Ila, puppet design and build, The Adventure of Young Turtle (So.Glad Arts)

Outstanding Fringe Production:
Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions)
This Won’t Hurt, I Promise (Tiny Bear Jaws)
Stigma, Pistil, & Stile (Wee Witches and Erin Pettifor)
Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre)
Morningside Road (Morningside Road Productions)

Outstanding Fringe New Work:
Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions)
This Won’t Hurt, I Promise (Tiny Bear Jaws)
Talk Treaty to Me (ReadyGo Theatre)
The Cabin on Bald Dune (Dog Heart Theatre)
Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe Performance (individual):
Elena Belyea, This Won’t Hurt, I Promise (Tiny Bear Jaws)
Erin Pettifor, Stigma, Pistil, & Stile (Wee Witches and Erin Pettifor)
Lauren Brady, Interwebbed (HeyWired Theatre)
Amanda Neufeld, Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre)
Dayna Lea Hoffmann, Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions)

Outstanding Fringe Ensemble:
Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions)
Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre)
Talk Treaty to Me (ReadyGo Theatre)
The Catalogue of Sexual Anxieties (Hysterical Ladies)
What Was is All (Nextfest Theatre)

Outstanding Fringe Director:
Geoffrey Simon Brown, This Won’t Hurt, I Promise (Tiny Bear Jaws)
Stephen Allred, Krampus (Straight Edge Theatre)
April Banigan, The Cabin on Bald Dune (Dog Heart Theatre)
Jacqueline Russell, Stigma, Pistil & Stile (Wee Witches and Erin Pettifor)
Joseph McManus, Rat Academy (Batrabbit Productions)

The Margaret Mooney Award for Outstanding Achievement in Administration: Elizabeth Allison

The Ross Hill Award for Outstanding Achievement in Production: Patsy Thomas

Outstanding Contribution To Theatre in Edmonton: Mac Brock