Auckland Fringe Festival - Ahurei Mōwaho O Tāmaki Makaurau Announces 2021 Award Winners

First and foremost Auckland Fringe Festival - Ahurei Mōwaho o Tāmaki would like to acknowledge the incredible tenacity and drive that ALL of their artists have shown throughout this tumultuous never-ending festival. Without them, the festival doesn’t get to be what it is. After multiple lockdowns during the festival they did what fringes do best, they made it work by extending the festival dates to support all artists that were hit by COVID restrictions, so they could continue to be supported at a later date.

The extended festival came to a triumphant close last night with the Auckland Fringe Awards, celebrating all of the incredibly resilient and hardworking artists that took on the challenge of putting on a show during a pandemic.

The judges had a hard task ahead of them, with an impressive programme that included plenty of theatre, comedy, music, dance, and a whole heap of personal and heartfelt stories.

The winners of the 2021 Auckland Fringe Awards are…

Best Newcomer
– Individual – Fa’asu Afoa-Purcell
– Collective – Te Whare Kapua

Best Sound design – Te Whare Kapua

Best Costume – This Ain’t Auckland

Best Production Design – Standard Acts

Best Performance (Individual)
Dance – Katrina Bastian
Ensemble – Over My Dead Body: UNINVITED
Music – Maggie Cocco
Theatre – Amanda Tito

Best (Overall)
Comedy – Ghost Machine
Contemporary Performance / Live Art – Standard Acts
Dance – Let them Eat Cake/Soliloquy in Sweat
Music – Voyagers
Performance Poetry – Super Duper Boom Boom Fun Night Slam
Theatre – Waiting
Visual Arts – R+R (Rest & Restoration)
Directed – Bryony Skillington
Intergenerational Award – Outta the Mouth of Babes
Auckland Fringe Hero – Anders Falstie-Jensen
Spirit of the Fringe
– Daniel Fernandez
– Sean Dugdale-Martin

Community Engagement Award – An Extraordinary Meeting

Mana Enhancing – Kim Gruebner

PAANZ Auckland Fringe Award
– Pitching – Waiting
– Attending (x4) – Songs From My Suitcase
– Squeaky Wheel
– The Big O.E
– Coded

Unf**k The World Award – Cook Thinks Again

Organised Chaos – Let Them Eat Cake

Best off Broadway Venue – Garnet Station, Tiny Theatre

Outstanding Community Engagement – Whau the People

Sharu Loves Hats – Evening! With Jimmy Applause

Auckland Live ‘Free Your Mind’ Award – Voyagers

Auckland Arts Festival - Super Duper Boom Boom Fun Night Slam

Basement Theatre Disruptor Award – Soliloquy in Sweat, Katrina Bastian

Taurima Vibes Atawhai Award – Sunrise

Whangarei Fringe Northern Opportunity Award – Squeaky Wheel

Honorable Mentions
– La Guitarra – Music
– Ravi the Poet – Best Newcomer Individual
– Adam May – Best Newcomer Individual
– Victoria Abbot – Director

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